---
kind: "section"
citation: "34 U.S.C. § 12321"
title: "34"
title_heading: "Crime Control and Law Enforcement"
number: "12321"
heading: "Confidentiality of abused person’s address"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/34/12321"
units:
  - "Subtitle I — Comprehensive Acts"
  - "Chapter 121 — Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement"
  - "Subchapter III — Violence Against Women"
  - "Part B — Safe Homes for Women"
  - "Subpart 1 — confidentiality for abused persons"
---

# §12321. Confidentiality of abused person’s address

- (a) **Regulations—** Not later than 90 days after September 13, 1994, the United States Postal Service shall promulgate regulations to secure the confidentiality of [domestic violence](/usc/34/12291.md?p=a-12) shelters and abused persons’ addresses.
- (b) **Requirements—** The regulations under [subsection (a)](#a) shall require—
  - (1) in the case of an individual, the presentation to an appropriate postal official of a valid, outstanding [protection order](/usc/34/12291.md?p=a-29); and
  - (2) in the case of a [domestic violence](/usc/34/12291.md?p=a-12) shelter, the presentation to an appropriate postal authority of proof from a [State domestic violence coalition](/usc/34/12291.md?p=a-38) that meets the requirements of [section 10410](/usc/34/10410.md)[^1] of title 42 verifying that the organization is a [domestic violence](/usc/34/12291.md?p=a-12) shelter.
- (c) **Disclosure for certain purposes—** The regulations under [subsection (a)](#a) shall not prohibit the disclosure of addresses to [State](/usc/34/11103.md?p=7) or Federal agencies for legitimate [law enforcement](/usc/34/12291.md?p=a-23) or other governmental purposes.
- (d) **Existing compilations—** Compilations of addresses existing at the time at which order is presented to an appropriate postal official shall be excluded from the scope of the regulations under [subsection (a)](#a).

## Footnotes

[^1]: See References in Text note below.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 103–322, title IV, § 40281, Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 1938.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### References in Text

Section 10410 of title 42, referred to in subsec. (b)(2), was generally amended by Pub. L. 111–320, title II, § 201, Dec. 20, 2010, 124 Stat. 3497, and, as so amended, no longer contains provisions relating to grants for State domestic violence coalitions. See section 10411 of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare.

### Codification

Section was formerly classified to section 13951 of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare, prior to editorial reclassification and renumbering as this section.