The California Delete Act (SB 362)
A plain-English guide to the one-click data broker deletion law, the CPPA portal timeline, and what California residents can do today while the portal gets built.
Quick summary
- What: SB 362 forces every data broker registered in California to honour a single deletion request through a centralized CPPA portal.
- Who: Any California resident can use it.
- When: CPPA portal mechanism due January 2026; brokers must comply starting August 2026.
- Cost: Free through the portal. Private services may charge a convenience fee.
- Today: CCPA §1798.105 already gives you the same underlying right — you can send removal demands to 200+ brokers now using OfflistMe ($2 once) or file manually for free.
1. What SB 362 Actually Does
Signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom on October 10, 2023, the Delete Act (SB 362, Becker) directs the California Privacy Protection Agency to build a single website through which any California resident can demand deletion of their personal information from every registered data broker in the state — in one request.
Before the Delete Act, exercising your CCPA deletion right meant contacting each broker individually. With ~500 registered California brokers, that is the kind of task that spawned the entire $100M/year data-removal subscription industry. SB 362 consolidates that into one form.
Primary source:
leginfo.legislature.ca.gov — SB 362 full text ↗2. Timeline — When SB 362 Kicks In
- October 10, 2023SB 362 signed into law by Governor Newsom.
- January 31, 2024Data brokers required to register with CPPA annually (replacing old AG registry).
- January 1, 2026CPPA deadline to establish the accessible deletion mechanism (the portal).
- August 1, 2026Data brokers must begin honouring deletion requests received through the portal.
- Every 45 days afterBrokers must re-check the portal and delete any new matches within 45 days of each check.
- January 1, 2028Data brokers must undergo independent audits every 3 years (first audit due by this date).
3. Your Rights Under SB 362
One-request deletion
Submit once through the CPPA portal; every registered broker must comply.
No re-collection
Once deleted, brokers cannot re-sell or re-share your data unless you opt back in.
45-day recurring check
Brokers must check the portal at least every 45 days and re-delete matches.
Free access
The CPPA portal does not charge consumers to submit a deletion request.
Authorized agent
You can appoint a service (like OfflistMe or DeleteMe) to act on your behalf.
No pretext blockers
Brokers cannot require a government ID or account creation beyond what is minimally necessary to verify identity.
4. Which Brokers Must Comply
Any business that qualifies as a "data broker" under California law (Cal. Civ. Code §1798.99.80) — a business that knowingly collects and sells the personal information of consumers with whom it has no direct relationship — must register annually with the CPPA. The registry is public and searchable.
As of April 2026 there are roughly 500 registered brokers, up from ~450 in 2024. Registration is the trigger for Delete Act compliance — if a broker meets the definition but fails to register, that is itself a violation.
Check the live registry
Search any company name to see if they must honour your deletion request.
5. Delete Act vs CCPA — What's the Difference?
| CCPA (§1798.105) | SB 362 (Delete Act) | |
|---|---|---|
| Scope | Any business with CA customer data | Only registered data brokers |
| How to request | Contact each business individually | One portal for all brokers |
| Effective today | Yes (since 2020) | Portal due 2026, compliance 2026 |
| Re-collection | Not addressed | Explicitly forbidden |
| Recurring deletion | One-time per request | Every 45 days automatically |
| Agent allowed | Yes | Yes |
| Enforcement | CPPA + AG | CPPA + fines + audits |
6. What To Do Today (Before the Portal Is Live)
You do not need to wait for August 2026. CCPA §1798.105 already gives you the right to demand deletion from any broker today. Here are the three ways to exercise it:
Option 1 — Manual CCPA request ($0, ~30 hours)
Visit each broker's privacy page, fill the CCPA form, prove California residency. Free but slow.
Full manual guide →Option 2 — OfflistMe ($2 once, ~15 minutes) recommended
Generates pre-filled CCPA deletion emails for 200+ brokers. You send each one from your own inbox, so your ID never leaves your hands. Covers everything the Delete Act portal will cover, plus out-of-state brokers.
Start for $2 →Option 3 — Subscription service ($78–129/year)
DeleteMe, Incogni, and others act as your authorized agent. Convenient but 40–65x the cost of Option 2.
Compare services →California residents
Don't wait for August 2026
CCPA deletion rights are live today. OfflistMe generates legal deletion emails for 200+ California-registered brokers for $2. Send from your own inbox, keep your ID private, and exercise the rights you already have.
Generate CCPA Deletion Requests — $27. Enforcement & Penalties
The California Privacy Protection Agency (CPPA) and the California Attorney General share enforcement authority. Penalties under SB 362:
Failure to register: $200/day per day unregistered
Up from $100/day under the pre-2024 AG registry.
Failure to honour a portal deletion request: $200 per request per day
Cumulative — delays compound daily.
Failure to submit required audit: civil penalty per day overdue
Amount set by CPPA regulations.
Consumer complaints
File at cppa.ca.gov/complaint or through the CA AG privacy complaint portal.
Primary Sources & Authorities
8. FAQ
What is the California Delete Act?+
The California Delete Act (SB 362) is a state law signed in October 2023 that requires the California Privacy Protection Agency (CPPA) to build a centralized deletion portal. Once live, California residents can make a single request and every data broker registered in California will be required to delete their personal information and stop re-collecting it.
When does the California Delete Act take effect?+
The CPPA was required to establish the accessible deletion mechanism by January 1, 2026. Data brokers must begin honouring one-click deletion requests through the portal no later than August 1, 2026 and re-check every 45 days thereafter. Timelines can shift — always check cppa.ca.gov for the live portal status.
Do I have to wait for the portal to go live?+
No. Existing California law (CCPA §1798.105) already gives you the right to request deletion from any individual data broker today. Tools like OfflistMe can generate legal CCPA deletion requests to 200+ brokers for $2. The Delete Act portal will be a more convenient future option, not your only option.
Which data brokers are covered by SB 362?+
Every business that qualifies as a "data broker" under California law must register with the CPPA. As of April 2026 there are roughly 500 registered brokers. The public registry is searchable at cppa.ca.gov and is the authoritative list of entities bound by the Delete Act.
Does the California Delete Act cover non-Californians?+
No — SB 362 only applies to California residents. Residents of Virginia, Colorado, Connecticut, Utah, Texas, and other states can use their own laws (VCDPA, CPA, CTDPA, UCPA, TDPSA) to make similar deletion requests today, though none have a centralized one-click portal yet.
What is the difference between the CCPA and the Delete Act?+
CCPA (California Consumer Privacy Act) gives you the right to request deletion from a specific business one at a time. SB 362 (the Delete Act) layers on top of CCPA by creating a single portal that broadcasts your deletion request to every registered broker at once. Same underlying right, better delivery mechanism.
Can I sue a data broker for ignoring my deletion request?+
CCPA does not grant a general private right of action for deletion failures (unlike data-breach claims). Enforcement is handled by the CPPA and the California Attorney General. If a broker refuses your request, you can file a complaint at cppa.ca.gov and with the AG. Penalties start at $2,500 per violation.
Will the CPPA portal charge a fee?+
No — the portal itself is designed to be free for consumers. SB 362 funds the CPPA operationally through annual data-broker registration fees. Private services that help you exercise your rights before or in addition to the portal may charge for convenience.
Related Resources
Use your CCPA rights today
The Delete Act portal will be free in 2026. Meanwhile, OfflistMe gives California residents a $2 one-time tool to exercise the same underlying CCPA rights — no account, no government ID upload, no subscription.