How DROP works

Before you start

You can always submit a DROP request with basic information you already know, such as your:

• Name
• Date of birth
• ZIP code
• Email address
• Phone number

Some of the other items you can enter, you may need to find ahead of time. These are optional. You can submit your request without them. These include your:

• Mobile advertising ID (MAID)
• Connected TV ID
• Vehicle identification number (VIN)

To learn more about these and how to find them, visit Unique identifiers

Step 1
Verify your eligibility

If you are a California resident, you qualify to use DROP.

You’re a resident if any of these apply:

• You live in California
• Domiciled in California, but outside California for a temporary or transitory purpose

A few factors that help determine residency include:

• Location of your primary residence
• Which state issued your driver’s license or ID
• Where you’re registered to vote

Learn more about what qualifies you as a resident.

Residency verification is managed via the California Identity Gateway, which is the state of California’s secure digital identity platform. DROP uses this tool to help confirm residency without creating an account or storing your personal information. 

Get started with DROP

Step 2
Create your profile

You will create a deletion request by entering your data. Data brokers will compare your data with their records.

If there’s a match, all of the data that the data brokers have about you will be deleted, with a few exceptions.

You don’t need to do anything else. Data brokers started processing requests starting in August 2026.

The types of data you can submit include:

• Names (including maiden names)
• Date of birth
• ZIP Code
• Email addresses
• Phone numbers
• Mobile Advertising IDs (MAIDs)
• Connected TV IDs
• Vehicle identification numbers (VINs)

It’s your choice what information you provide. The more information you enter, the more likely your data will be deleted. You can add multiples of all data except your date of birth. Visit Unique identifiers for more information.

Step 3
Submit your request

Review the data you entered and submit your deletion request.

Check to make sure all the information you want to provide is included in your request.

Once you submit your request, you will receive confirmation. The confirmation page will include your 8-digit DROP ID. It’s important to save your DROP ID. You use it if you want to check the status of your request.

For your privacy and security, please do not share your DROP ID.

After you submit your request, here’s what happens:

1. You’ll receive an 8-digit DROP ID to track your status. Save this ID. You can request it via email upon request submission.
2. Starting August 1, 2026, data brokers are legally required to begin processing requests. Until then, your status will show as Pending
3. Data brokers have up to 90 days to report how they processed your request.
4. After initial processing, data brokers must re-check and delete new matching data at least every 45 days. DROP is ongoing – not a one-time action.
5. Results vary by broker. Some data brokers may not have records matching your information. Others may be legally required or allowed to keep certain data.

Check DROP status

DROP statuses include:

• Deleted — The data broker has matched your personal information from DROP to their records and has deleted any non-exempt personal information they hold about you.
• Exempted — The data broker has information about you but is permitted by law to keep all of it due to one or more statutory exemptions.
• Opted-out — The data broker couldn’t make an exact match based on the information you provided. For now, these data brokers still have your data, but they can no longer sell or share it.
• Record not found — Data brokers do not have information about you or could not locate you based on the information you provided. You can add more information to your profile at any time. Adding more information may help increase the likelihood that your information can be matched and deleted.
• Pending — The data broker hasn’t processed your deletion request yet. Processing begins August 1, 2026 and data brokers have up to 90 days to report back with status information.

Update your request and submit more data

You can come back to edit your request or submit more data through your DROP profile. You may want to do so if you:

• Change your name
• Get a new phone number, email address, device (MAID), or car (VIN)
• Want to increase the chances data brokers can find and delete your information

Note: You can submit more data by checking your DROP status and accessing your profile.

How data brokers process your requests

Starting in August 2026, data brokers process deletion requests at least every 45 days.

Here’s how it works:

1. When you provide a few pieces of information (such as your email or phone number) data brokers use this information to look for a match in their records.
2. If data brokers find a match, they will delete all of the information they can about you — not just the information you provided.
3. If data brokers don’t find a match, they must still hold on to your request. You don’t have to resubmit a new request to continue to have your data deleted. Data brokers must take steps to keep your information out of their systems.

What will be deleted: Your non-exempt personal information. This could include sensitive information as well as inferences (assumptions they have about you based on your data).

There are benefits to deleting this information. Keep in mind, when your data is deleted, it could affect certain online experiences. For example, you may receive fewer targeted ads or personalized content.

What won’t be deleted:

• Data given directly to a business (first-party data): If you create an account with a business and provide them with your email address, for example, to sign up for offers, that information is considered “first-party” because you gave it directly to the business, and the business is not required to delete it based on your DROP request.
• Exempted data
• Publicly available data

All current and future data brokers who are active in DROP are included in your deletion request unless you narrow your request.

Allowing some data brokers to keep your data

If you want specific data brokers to keep your data, you can remove them on the data broker list page within DROP. You do this by unchecking their box in the Delete data column and selecting Update list.

This means that these data brokers will not receive your DROP request.

Technical requirements

When using DROP, we recommend that you:

• Use the latest version of your browsers
• Make sure your devices are up-to-date
• Enable cookies and JavaScript

Need help?

Visit Help with DROP for more information or to contact us.