Going further · Step 11 of 13

Keep your address off sign-ups

The fewer places that have your home address, the fewer places it can leak from. This step covers mailing addresses you can use instead, and when to give your real one.

This step is about the forms you fill out and where you get mail. Government records, like property and voter records, are covered in Step 12.

Give your address only when it's needed

Before you type your home address into a form, stop and ask whether this place really needs it.

• If the address field is optional, leave it blank.
• If they only need to mail you something, a mailing address (see below) may be enough.
• If they only need your ZIP code, for example to find a nearby store, give only that.
• For contests, surveys, warranty cards, and loyalty programs, decide whether the reward is worth handing over your address.
• If you aren't sure why they want it, ask. If the answer doesn't make sense, you can say no.

Some places will tell you they need your home address and not a mailbox. Don't try to get around a requirement like that. The goal is to give your home address to fewer places that don't need it.

A PO Box

You can rent a PO Box at a Post Office. The Postal Service says a PO Box can help keep your home address private.¹ Mail in the box can only be picked up by you or people you choose.¹

You can find, reserve, and pay for a box online. Then you bring two forms of ID to the Post Office where the box is.¹ One of them has to show your physical address.² So the Postal Service will have your home address on file.

Some Post Offices offer Street Addressing. It lets you use the Post Office's street address with your box number, and it can accept packages from private carriers.¹

The Postal Service's privacy notice says it does not share your information without your consent, with some exceptions. Those include law enforcement purposes and people authorized to serve legal papers.²

A private mailbox

Some private businesses also rent mailboxes. The Postal Service calls them commercial mail receiving agencies.³

To use one, you fill out a Postal Service form that asks for your home address and ID.⁴ The business keeps a copy and uploads it to a Postal Service database.⁴ Your mailing address there must include "PMB" (private mailbox) or the "#" sign.³

Before you sign up, ask about the price, how they handle packages, and what happens to your mail if you close the box.

Packages

With the Postal Service's Hold for Pickup, an item waits at a Post Office until you pick it up with ID.⁵ The sender has to choose it when they buy postage.⁵ If you don't pick it up in time, it goes back to the sender.⁵

When you shop online, check whether the store or shipping company offers pickup somewhere other than your home. Their own help pages will explain how it works.

Programs for survivors

Some states run address confidentiality programs for survivors of crimes like stalking, sexual assault, and domestic violence.⁶ These programs give you a substitute address, often a post office box, and forward your mail to you.⁶ You can give the substitute address when a public agency needs your address.⁶

Not every state has one.⁶ These programs can help with safety, but they don't guarantee it.⁶

This site does not give legal advice. We can't tell you whether a law applies to you or what you should do about it. A licensed lawyer in your state can.

To find your state's program, if it has one, see resources by state. The program itself can explain who can join.

What to do

1. Make a list of the places that have your home address: online stores, delivery apps, subscriptions, and loyalty programs.
2. Choose a mailing address to use instead, like a PO Box or a private mailbox. If you may qualify for your state's address confidentiality program, look into that first.
3. Update your accounts where a mailing address is allowed. Start with the ones that send you mail most often.
4. Use your mailing address for every new sign-up from now on.
5. Leave optional address fields blank.
6. Steps 6 and 8 cover removing your address from people-search sites and marketing lists that already have it.

Last checked: November 8, 2026