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You can ask a government agency to redact a home address, but you cannot assume the request will be anonymous or that every address must be withheld. First identify whether the records belong to a federal agency or a state or local office; then follow that agency’s submission rules, request specific existing records, and ask for address redactions and release of the remaining material where the law allows.
First, identify which public-records law applies
Federal FOIA applies to federal executive agencies. It does not govern state or local agencies, Congress, or the federal courts. For a city, county, or state record, use the relevant public-records office and check that jurisdiction’s law and instructions. FOIA.gov explains how federal requests work and directs requesters to the agency that holds the records.
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Rules about required requester details, request logs, portal data, and address redaction vary by agency and jurisdiction. The sources cited here do not establish one nationwide rule that guarantees a requester’s identity or contact details will remain private.
Can you make a request without giving your home address?
Possibly, depending on the agency’s process and the type of record you seek. Use the agency’s published submission method and provide only the information it requires to process the request or deliver records. Before submitting through a portal, review its instructions and privacy notice. Do not assume that a PO box, business address, alias, or anonymous email will be accepted.
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A request for records about yourself can trigger a different process from an ordinary request for agency records. For example, the U.S. Department of Justice requires identity verification for requests for a requester’s own records. Its process includes DOJ Form 361 or a specified identity statement with notarization or a declaration under penalty of perjury. That is a DOJ procedure, not a universal requirement for all public-records requests. See DOJ’s instructions for submitting and tracking a request.
How to submit a focused request and ask for redaction
- Find the custodian. Search the agency website and any available online records before filing. Federal agencies process their own FOIA requests; for state and local records, locate the corresponding public-records office.
- Describe existing records. Specify the record type, subject, relevant dates, and office or program as clearly as you can. Ask for documents, emails, logs, datasets, or files—not answers to questions or a new report. Under federal FOIA, a request must be written and reasonably describe the records; no universal form is required. You can state a preferred format, such as electronic copies. Processing time depends in part on complexity and backlog. FOIA.gov’s request guidance provides federal details.
- Give only necessary contact information. Follow the custodian’s requirements for submission and delivery. If you are seeking your own sensitive records, check whether identity certification is required before filing.
- Ask specifically for redaction and partial release. You can adapt this wording to the applicable jurisdiction:
Please redact my home address and any other personal contact details that are exempt from disclosure or whose disclosure is not required by law. If any responsive record contains protected personal information, please release all reasonably segregable portions after redaction and identify the legal basis for any withholding.
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The wording makes a request; it does not guarantee the outcome. Federal FOIA includes privacy-related exemptions and requires agencies to release reasonably segregable portions after exempt material is deleted, but that does not mean every home address must be redacted in every record. The agency applies the governing law to the records it finds. See 5 U.S.C. § 552.
Will your request or contact details become public?
Do not assume either that the request will be published or that it will remain confidential. Ask the records office whether it may disclose or post the request, portal submission, email address, or mailing address. Local retention and access rules can matter: Sacramento’s procedure treats requests and requester correspondence as records retained under the city’s retention schedule. That is an example of one city’s practice, not a rule for other agencies. See Sacramento’s records-management procedure.
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If the address is already in the government record
Ask the agency to redact the address when it responds to your request. Some jurisdictions also offer separate procedures for eligible people to seek address nondisclosure before a records request is made. New Jersey, for example, provides an approval-based process for certain covered people and specified records or internet postings. Eligibility and scope are limited; the statute also notes possible consequences of nondisclosure for certain notices and related processes. Check current state guidance and the statute before relying on it: New Jersey law on covered-person address nondisclosure.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What an agency may redact—and what it may not
Federal FOIA protects interests that include personal privacy and law-enforcement concerns, and requires release of reasonably segregable, nonexempt portions. Whether a particular address qualifies for withholding depends on the record and applicable law. In a request for another living person’s records, DOJ says information that could invade that person’s privacy ordinarily is not disclosed without a qualifying basis; that rule concerns access to the other person’s records, not whether your own contact details are automatically protected. See DOJ’s FOIA guidance on personal privacy.
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Local practices can be more specific. Sacramento’s procedure lists home addresses among information commonly redacted and calls for removing protected hidden information or metadata from digital records. It is a useful illustration of what to ask about locally, not a nationwide standard. See the city procedure.
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Before you file: a privacy checklist
- Confirm the correct custodian and whether federal FOIA or a state or local law governs.
- Search for already-published records and narrow the request to existing records, a relevant office, and a defined period.
- Check the agency’s submission, identity, and delivery requirements; do not provide false information.
- Ask for redaction of home addresses and other protected contact details, plus release of the portions that can legally be separated.
- If the request itself could expose you, ask how submissions and requester contact details are retained, posted, or disclosed.
- If you may qualify for a separate address-protection program, verify current eligibility, covered records, and consequences with the responsible jurisdiction.
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