Read the status of a California DROP request
DROP reports results separately for each broker. A status describes what happened to that broker's data, not whether every advertiser stopped mailing. CalPrivacy says brokers can take up to 90 days to report processing results. Use the exact status and the date checked when keeping your record.
Log what each broker shows
- Go to the official DROP service directly instead of following a link from an email or a mailer.
- For each broker, copy the status wording exactly as shown and note the date you checked.
- Find the official explanation for each status and write it beside the entry. If no explanation covers the wording, record it as unclear. Don't guess.
- Choose your own recheck date. Processing repeats at least every 45 days, so an entry may change.
What the five statuses mean
Deleted means matched, non-exempt data was removed. Exempted means the broker may legally retain all the data under an exemption. Opted-out means it could not make an exact match; it still holds data but may no longer sell or share it. Record not found means it has no information or could not locate a matching record. Pending means processing has not finished.
For Record not found, adding information to your official profile may help a match. None of these labels confirms that a store changed its own customer mailing preference.
Private DROP status log
Example for your own use. Replace the bracketed details and review what you share.
Match the log against your mail
For each mailer you still receive, find the sender's name. If a store or charity sent it, ask that sender for a postal marketing preference. If the sender is a broker with an unclear status, read the official instructions for that entry before you contact the broker.
Official source
Choose the route that matches the mailing
Use the official route described in this guide for this kind of mail. For a separate ordinary advertisement, Junk Mail Magic can help prepare a sender-specific removal request.
Compare removal routes