Opt out of the open register

Last checked: 28 Sep 2026; GOV.UK and regulator pages rechecked 6 Nov 2026

The UK electoral register comes in two versions. The open register (called the edited register in Northern Ireland) can be bought by any person, company or organisation, including for direct marketing and online directories. Opting out of it is free, doesn't affect your right to vote, and can be done at any time.

Quick answers

What does the open register mean?: It's the version of the electoral register that's "available to anyone who wants to buy a copy" (GOV.UK). It has the same names and addresses as the full register but isn't used for elections. The regulator says its users "include direct marketing firms and also online directory firms". You're on it unless you say otherwise.
Does opting out affect my credit score?: Credit checks can use the full register: GOV.UK says opting out of the open register leaves you on the full register, which can be used for "checking applications for loans or credit". Experian says registering to vote improves your credit score. We haven't found an official source that says outright whether opting out of the open register affects your score. More on the electoral register and your credit file.
Pros and cons?: Opting out removes you from future copies that marketing firms and directory sites can buy. GOV.UK says it "does not affect your right to vote", and you stay on the full register for its legal uses. What it doesn't do: GOV.UK and the regulator don't say it affects copies already sold, so sites that keep older registers need asking directly (below). Neither lists any other effect.
How do I check whether I've opted out?: GOV.UK and the regulator don't explain how to check. The regulator says that if you opted out at your last household registration, "your preference will have been noted and carried forward". Your council's electoral registration office (in Northern Ireland, the Electoral Office for Northern Ireland) handles opt-outs, so you can ask it, or simply opt out again as below.

How to opt out

Online: use the register to vote service and choose to be left out of the open register. GOV.UK says you can do this "even if you're already registered and live in the UK".
Or contact your council's electoral registration office in England, Scotland or Wales. Find yours by postcode. In Northern Ireland, contact the Electoral Office for Northern Ireland (EONI). If you live abroad, contact the office that confirmed your overseas voter registration.
Give your full name and address, and say you want to be left out of the open register. In England and Wales, that's what the regulations require for the request.

The open register is updated monthly.

What opting out does and doesn't change

It removes you from future copies of the open register. The full register isn't affected.
The full register is still used for its legal purposes: running elections, preventing and detecting crime, checking applications for loans or credit, and calling people for jury service. Credit reference agencies receive it for credit checks, not for marketing.
Copies already sold. GOV.UK and the regulator don't say whether opting out affects copies that have already been sold. Some sites keep older registers: 192.com says it holds open registers back to 2003. To be removed from those, ask each site directly. See removing your details from people-search sites.

Who uses the open register

Several UK marketing-data companies and directory sites name the open register as a source in their own privacy notices, including Experian, Equifax, TransUnion, Acxiom, Sagacity, 192.com and ukphonebook. That's why opting out is usually the first step. The next is opting out of the credit agencies' marketing services.

If you're at risk

If your safety could be at risk if your name or address appeared on the register, you can ask your electoral registration officer about anonymous registration.

Sources

This page describes your options and how organisations say they handle requests. It isn't legal advice. See About & sourcing, or report a correction.