You asked how government employees who work in potentially dangerous jobs can protect their residential addresses from disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act.

With one exception, the Freedom of Information Act prohibits state and local government agencies from disclosing to the public the home addresses of certain specified local, state, and federal employees (CGS § 1-217). The prohibition does not apply to personal information, including home addresses, in Department of Motor Vehicles records, which are disclosable to government agencies and anyone else who agrees to use them for limited specified purposes, such as to provide notice to owners of towed, abandoned, or impounded cars; by insurers in connection with a claim; or in connection with any lawful purpose of a labor organization (CGS § 14-10).

To avail themselves of the protection, covered employees only need to substitute their business address on any state or local government document that asks for their home address. Prior to 1999 and the passage of PA 99-77, covered employees who sought to have their home addresses protected from disclosure were required to submit a request for nondisclosure and their business address to the executive head of the potentially disclosing department, agency, board, council, commission, or institution.

Covered employees are:

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