People also ask
The program does NOT:
- Help participants change their identities or relocate.
- Remove or delete existing public records.
- Offer legal advice.
- Relieve participants of their legal or financial responsibilities.
The Safe at Home Program will receive all first class and certified mail sent to the substitute address and then forward that mail to the participant at their designated mailing address.
If you are unsure as to what type of business (i.e. Corporation, Limited Liability Company, Partnership, etc.), you may need to contact an attorney or tax professional, as this office is unable to assist in that determination. For information on types of business entities and tax, treatments consult the IRS, Tennessee Office of the U.S. Small Business Administration or the Business Enterprise Resource Office (BERO) at the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development.
You will need:
- Proof of citizenship (such as a birth certificate), and
- Two proofs of Tennessee residency (such as a voter registration card, a utility bill, vehicle registration or title, or bank statement).
- If your name differs from that on your primary ID, proof of the changed name (such as a certified marriage certificate, divorce decree, court order, etc.)
Learn more about the required documents at the Department of Safety and Homeland Security's Voter Photo ID page.
The Secretary of State’s Absentee By-Mail Ballot Status Tracker tool allows voters to track the status of their absentee by-mail ballot.
You must mail your ballot in time for your county election commission to receive it no later than the close of polls on Election Day.
You must return your ballot by mail (USPS, FedEx, UPS, etc.). Hand delivery or handing it to a poll worker during early voting or on Election Day is not permitted.
- Corporations*
- Limited Liability Companies (LLC’s)*
- Limited Partnerships (LP’s)*
- Limited Liability Partnerships (LLP’s)*
- General Partnerships+
*All of the above business entities file formation documents.
+Filings by general partnerships are not for the purpose of forming or maintaining a general partnership in Tennessee. Document filing is for the purpose of providing public notice of basic information about a general partnership, such as the agency authority of its partners, and such filings are optional and voluntary.
Tennesseans voting early or on Election Day must bring valid photo identification with them to the polls. A driver's license or photo ID issued by the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security, by Tennessee state government or by the federal government are acceptable even if they are expired. College student IDs are not acceptable.
Learn more about what types of ID are acceptable here or call the Division of Elections at 1-877-850-4959.
Visit the Department of Safety and Homeland Security's Driver Service Center Locations page for information about locations and hours, closure advisories, and self-service kiosks and online renewal.
No. If you already have a valid government-issued photo ID for voting purposes, the Department of Safety and Homeland Security will not issue a free photo ID to you.
You may obtain a free photo ID to vote from the Department of Safety and Homeland Security at any participating driver service center across the state. You may use the “express service” line at the driver service center to obtain your photo ID to minimize wait times. Visit the Department of Safety and Homeland Security's Voter Photo ID page for more information.
Yes. If you cannot afford a copy of the documents required to obtain a free photo ID, you may sign a form stating under oath that you are indigent and have been unable to obtain an acceptable photo ID for voting without paying a fee.
Find your early voting and Election Day polling place and hours in the GoVoteTN app.
If you don’t bring a photo ID, you will vote a provisional ballot. You will then have two (2) business days after Election Day to return to the election commission office to show a valid photo ID. Upon returning to the election commission office, the voter will sign an affidavit and a copy of the voter’s photo ID will be made to be reviewed by the counting board.
No, but if you do not have another form of valid photo ID, the Department of Safety and Homeland Security will reissue your license with your photo for free upon request.
The Office of the Secretary of State has developed an application form that must be used to apply for the program, which captures all required information and must be completed with the assistance of a Certified Application Assistant, who must also sign the application. The application must be submitted to the Safe at Home Program by a certified application assistant.
For more information see our Applicant Guide.
Yes, as long as it was validly issued by the federal or Tennessee state government and contains the name and photograph of the voter.
Program Participants are not subject to selection for state or municipal jury duty. T.C.A. § 40-38-607.
Program participants should not appear on state or municipal jury selection lists. If a program participant is selected for jury service, the summoning court should excuse the program participant.
If a program participant receives a jury summons for either state or municipal jury duty, the Participant must notify the summoning court of the participant's exempt status and provide a copy of the Participant's Certificate of Program Participation, if requested.
Participants may not fail to respond to a jury summons.
If you are unsure or have questions about your photo ID, contact your county election commission or the Division of Elections at 1-877-850-4959.
Certified Application Assistants work with various state and local agencies and/or nonprofit agencies that provide counseling and shelter services to victims of domestic abuse and other crimes. At list of Certified Application Assistants can be found here. Safe at Home is most effective as part of an overall safety plan. Additional information regarding safety plans can be found here.
Any person who is required by law to be registered under any of the following is not eligible to participate in the program:
- Tennessee Sexual Offender and Violent Sexual Offender Registration Verification and Tracking Act of 2004, compiled at Title 40, Chapter 39, Part 2;
- Tennessee Animal Abuser Registration Act, compiled at Title 40, Chapter 39, Part 1
- Registry of persons who have abused, neglected, or misappropriated the property of vulnerable individuals, compiled at Title 68, Chapter 11, Part 10; or,
- Drug offender registry under Tennessee Code Annotated § 39-17-436.
- Whenever a program participant is required by law to swear to or affirm the participant’s address, the participant may use the participant’s substitute address. T.C.A. §§ 40-38-602, 606.
- Wherever a program participant is required by law to establish residency, the participant may use the participant’s substitute address. T.C.A. §§ 40-38-602, 606.
- The substitute address may be used for motor vehicle records and may be printed on a drivers license. T.C.A. § 40-38-602.
- The substitute address may also be used as your official mailing address for all public utilities and public utility service providers. T.C.A. §§ 40-38-602, 606.
- Participants may also request that private entities use the substitute address, although they are not required to do so.
An individual should consider applying if they are victims of domestic abuse, stalking, human trafficking, or any sexual offense, who:
- are attempting to escape an abuser, stalker, or other aggressor;
- are currently residing in a domestic violence shelter or other crisis shelter;
- are currently temporarily residing with family or friends;
- have moved to a new home within the previous 30 days;
- have children; or
- rely upon, or will need to rely upon, public assistance programs.
The application can be completed by:
- Any adult may apply on their own behalf
- A parent may apply on behalf of their minor child
- A fiduciary, such as a guardian or conservator, may apply on behalf of a minor or a person with a disability
Program participants may be required to provide their residential street address to a public utility service provider for the purpose of obtaining utility services. However, participants can request that their residential address be treated as confidential by presenting the public service utility with a certificate of program participation.
After doing so, the public utility service provider must treat the residential address and all other identifying information as confidential in accordance with the Tennessee Public Records Act, compiled at Title 10, Chapter 7, Part 5.
Private businesses are not required by statute to accept a Safe at Home Participant's substitute address. However, private companies or agencies are encouraged to make every effort to keep a participant’s information safe by accepting the substitute address whenever possible. If agency or business employees have questions about using the substitute address, they may contact the Safe at Home Program directly.
- When listing, appraising, or assessing property taxes;
- When collecting property taxes;
- On any document related to real property recorded with a county clerk or recorder.
- Participants should always use the substitute address when interacting with a state or local government entity, whether on their own behalf or on behalf of their children. Participants should never disclose their confidential address, unless required by law to do so.
- Participants should always notify the state or local government official or entity with whom they are interacting that they are a program participant and that their residential address is confidential.
- Participants should always be prepared to provide officials with a copy of their program participation certificate.
- If a Participant has filed paperwork with a state or local government entity using their confidential address within 30 days prior to their application for program participation, the participant should immediately contact the state or local agency to notify them of the Participant's participation certification, provide a copy of the Participant's Certificate of Program Participation, and request that the participant's confidential address be protected.
- If a Participant is asked to verify their residential address for purposes of enrolling either themselves or their minor children in a public school, the Participant should provide the school with a copy of their Certificate of Program Participation and your substitute address. Then, direct school officials to contact the Office of the Secretary of State for further verifications in accordance with T.C.A. §§ 40-38-602, 606.
- Participants should provide their Public Utility Service Providers (electric, water, and gas, etc.) with a copy of their Certificate of Program Participation and their substitute address, and then request that the Public Utility Service Provider keep their residential address confidential. These requests should be presented to the Public Utility Service Provider's records custodian.
Program Participants must vote by absentee ballot. T.C.A. § 40-38-607.
Program participant absentee ballots must be treated as confidential and must be processed confidentially by the Administrator of Elections. Program participants shall appear in the statewide official voter registration list only by the Participant Identification Number.
As authorized by law, properly designated law enforcement agency officials and administrative agency officials may request disclosure of information relating to a program participant. T.C.A. § 40-38-609. What information may be available to law enforcement or administrative agency officials?
- Properly designated law enforcement agency officials and administrative agency officials may request confirmation of program participation pertaining to a supposed program participant.
- Properly designated law enforcement agency officials and administrative agency officials may request disclosure of information pertaining to a program participant, including the confidential address, subject to the discretion of the Secretary of State. Program Participants may be entitled to prior notice and appeal rights.
- Disclosure of a participant’s confidential address, or any other information contained within a program participant’s file, shall be limited to ensure that the disclosure and dissemination of the confidential address will be no greater than necessary for the specific purpose for which it was requested.