How to opt out of the open electoral register (UK)
Short answer: you can opt out of the open register free of charge, and it does not affect your right to vote. The open register is the version of the electoral roll that is sold to anyone who wants to buy a copy, and that is why your name and address can turn up on people-search and marketing databases. To opt out, use the register to vote service (even if you are already registered) or contact your local electoral registration office. There is no fee on the GOV.UK route.
There are two registers
The UK keeps two versions of the electoral register:
- The full register — used for elections, campaigning, preventing and detecting crime, checking credit and loan applications, and jury summoning. You cannot opt out of it, and it is not sold for general commercial use.
- The open register — in Northern Ireland it is called the edited register. This version is sold to anyone who wants to buy a copy.
You are on the open register by default unless you opt out. Because the open register is sold on, companies that republish it — including people-search sites — have your name and address to publish. Opting out is therefore one of the few free steps that reduces the supply of your data at the source, rather than chasing individual listings after the fact.
Step-by-step: opt out of the open register
- Use the register to vote service. Go to gov.uk/electoral-register/opt-out-of-the-open-register (the opt-out lives inside the registration service). You can use it even if you are already registered to vote — you do not need to be a first-time registrant.
- Alternatively, contact your local electoral registration office. For England, Scotland and Wales, this is your council's electoral services team. In Northern Ireland, contact the Electoral Office for Northern Ireland (EONI).
- If you registered as an overseas voter, contact the electoral registration office that confirmed your overseas registration.
- State clearly that you want to opt out of the open register. Nothing else is required — no form number, no fee.
- Understand the timing. The change is applied by your electoral registration office and affects future copies of the register that are issued. It does not recall copies that have already been sold or distributed.
Cost: free. No fee is mentioned anywhere on the GOV.UK opt-out route.
Will opting out affect my vote or my credit?
No, and this is the most common worry, so it is worth addressing directly.
- Your right to vote is unaffected. You stay on the full register and remain able to vote. Opting out changes only which version of the register is sold on commercially.
- Credit and loan checks use the full register, not the open register. So opting out of the open register does not change how lenders see you.
- Campaigning, crime prevention and jury summoning also use the full register, not the sold-on copy.
In other words, opting out targets exactly one thing: the version of your details that is available for anyone to buy.
What about anonymous registration?
Anonymous registration is the only way to be removed from both the full register and the open register. It exists for people whose safety would be at risk if their address were known, and it is not a general privacy opt-out. If you think you may qualify, contact your local electoral registration office (or the Electoral Office for Northern Ireland) to discuss it. For everyone else, the full register will always contain your name and address.
What this does not do
- It does not take you off the full register. Your right to vote is unaffected, and you remain on the full register either way.
- It does not delete copies already sold. If your details were sold to a broker or marketing database before you opted out, those copies still exist. Opting out reduces future supply; you may still need to make removal requests to individual organisations.
- It does not remove you from 192.com or other directories by itself. It removes one of the underlying sources those sites rely on, which is useful, but you may also want to use 192.com's own removal form.
- It is not instant. The change applies to future register copies issued by your council, not to what is already circulating.
If a company still holds your data
Opting out of the open register does not by itself force a company to delete data it already obtained lawfully. For that, use your right to erasure under Article 17 of the UK GDPR — see the ICO's guide for individuals. Put the request in writing, say what you want erased, and identify yourself. Organisations must normally respond within one calendar month (up to two further months for complex cases, with notice inside the first month), there is normally no fee, and if you are unhappy with the outcome you can complain to the ICO or go to court.
Information, not legal advice. This page describes published processes and does not promise any particular outcome.
Last reviewed: 28 September 2026
Sources
All links accessed 2026-09-28.
- GOV.UK — Opt out of the "open register": gov.uk/electoral-register/opt-out-of-the-open-register
- GOV.UK — The electoral register (full register uses; open register): gov.uk/electoral-register
- ICO — Your right to get your data deleted: ico.org.uk/for-the-public/your-right-to-get-your-data-deleted
- ICO — Make a complaint: ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint/data-protection-complaints/
Disclaimers
General information, not legal advice. This guide explains how UK data-protection and public-register processes work. It is general information only and is not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, consult a solicitor or a recognised advice service.
We are not a data-removal service. cyberawareuk.co.uk does not remove anyone's personal data, does not act on your behalf, and does not handle your personal information in connection with these steps. Everything described here is done by you, directly — usually for free.
Not affiliated with any organisation named. 192.com, the Electoral Commission, your local council, Companies House, the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), Google and any other organisation named on this page are independent of cyberawareuk.co.uk. Naming them does not imply any endorsement, partnership or approval.
No guarantee of outcome. These are the published processes. The result depends on the organisation you contact. Some records cannot be removed at all, and some organisations may refuse a request or take longer than expected.
Accuracy and change. Public-register processes, fees and legal deadlines change. Last reviewed: 28 September 2026 — always confirm the current requirement at the official source before relying on it.
External links. Links to official websites are provided for convenience only. We are not responsible for the content, accuracy or availability of other sites.
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