When will I get the census form?

• The form will be mailed or delivered in March 2010.

What if I don’t receive the form?

• If you do not receive the form in March 2010, call the Telephone Questionnaire Assistance Center at 1-866-872-6868. Lines will be open from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., seven days a week from Feb. 25 to Jul. 30. For Spanish-speaking operators, dial 1-866-928-2010; for hearing-impaired TDD 1-866-783-2010.

What if I don’t have a permanent address?

• You should be counted where you live and sleep most of the time. These residence rules serve as the guiding principle for the census whether you are living with relatives because of a natural disaster or foreclosure, or are a college student living away from home, or a soldier living on a military base.

How do I get a form in a different language?

• English/Spanish bi-lingual forms will be mailed to areas with large numbers of Spanish-only households. You will also be able to request in form in one of the five non-English languages (Spanish, Chinese, Korean, Russian and Vietnamese) via toll-free phone numbers that will be available closer to Census Day. However, Language Assistance Guides are available in 59 different languages to help people fill out the English version of the census form. You may also access large print and Braille guides and a language reference dictionary.

Can I fill the form out online?

• No, not this time.

What if I don’t fill in the form?

• Many residents who do not complete and return a 2010 Census form will receive a replacement form. If no form is mailed back, residents can expect a personal visit from a census taker some time after March 2010. The census taker will ask you the questions on the form, record your answers and then submit the form for your household.

What if I make a mistake on the form?

• If you checked the wrong box, just draw a line through it and mark the correct box for the question. If the error is in a write-in box, carefully draw a line through the incorrect entry and write the correct information as close as possible to the entry.

What if I lose the form?

• If you lost or misplaced your form, call the Telephone Questionnaire Assistance Center at 1-866-872-6868. (If you prefer a Spanish-speaking operator, then dial 1-866-928-2010.) The lines will be open from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. (your local time) seven days a week from February 25, 2010 through July 31, 2010. For the hearing-impaired, TDD 1-866-783-2010 (during the times noted above).

Do I have to fill the form in?

• Yes. Respondents are required by law to answer all questions to the best of their ability.

How do I know the form I received isn’t counterfeit?

• Any request for census information from the Census Bureau will be clearly identified as coming from the U.S. Census Bureau and as OFFICIAL BUSINESS of the United States. Before your household receives a mailed form, a phone call or a visit from the Census Bureau, you will be given a few days’ notice with a letter from the Census Bureau Director.

Who sees my information?

• By law, the Census Bureau cannot share respondents’ answers with anyone, including the IRS, FBI, CIA or any other government agency. All Census Bureau employees take the oath of nondisclosure and are sworn for life to protect the confidentiality of the data. The penalty for unlawful disclosure is a fine of up to $250,000 or imprisonment of up to 5 years, or both.