Remove Yourself from Catalist — Steps, Timeline & What Comes Back (2026)

Most relevant if this is you:Privacy for high-net-worth households

What is Catalist?

Democratic/progressive-aligned voter data company maintaining a unified national voter file on 256M+ voting-age individuals (records back 20+ years) combined with census, commercial and specialty data, providing data to progressive organizations for civic engagement. States it does not sell data for commercial use. Unlike consumer people-search sites, Catalist does not offer a public profile lookup — but it still holds and sells your personal data.

What data Catalist has on you

Catalist collects consumer data in bulk for advertisers and data resellers. You cannot look yourself up, but here is what they typically hold:

• full name
• postal address, often going back 10 to 20 years
• date of birth
• voter registration/party
• vote history
• demographics/partisanship modeling
• contact info
• unique ID (DWID)

Not every profile contains all categories. Depth depends on what public records exist in your jurisdiction and how much commercial data has been linked to your identity. For most adults with any public record history, Catalist has enough to paint a detailed picture.

How to opt out of Catalist: step by step

1. Go to catalist.us, footer → 'Your Privacy Choices'
2. Select your state of residence so the form expands
3. Enter first/last name, street address, city, state, zip, birth date, email, phone
4. Indicate if an authorized agent is making the request
5. Provide proof of state residency and verify your identity
6. Or email privacy@catalist.us, call (800) 938-9516, or mail 1310 L Street NW #500, Washington, DC 20005, Attn: Data Privacy
7. Note: deletion applies only to data collected directly from you, not the bulk voter database — use the opt-out to exclude yourself from products

How long does Catalist removal take?

After you complete the opt-out, Catalist typically processes removals within CCPA/state: up to 45 days (extendable). By broker standards, that is about average — many sites take 7 to 45 days.

The catch: your data comes back

The most important thing to understand about Catalist removal: it is temporary.

Catalist's deletion right covers only data collected directly from you, NOT the bulk voter database — to be excluded from products use the opt-out, which functions as an opt-out of database inclusion rather than a classic CCPA 'do not sell' (Catalist says it does not sell data commercially). Voter data continuously refreshed from election officials, so re-exclusion may be needed. Identity and state-residency verification required.

This is not unique to Catalist. Every data broker works this way. Your opt-out removes one listing. It does not stop the data pipeline. The only way to stay off permanently is to repeat the process every few months yourself, or use a service that detects re-listings and re-submits automatically.

What Catalist's opt-out does not cover

• Other brokers are not affected. Removing yourself from Catalist does nothing to Reach (catalist data app), or the dozens of other sites where your data is exposed. Each requires its own opt-out.
• Cached copies may persist. Google and other search engines may cache your Catalist profile for days or weeks after it is removed. Use Google's content removal tool to request de-indexing.
• Multiple profiles may exist. If you have lived in multiple states, changed your name, or have multiple phone numbers, Catalist may have built separate profiles for each variation. Search and opt out of each.

Tips for a successful opt-out

Use a dedicated email. Use an alias or a separate account for removal requests. Keeps your primary inbox out of Catalist's system and keeps confirmation emails organized.

Search every angle. Do not just search by name. Try phone number and email too. You may have more than one listing.

Document the request. Screenshot the confirmation page and save the confirmation email. Useful if you ever need to prove you requested removal.

Or skip the manual work entirely

Wholesale data brokers like Catalist are the hardest to manage — you cannot even look yourself up on most of them. Delist scans these sources alongside people-search sites and handles opt-outs where no consumer-facing tool exists.

Frequently asked questions