California DROP: Delete Data Broker Records and Check Results
California DROP lets a California resident send one deletion request to every active data broker registered with the state. Brokers began processing requests on 1 August 2026. They must check for requests at least every 45 days, and status updates can take up to 90 days.
The useful result is not the submission screen. It is a saved DROP ID, a complete set of identifiers, the broker status list, and a later check for records that still appear in public search.
What the status means
| Status | What it means | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Deleted | The broker reports a match and deletion of non-exempt personal information | Search the broker again after its cache and public index have had time to update |
| Exempted | The broker reports that the matched record is exempt from deletion | Record the broker and the information that remains visible |
| Opted out | The broker could not make an exact single-person match but must stop sale or sharing | Add missing identifiers and check whether the public record remains |
| Record not found | The broker reports no record or no match from the submitted identifiers | Compare the submitted variants with any public record you already found |
| Pending | The broker has not yet reported a result | Check again within the 90-day reporting window |
Before you start
DROP requires a name, date of birth, and ZIP code. It also accepts multiple names, email addresses, and phone numbers. Optional identifiers include mobile advertising IDs, connected-TV IDs, and vehicle identification numbers. More matching identifiers can find more records, but each added field is another item submitted to the system.
- Write down current and old names, email addresses, phone numbers, and ZIP codes.
- Keep a local list of broker pages where you already found a record.
- Choose a safe place for the eight-digit DROP ID.
- Use a current browser with cookies and JavaScript available for the DROP session.
1. Verify California residency
Open the official DROP page and select Get started. The state offers verification using basic personal information or an existing Login.gov account. Residency verification runs through the California Identity Gateway.
Finish the verification before entering the identifier set. If the session fails, return through the official privacy.ca.gov address rather than a link from an email or search advertisement.
2. Add the identifiers brokers are likely to hold
Enter the required name, date of birth, and ZIP code. Add old names, email addresses, phone numbers, and ZIP codes that appear in broker listings. A broker can only match the values it can connect to its own record.
Add a mobile advertising ID, connected-TV ID, or vehicle identification number when that identifier is part of the exposure you want matched. You can submit without these optional fields and add them later.
3. Review the broker list and submit
DROP includes current and future registered brokers unless you remove a broker from the request. Review the list before submission. Keep all brokers selected when the aim is broad deletion.
Save the confirmation page and the eight-digit DROP ID. The ID is required to check status. Store it with the date, identifier set, and any screenshots of broker records that existed before the request.
4. Read the results by broker
Check the request status after brokers have begun processing it. A single request can contain different results because each broker performs its own match. Treat each row as a separate result.
If a broker says Record not found while its public page still shows you, compare the spelling, old locations, email addresses, and phone numbers in that page with the identifiers in DROP. Add missing values through the profile and record the new submission date.
5. Check public records again
- Open a private browser window that is not signed into the broker.
- Repeat the same name, phone, email, and address searches used before submission.
- Record whether the result page, preview, and cached search snippet still expose the record.
- Save the date, URL, broker name, DROP status, and result.
- Repeat the check after 90 days and again on a schedule that matches the exposure risk.
A missing public result is useful evidence, but it does not describe every private dataset held by that broker. A Deleted status and a later public recheck answer different questions, so keep both.
When a record returns
California says the request applies when a registered broker collects the information again. If a record returns, capture the URL and date, check the DROP status, and confirm that the broker is still in the request. Add any new identifier that could explain a failed match.
For records outside DROP, use the broker's direct removal path and keep the same before-and-after record. The personal information removal guide covers search results, account pages, public documents, and other sources that are not solved by one broker request.
Keep a small removal record
| Field | Example |
|---|---|
| Broker | People-search site or registered parent company |
| Record URL | Exact result page or search URL |
| Identifiers matched | Name, old email, phone, ZIP, advertising ID |
| DROP status | Deleted, exempted, opted out, not found, or pending |
| Checked | Date and result of the later public search |
| Returned | Date a removed record appeared again, if it did |
Sources
- CalPrivacy: how DROP works
- CalPrivacy: how broker deletion matching works
- CalPrivacy: DROP requirements for data brokers
- CalPrivacy: optional identifiers used for matching
Reviewed 5 August 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does California DROP remove?
DROP sends one deletion request to current and future data brokers registered with California. A broker that matches the submitted identifiers must delete non-exempt personal information and keep processing the request if it collects the information again.
How long does a DROP request take?
Data brokers process DROP requests at least every 45 days. California says status updates can take up to 90 days to appear. A pending status during that period does not show that the request failed.
Does DROP confirm that a broker can no longer find me?
DROP reports the status returned by each broker. A separate search later can show whether a public broker page still exposes the same record. Keep the DROP ID and a dated list of the pages you checked.