How to Opt Out of Data Brokers in 2026, Including California DROP

To opt out of data brokers, you ask the companies that sell your personal information to delete it or stop selling it. California residents can use one state platform, DROP. Everyone else opts out broker by broker.

This guide covers California DROP, manual opt-outs, prescreened credit offers and what to expect afterward. It follows official California and FTC sources and independent research, checked on October 11, 2026.

The short answer

If California is your home, send a single request through DROP. It is free, and CalPrivacy says it takes less than 10 minutes. Processing of requests became mandatory for brokers on August 1, 2026.

Everyone, including Californians, should also opt out of prescreened credit offers and handle people-search sites one by one. DROP reaches registered data brokers, not every website that shows your information.

What data brokers are, and why opting out has limits

CalPrivacy describes a data broker as a business that collects and sells information about consumers who never gave it that information directly. People-search sites are one type of data broker, according to Consumer Reports.

An opt-out usually asks a broker to delete your information, stop selling it, or both. A broker may keep data that the law lets it keep, such as public records.

Route	Who can use it	What it covers	Main limit
California DROP	California residents	Registered data brokers, with one request	Registered brokers only, and exemptions apply
Manual opt-outs	Anyone	One broker or people-search site at a time	Slow, and you may need to repeat requests
Prescreened offer opt-out	People in the United States	Credit and insurance offers based on credit bureau lists	Stops only prescreened offers from those lists
Paid removal service	Anyone who subscribes	The sites on the service's list	Independent tests found uneven results

DROP versus manual opt-outs

Step 1: Submit a California DROP request

1. Go to privacy.ca.gov/drop and select Get started with DROP.
2. Confirm your California residency through the California Identity Gateway.
3. Enter your name, date of birth and ZIP code, plus any email addresses and phone numbers you use.
4. Add optional identifiers, such as a mobile advertising ID or vehicle identification number, if you have them.
5. Review your request, submit it, then save your DROP ID and keep it private.

CalPrivacy lists a name, date of birth and ZIP code as the minimum, and adds that extra details make it likelier a broker finds your record. For status updates and what each status means, see our guide to California DROP.

Step 2: Opt out of prescreened credit and insurance offers

1. Visit optoutprescreen.com or phone 1-888-5-OPT-OUT (1-888-567-8688).
2. Choose to opt out for five years, or start a permanent opt-out.
3. Sign the Permanent Opt-Out Election form and send it back, if you chose the permanent option.

The FTC says it takes five days to process a request, but offers may still show up for a few weeks. Changing your mind is possible: the same site lets you opt back in, the FTC notes.

Only offers built from the major credit bureaus' lists stop. Offers drawn from other sources can still reach you, the FTC says.

Should you opt out at all? Some credit card and insurance products, the FTC points out, can be offered only through prescreened mailings. Opt out if you do not want them, and opt back in later at the same site.

Step 3: Opt out of people-search sites and other brokers manually

Outside DROP, each broker or people-search site runs its own opt-out. In Consumer Reports' 2024 study, manual opt-outs removed 70 percent of the profiles its researchers found, which beat every paid service tested but was still not complete.

1. Search your name and city to find sites that show your profile.
2. Use each site's opt-out form or privacy request page to ask for removal.
3. Use an email address you can open, since many sites email a confirmation link.
4. Confirm any verification step the site requires.
5. Note the date and the site's response so you can check back.

Provide only what a site needs to find your record. If you give more than you must, you share more personal information with a company you are asking to forget you.

How long it takes

How much identity information to share

Residency in DROP is confirmed by the California Identity Gateway. CalPrivacy says DROP does not retain what you enter there, and brokers match against hashed data rather than your original details.

For manual opt-outs, a July 2026 UC Irvine preprint found that some brokers demanded intrusive identity verification to opt out of sale, which the CCPA does not allow.

If a site asks for far more than a name, email or address to stop selling your data, pause before you send it. In California, you can report the site to CalPrivacy.

What to expect afterward

CalPrivacy says DROP is not a one-time action. Once brokers finish their first pass, they must keep checking and deleting newly matching data at least every 45 days.

Manual opt-outs are not ongoing. Consumer Reports did not check whether deleted profiles reappeared, and it noted that privacy researchers have sometimes found that they do.

No official source we found sets a schedule for repeating manual opt-outs. Searching your name again every few months is a sensible habit, but that is our suggestion, not a rule.

What opting out cannot do

Should you pay for a removal service?

Paid services automate some opt-outs and rescan for new listings. Independent tests found uneven results and real limits. Our guide to whether data removal services work explains what they can and cannot do.

If a broker ignores your request

California residents can complain to the California Privacy Protection Agency. It enforces the CCPA and may use complaints to monitor compliance, but it does not represent individual consumers.

Outside California, your rights vary by state. Check your state attorney general's website for the options where you live.

Frequently asked questions

Is opting out of data brokers free?

DROP is free, CalPrivacy says. Manual opt-outs cost nothing but time. Paid removal services charge a subscription.

Can one request remove my data from every broker?

Not for everyone. DROP sends one request to registered California brokers on behalf of California residents. It does not reach every website, and exemptions apply.

Why does my information come back after I opt out?

Brokers keep collecting records, and manual opt-outs are not ongoing. DROP requires brokers to delete new matching data every 45 days, but manual requests carry no such duty.

What details do I have to supply to opt out?

DROP needs a name, date of birth and ZIP code. Manual opt-outs vary by site. According to the FTC, the prescreen opt-out requests your name, address, Social Security number and date of birth.

How can I check that a broker removed my information?

In DROP, look up your status using your DROP ID. For manual opt-outs, search for your profile again after the site's stated wait. We found no official tool that checks every broker.

A quick checklist

• If you live in California, submit one DROP request and save your DROP ID.
• Stop prescreened credit and insurance offers at optoutprescreen.com.
• Search your name and city, then opt out of each people-search site you find.
• Note the date of each request and check back after a few weeks.
• Repeat your search every few months.
• Treat paid services as optional, and read what they ask for first.

Up nextCalifornia DROP explained: one request to every registered data brokerNext, learn how DROP statuses, exemptions and dates work, including who qualifies and what the dates really promise.→