Help participants change their identities or relocate.
Remove or delete existing public records.
Offer legal advice.
Relieve participants of their legal or financial responsibilities.
Why is the Safe at Home program necessary?
Under the Tennessee Public Records Act, T.C.A. § 10-7-501 et. seq., all state or local government records are considered public and are available for public inspection and copying, unless specifically protected by other law. This means that any member of the public can request that a state or local government official allow them to inspect and/or take a copy of certain records, which may contain an another individual’s name, address, or phone number. This means that an abuser may be able to track or discover the residential address of a victim through public records. The primary goal of the Safe at Home Address Confidentiality Program is to prevent this from happening and provide victims of domestic violence and other crimes with a sense of security in their own homes and freedom from intimidation or further abuse.
What happens to mail sent to the substitute address?
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.
What is the Safe at Home Address Confidentiality Program?
The Safe at Home Address Confidentiality Program is a statewide address confidentiality program administered by the Office of the Tennessee Secretary of State. It is open to all victims of domestic abuse, stalking, human trafficking, rape, sexual battery, or any other sexual offense who satisfy eligibility and application requirements at no cost. Once a participant has been approved, they are provided with a ‘substitute’ address that can be used by them and their children as their official mailing address for all state and local government purposes, including public school or public benefits enrollment, subject only to a few limited exceptions.
How do I change my business address?
You can file form SS-4800 to change the mailing address by mail or in person. A change in Registered Agent or principal address requires filing Articles of Amendment and paying the statutory $20 filing fee. Forms can be found on our the Forms & Fees page for mail and in person filings.
How do I apply?
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.
Are participants able to be selected for jury duty?
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.
Where can I find a Certified Application Assistant?
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.
What is an Administrative Dissolution?
An Administrative dissolution occurs for the following reasons:
Failure to file an annual report
Being without a registered agent
A foreign entity fails to maintain its assumed name due to a name conflict
Returned payment by a financial institution
What is a Certificate of Existence?
A certificate of existence is a document issued by our office that certifies that an entity is active and in good standing.