Professional License Directories and Your Address
If you hold a professional license, your board may publish an address of record. The fix is usually simple, but you have to ask before you file.
By Siddharth ShankarUpdated October 11, 2026Professional licensing boards generally publish a public address of record. California's State Bar says an address of record is subject to public disclosure and suggests a P.O. box if you have privacy concerns. The Medical Board of California asks license holders using a P.O. box to also give a confidential street address. Government employees are treated differently: archived Department of Justice FOIA guidance says most federal employees have no viable privacy interest in their names and business addresses.
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Doctors, nurses, lawyers, dentists, teachers and many other professionals have a record at their licensing board. Boards publish that record so the public can check that someone is licensed in good standing. Often the same record includes an address.
Why boards publish an address
The purpose is consumer protection. A patient or client should be able to verify a license and, if needed, contact or serve the person. Boards keep a mailing address on file, and many publish it.
The problem is not the idea but the default. If you enter your home address on the application, it may appear online and be picked up by directories and people-search sites.
What California boards say
California gives clear examples, though other states differ.
- State Bar of California: the address of record is "subject to public disclosure", and the Bar suggests that people with privacy concerns may use a P.O. box.
- Medical Board of California: the public address of record is disclosed on request and posted on the website. Licensees using a Post Office box are asked to list a confidential street address as well.
- Dental Board of California: a P.O. box or alternate address can be used as the public address of record.
- Osteopathic Medical Board of California: a P.O. box can be used, with a separate confidential street address.
The pattern is consistent. The public address can usually be a P.O. box or other alternate address, but the board generally still requires a confidential physical address for its own use.
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Government directories and employees
Government staff directories work differently. Archived Department of Justice FOIA guidance says there is "no viable privacy interest in the names and business addresses of most federal employees". Business addresses, meaning the office, are typically treated as open. Home addresses are handled differently from business addresses.
For ordinary employees the practical advice is to separate work and home contact data. Use the office address on every public listing and ask HR whether a personal address is ever shown in public documents. Certain safety-sensitive roles may have special protections, such as those under the federal Daniel Anderl Judicial Security and Privacy Act, which applies to federal judges and their families.
What to do before and after you apply
1Read the privacy notice on the application
Look for wording such as "public record" or "address of record" and note which fields are public.
2Choose an alternate address if allowed
Use a business address, commercial mailbox or P.O. box for the public field, and check whether the board also wants a confidential street address.
3Search your own license
Use the board's license lookup the way a patient or client would. Note exactly which fields show.
4Ask for a change if needed
Contact the board for its address-change form. Several boards publish a form for updating the address of record.
5Check what has been copied
Third-party directories may have copied an older address. Look for them, and treat them as listings to remove from the internet.
Related records that also name you
Business registrations and property deeds can also show an address. Read LLC and business registration address privacy and how property records make your home address public.
Sources
- State Bar of California: About your State Bar profile (address of record subject to public disclosure; P.O. box option)
- Medical Board of California: address change request form (address of record disclosed and posted; confidential street address if P.O. box)
- Dental Board of California: address of record notice (P.O. box or alternate address allowed)
- Osteopathic Medical Board of California: licensee FAQs (P.O. box with confidential street address)
- US Department of Justice: FOIA Update (archived) (no viable privacy interest in names and business addresses of most federal employees)
Frequently asked questions
Is my professional license address public?
In many places the address of record is public. State Bar of California says its address of record is subject to public disclosure.
Can I use a P.O. box for my license address?
California boards describe it as an option, but several also ask for a confidential street address. Ask your own board.
Are government employees' addresses public?
Archived DOJ FOIA guidance says most federal employees have no viable privacy interest in their names and business addresses, and home addresses are treated differently.
Will changing my address of record remove old copies?
It updates the source going forward. Copies on directories and people-search sites may remain until you remove them.
Does this apply outside California?
Other states and countries have their own rules. The California examples show a common pattern, but check your regulator.
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