California data broker registration
California: data broker registration, by 31 January each year, with the prior year's deletion-request metrics, at the California Privacy Protection Agency.
Who registers
A business that knowingly collects and sells to third parties the personal information of consumers it has no direct relationship with. Exempt to the extent covered: FCRA, GLBA, the Insurance Information and Privacy Protection Act and HIPAA-regulated information.
When and what it costs
- First registration
- Between 1 and 31 January after any year in which you met the definition Fee $6,000 for 2026.
- Renewal
- By 31 January each year, with the prior year's deletion-request metrics, $6,000 for 2026.
- Where
- the California Privacy Protection Agency
- Public notice
- Post the yearly metrics in your privacy policy and in the registration; keep the DROP cycle every 45 days; display on your site whether an opt-out preference signal was honored.
- If missed
- $200 a day while unregistered, plus the unpaid fees and the Agency's costs (Civ. Code 1798.99.82).
- Rule
- Cal. Civ. Code 1798.99.80-99.89; 11 CCR 7600-7614 (source, read 2026-09-30)
- From 2026-01-01
- Delete Act regulations in force; the opt-out signal display rule becomes mandatory.
- From 2026-08-01
- DROP request processing began; access the platform at least every 45 days.
- From 2028-01-01
- Independent audits every three years begin.
- Also
- A card-processing charge of up to 2.99% is added. The fee for 2027 is adopted by regulation each autumn; the Agency has proposed $9,500. Its site is moving to privacy.ca.gov.
How DROP runner handles it
DROP runner runs your California deletion cycle every 45 days. Its calendar also carries every state registry you tick: the first-cycle deadline where a registry is new, the renewal date each year (on your own anniversary where the state works that way), the fee, and a link to the official place to file. Reminders arrive 45, 30, 14, 7 and 1 days ahead. You file and pay yourself.
Other states: Connecticut, Oregon, Texas, Vermont. Information from the state's own published rules; not legal advice.