California DROP: How to Remove Data From Data Brokers

California DROP (the Delete Request and Opt-out Platform) is a free state website where a California resident can send one deletion request to every registered data broker at once. You confirm your residency, enter a few identifying details, and submit at consumer.drop.privacy.ca.gov. As of October 2026, brokers have had to process these requests since August 1, 2026, and must keep checking for new matches at least every 45 days.

Below is what DROP is, who can use it, the exact steps, what each status means, and what the platform will not remove.

What California DROP is

DROP was created by the Delete Act, SB 362, signed in 2023. It is run by the California Privacy Protection Agency, which now calls itself CalPrivacy. The agency's DROP regulations took effect on January 1, 2026, and the consumer side of the platform opened the same month.

Before DROP, removing yourself from data broker lists meant contacting each company separately. DROP replaces that with a single request that reaches more than 600 brokers listed in the state's Data Broker Registry, according to CalPrivacy. CalPrivacy says it will never charge consumers to use DROP.

In California law, a data broker is a business that collects and sells information about people who never gave it that information directly. Brokers trade things like email addresses, phone numbers, precise location, browsing history, shopping habits and inferred traits such as health or financial status. For broader coverage of state privacy rules, see our Privacy section.

Who can use DROP

California residents only. CalPrivacy looks at factors such as your primary home, the state that issued your driver's license or ID, and where you are registered to vote.
Requests for someone else. You can file for another California resident with their permission, for example a parent for a child or a relative for an older family member. You still have to verify that person's residency.
Failed verification. If the system cannot confirm residency, the help page says you can ask for a residency review and will get an answer by email.

How to delete your data with DROP, step by step

Go to the official site. Open consumer.drop.privacy.ca.gov. Use only the privacy.ca.gov address, since the service is free and needs no third party.
Verify residency. Verification runs through the California Identity Gateway. CalPrivacy says this step does not create an account, the details you enter are not shared with DROP, and the Gateway does not store them afterwards.
Build your profile. Name, date of birth and ZIP code are required, and you can submit with only those three. Optional fields help brokers find you: email addresses, phone numbers, a mobile advertising ID (MAID), a connected TV ID and a vehicle identification number (VIN). Maiden names are accepted, and every field except date of birth can take more than one entry.
Choose the brokers. By default the request goes to all current registered brokers and to brokers that register later. If you want to leave specific companies out, untick them on the broker list and save the change.
Submit and save your DROP ID. After submitting you get an 8-digit DROP ID. You need it to check your status, so store it somewhere safe and do not share it. A recovery option exists if you lose it.

CalPrivacy notes that more identifiers generally mean a better chance of a match. A broker that only holds your phone number and an old email cannot link those records to you if you entered only your name and ZIP code.

What happens after you submit

The timeline set by the Delete Act and described on How DROP works runs like this:

Before August 1, 2026: requests filed early showed as Pending, because brokers were not yet required to act.
From August 1, 2026: every registered broker must access DROP at least once every 45 days and process the deletion requests waiting there, as the broker guidance sets out.
After the first round: brokers must recheck and delete newly matching data at least every 45 days. Your request keeps working; you do not need to resubmit.

Brokers have up to 90 days to report results, so a status can stay Pending for a while even after August. Timing differs from broker to broker.

How to check your DROP status

Go to the DROP status page and enter your DROP ID. Each broker shows one of these results:

Deleted: the broker found a match and removed the data that is not exempt.
Exempted: the broker keeps everything it holds about you because a legal exemption applies.
Opted-out: the broker could not make an exact match, so it keeps the data but may no longer sell or share it. A shared family email address is one example of something that can block an exact match.
Record not found: the broker has no data on you, or could not find you with the details you gave.
Pending: the broker has not processed the request yet.

What DROP does not delete

DROP covers personal information held by registered data brokers. According to CalPrivacy's page on personal information and data brokers, several categories stay outside it:

Public records, such as vehicle or property ownership and voter records, and information needed for a criminal or civil investigation.
Data governed by other laws, including health information under HIPAA, credit-related information under the Fair Credit Reporting Act and financial data under the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act.
First-party data, meaning what you gave a company directly, like a newsletter sign-up or an online purchase. If a broker buys that data from the company, it then falls under DROP.
Publicly available information.

Some brokers also deal with you directly. In that case they must delete what they got from other sources but may keep what you gave them. To remove that remaining data, send that company a separate deletion request under the California Consumer Privacy Act.

If your data comes back or a broker ignores the request

Because brokers must recheck DROP at least every 45 days, data a broker buys after your first deletion should be caught in a later cycle. If you see your details resurface, these steps are available as of October 2026:

Add identifiers. Changed your phone number, email, car or name? Update your profile from the status page so new records can be matched. The help page says profile updates are allowed once every 45 days.
Check the broker is registered. DROP only reaches companies in the registry. A people-search site that is not listed will not receive your request, though it may still owe you a response to a direct CCPA request.
Report the problem. The DROP help form includes reasons such as "data broker did not delete my data" and "issues with request". CalPrivacy says it aims to reply in about two weeks.

Brokers face penalties for non-compliance. CalPrivacy lists $200 per day for failing to register and $200 per day, per consumer, for failing to delete, plus enforcement costs. Our Regulation section follows enforcement news.

Practical tips

Enter every email address and phone number you have used in recent years, not just current ones.
Add your MAID from your phone's privacy or ad settings and your car's VIN if you want location and vehicle data matched.
Expect fewer targeted ads or less personalized content afterwards; CalPrivacy notes this as a possible side effect.
Use DROP alongside, not instead of, direct requests to the apps and stores you use, since first-party data is outside its scope.

Frequently asked questions

Is California DROP free?

Yes. CalPrivacy states it will never charge consumers to use DROP, and no paid service is needed to file a request.

Can I use DROP if I don't live in California?

No. DROP is limited to California residents, and residency is verified through the California Identity Gateway before you can submit a request.

How long does DROP take to delete my data?

Brokers had to start processing requests on August 1, 2026, and have up to 90 days to report results, so status updates can take up to three months. After that, brokers must recheck for new matching data at least every 45 days.

Why does my DROP status say record not found?

Either the broker holds no data on you or it could not match the details you entered. Adding more identifiers, such as old email addresses, phone numbers or a mobile advertising ID, can improve matching.

Does DROP remove public records or credit data?

No. Public records such as property, vehicle and voter records are exempt, and credit, health and certain financial data are covered by other federal laws rather than DROP.