Can I remove my home address from public records in Florida?

Only in some cases. If your job is on the list in Section 119.071(4)(d)2., ask each office to hide it. Some crime victims have their own paths.

Who can use the Section 119.071(4)(d) exemption?

People in the jobs the law lists, such as police, firefighters, judges, state prosecutors, and public defenders. In many cases it shields their spouses and kids too.

What must a Florida public records exemption request say?

You must put it in writing and have it notarized. It must state under oath the law that gives you the right, and confirm that you fit it.

Where do I send the request?

To each office that holds your address but does not employ you. Common ones are the property appraiser, the tax collector, the clerk of court, and the elections office.

Does the exemption reach data brokers and people-search sites?

No. The rule binds public offices. A private data broker is not one, unless it acts for a public office.

How do I opt out of a Florida residents directory site?

Use the site's own opt-out or removal form. Florida public records law does not make a private site take your address down.

Is my phone number a public record in Florida?

In most cases, yes. For the jobs in Section 119.071(4)(d), home and personal cell phone numbers are exempt.

Can a domestic violence victim keep an address off a court filing?

Yes. Under Section 741.30(3)(b), a person seeking a domestic violence injunction may file the address in private.

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How to Remove Your Address From Public Records in Florida

Written by Adam Bair.Published October 13, 2026Updated October 25, 2026

TL;DR: How do you remove your address from public records in Florida? Most people can't, but people in some public jobs and some crime victims can ask each office to hide it. People-search sites are a separate step, done site by site.

Can you remove your address from public records in Florida?

Only in some cases. Lots of people want to know how to remove my address from public records in Florida. The plain truth is that the law starts from open access.

Article I, Section 24(a) of the state constitution gives each person the right to see public records. A home address or phone number in a public file is open unless a law shields it. See AGO 96-88 and Browning v. Walton, 351 So. 2d 380 (Fla. 4th DCA 1977).

So for most people, a home address in a public file is a matter of public record. Only a law can change that. The main one is Section 119.071(4)(d), Florida Statutes.

Who can keep their home address out of public records?

Section 119.071(4)(d)2. lists the public jobs it covers. For those jobs, it shields home addresses, phone numbers, birth dates, and photos.

In many cases it shields the spouse and kids too. It does not shield the worker's name.

Which jobs are on the list?

The list is long, and it can change from year to year. It includes these jobs and more:

Police and jail staff, now or in the past.
Firefighters, and the EMTs and paramedics who staff the trucks.
Judges, hearing officers, magistrates, and the aides who work for judges.
State prosecutors, public defenders, and guardians ad litem, who speak for children in court.
Code officers, county tax collectors, and clerks of the circuit court.
Domestic violence advocates, inspectors general, and some who serve in the military.

Check the law as it reads now before you rely on it. If your job is not on the list, this law does not help you.

What counts as a home address?

The law reads "home address" in a broad way. Under Section 119.071(4)(d)1.a., it means the street and mailing address. It also means a parcel or lot number, GPS points, and any land detail that could show where you live.

It reads phone numbers broadly too. Under Section 119.071(4)(d)1.c., that means home phones, your own cell phone, and phones on your own devices.

What about crime victims?

Victims have their own paths. These do not turn on your job.

The Address Confidentiality Program

The state Attorney General runs a program to shield the addresses of people who have faced domestic violence. Under Section 741.465(1), the program keeps their addresses, phone numbers, and Social Security numbers out of public view.

Section 741.465(2) does the same for their names, addresses, and phone numbers in voter files. Under Section 741.4651, stalking victims get the same shield if they file a sworn statement with the Attorney General.

They must also follow the program's rules. Ask the Attorney General's office how to join, since it is not a request you send to each office.

A written request after a crime

Section 119.071(2)(j)1. gives victims of domestic violence or aggravated stalking a path too. They may ask in writing, with proof from the state that a crime took place.

That can keep a home or work address, a phone number, or assets out of the public files.

A safe filing in court

Do you need a domestic violence injunction, which is a court order for protection? Under Section 741.30(3)(b), you may give your address in a separate, private filing. Like rules cover cases of repeat, sexual, or dating violence, and stalking.

How do you make a Florida public records exemption request?

Some offices hold your address but do not employ you. They keep it hidden only if they get a written request. You or your employer can send it, under Section 119.071(4)(d)3.

What the request must say

Put it in writing.
Have a notary sign it.
State under oath the law that gives you the right.
Confirm that you are a person who fits that law.

Many offices post their own form. The law does not require the form, but it can help to use it.

Extra detail for court files

For court files or the Official Records, name the type of document, its number, and the page. Section 119.0714(2)(f) and (3)(f) set that rule.

Where to send it

Send a request to each office that holds your address. AGO 97-67 applied the rule to the clerk's Official Records. AGO 04-18 applied it to papers filed with the elections office.

AGO 04-20 applied it to the property appraiser. Once you ask, the appraiser can't post an online map that points to your home. That holds even if the map shows no street address.

The tax collector and the property appraiser have more duties under Section 119.071(4)(d)4. And you do not need to own your home. AGO 14-07 says the shield covers renters too.

For tips on how to name records in a letter, see how to write a Florida public records request letter.

What happens after you ask?

The office keeps your shielded facts out of what it hands the public. But your name is still open. In AGO 08-29, a list of the names of people who asked for the shield was a public record.

The shield covers only the home you live in now, plus a vacation home you have now. AGO 10-37 says so. If you move, send a new request for the new home.

In the Official Records, Section 119.071(4)(d)8. keeps the address hidden only while you live there. Under Section 119.071(4)(d)5., you may also ask an office to give your facts to a named party.

Exempt is not the same as confidential

Your address is exempt, not confidential. So an office may still share it in some cases, as AGO 10-37 explains. But it should first weigh the law's goal, which is to keep you and your family safe.

What can this law not do?

The shield hides your address in public files. It does not delete the record. Under Section 257.36(6), an office may destroy a public record only on a set schedule.

It also does not reach people-search sites. The next section covers those.

Google search results

State law does not control a Google search or any other search engine. Google is not a public office. But Google has its own form to ask it to drop some personal information, like contact info, from search results.

A paid removal service can file those requests for you, but it can't change the law. Your address may still sit in public files that stay open.

Old addresses

The shield covers the home you live in now, not past ones. An old address in an old file may still show up.

Florida residents directory opt out: what can the law do about people-search sites?

Some sites list Florida residents by name, with an address, age, and phone. These people-search sites and data brokers are private firms, not public offices.

Can these sites get my address from public records?

Yes, in most cases. Anyone may copy a public record, and a business use does not change that right. Microdecisions, Inc. v. Skinner, 889 So. 2d 871 (Fla. 2d DCA 2004).

One public file with your address is the voter roll. The law closes only some voter facts, such as your Social Security number, driver license number, and state ID number. That is Section 97.0585(1).

Does a Florida exemption request reach these sites?

No. The shield in Section 119.071(4)(d) binds public offices, and private groups only when they act for one. Informal Opinion to Gomez, November 3, 2008.

That letter went to a police chief who had written to a people-search firm. The Attorney General's office said the law did not stop a private firm from sharing the facts.

What a request can do is stop new copies at the source. If your job is on the list, send your request to each office that holds your address. That includes the elections office, as shown above.

If you are in the Address Confidentiality Program, the law shields your voter file too. That is Section 741.465(2).

How do I opt out of a people-search site?

Look for the site's own opt-out form or removal request page. Each site sets its own steps, often linked near its privacy policy. You may need to repeat this for each site.

An opt-out takes the listing off that site. It does not change the public file it came from, so the facts may show up again.

What is already hidden for everyone?

Some facts stay out of public view for all of us, with no request at all.

Section 119.071(5)(a)5. keeps Social Security numbers that a public office holds confidential and exempt.
Section 119.071(5)(b) shields bank account numbers and the numbers on debit, charge, and credit cards.
Section 97.0585(1) closes the Social Security number, the driver license number, and the state ID number in voter files.

Your name, home address, and phone number in most public files are not on that list. That is why the request counts so much for those who can use it.

Frequently asked questions

Can I remove my home address from public records in Florida?: Only in some cases. If your job is on the list in Section 119.071(4)(d)2., ask each office to hide it. Some crime victims have their own paths.
Who can use the Section 119.071(4)(d) exemption?: People in the jobs the law lists, such as police, firefighters, judges, state prosecutors, and public defenders. In many cases it shields their spouses and kids too.
What must a Florida public records exemption request say?: You must put it in writing and have it notarized. It must state under oath the law that gives you the right, and confirm that you fit it.
Where do I send the request?: To each office that holds your address but does not employ you. Common ones are the property appraiser, the tax collector, the clerk of court, and the elections office.
Does the exemption reach data brokers and people-search sites?: No. The rule binds public offices. A private data broker is not one, unless it acts for a public office.
How do I opt out of a Florida residents directory site?: Use the site's own opt-out or removal form. Florida public records law does not make a private site take your address down.
Is my phone number a public record in Florida?: In most cases, yes. For the jobs in Section 119.071(4)(d), home and personal cell phone numbers are exempt.
Can a domestic violence victim keep an address off a court filing?: Yes. Under Section 741.30(3)(b), a person seeking a domestic violence injunction may file the address in private.

Not legal advice. Educational and informational content only. Reading this site does not create an attorney-client relationship. For advice on a specific matter, consult a licensed Florida attorney.