The Local Update of Census Addresses Program was an integral part of the 2010 Census activities that utilized the expertise of tribal, state, and local governments to improve the accuracy and completeness of the Master Address File, the Census Bureau’s national living quarters inventory. The Master Address File served as the basis for the address list used to take the 2010 Census.

After the passage of the Census Address List Improvement Act of 1994, Census 2000 was the first opportunity to participate in the Local Update of Census Addresses Program for tribal and local governments. The Census 2000 program consisted of two phases. The Local Update of Census Addresses Program 98 included the Mailout/Mailback enumeration areas while the Local Update of Census Addresses Program 99 included the Update Enumerate enumeration areas. Participants in both of the phases could appeal address results.

Due to the cancellation of the Local Update of Census Addresses Program from the 2004 and 2006 Census Tests, a survey of governments eligible for the 2010 program was conducted to determine the preference and interest in proposed changes to the program. In addition, a state-level participation pilot program in 2006 determined the feasibility of state level participation.

The Local Update of Census Addresses Program was a part of the 2008 Census Dress Rehearsal with 44 of the 62 eligible governments participating. There were no address appeals for the Local Update of Census Addresses Program Dress Rehearsal.

Based on the results of these and other surveys and evaluations throughout the past decade, several changes and improvements were made to the 2010 Census Local Update of Census Addresses Program. The Census Bureau:

• Combined the two separate Census 2000 Local Update of Census Addresses Program phases into one review cycle for all address types
• Expanded the review time for participants from 90 days to 120 days
• Provided more advance notice of the pending Local Update of Census Addresses Program
• Initiated comprehensive program communications with participants
• Provided participants the opportunity to use the Census Bureau supplied Master Address File/Topologically Integrated Geographic Encoding and Referencing Partnership Software application
• Invited states to participate in the program
• Provided the choice of one of the following three participation options:
  1. Option 1 – Title 13 Full Address List Review
     • Required to sign Title 13 Confidentiality Agreement
     • Received the Census Address List and Address Count List for review
     • Could provide updates to the Census Address List and/or challenge census block counts
     • Received address list feedback and could appeal addresses
  2. Option 2 – Title 13 Local Address List Submission
     • Required to sign Title 13 Confidentiality Agreement
     • Received the Census Address List and Address Count List for reference only
     • Submitted local address list of city-style addresses only
     • Received address list feedback and could appeal addresses
  3. Option 3 – Non-Title 13 Local Address List Submission
     • Not required to sign Title 13 Confidentiality Agreement (did not receive the Census Address List)
     • Received the Address Count List for reference only
     • Submitted local address list of city-style addresses only
     • Received a feedback address summary report and could not appeal addresses
• All participants received census maps and could provide feature and boundary updates

In August 2007, the Census Bureau began mailing the invitation and registration materials to eligible governments formally inviting them to participate in the 2010 Census Local Update of Census Addresses Program. Of the total 39,329 governments invited, 11,500 or 29.2 percent, registered for participation. After the dropout phase ended in September 2008, 10,835 active participants remained in the program.