How to Delete a Login.gov Account

Before You Delete Your Login.gov Account

Account deletion is permanent. Before you delete your Login.gov account, make sure you understand which government services you use with it and whether you still need online access to them.

Deleting the account removes its email address, password, phone number, and saved authentication methods from Login.gov. You will no longer be able to use that account to sign in to connected government services that require Login.gov.

Deleting Login.gov does not delete information held by a partner government agency. Applications, records, benefits information, and other agency data remain with that agency. However, you may have to create a new Login.gov account and reconnect it before you can reach those records online.

If you have duplicate accounts, check which account is connected to the services you use. Keeping the account with the most connected services may reduce the number of connections you need to restore. Do not delete an account merely to change its email address, password, or authentication methods; those items can be managed from the account page when you can sign in.

How to Delete a Login.gov Account

Use these steps when you know your password and can complete authentication. Have access to your account email and at least one authentication method before starting.

1. Open {site} and choose the option to sign in.
2. Enter the email address and password for the specific account you want to delete.
3. Select Sign in, then authenticate with one of the methods already connected to the account.
4. On your account page, find the menu for Your account.
5. Select Delete account from the menu on the left.
6. Select Delete account again when the confirmation page appears.
7. Enter your password to confirm that you want to permanently delete the account.

Read every confirmation message before proceeding. If you reached this page while searching for “how do I delete my Login.gov account,” confirm that the displayed email belongs to the account you intend to close. Login.gov support cannot undo the choice or delete the account on your behalf.

The terms delete, remove, close, and cancel are often used for the same goal. The official account setting is labeled Delete account. There is no separate option to cancel a Login.gov account while preserving its sign-in methods.

If You Cannot Sign In

First identify whether the problem is your password or your authentication method. If you forgot the password but can open the account’s email inbox, select Forgot your password? on the sign-in page. Enter your email, continue, and use the password-reset message sent by Login.gov. After setting a new password, try signing in again.

If the requested authentication method is unavailable, select Choose another security option. Try another method that you previously added, such as backup codes, an authentication application, a security key, face or touch unlock, a phone option, or an eligible government employee ID. You cannot add a new method until you have authenticated with an existing one.

If you no longer control the account email, you may be unable to reset the password or receive deletion messages. Login.gov cannot sign in as you, unlock the account for you, or change account information on your behalf. A new account using an email address you can access may be necessary.

Deleting an Account Without Access to Authentication Methods

Login.gov provides an official deletion route for someone who still knows the email address and password but has lost every authentication method.

1. Begin signing in through Login.gov or the sign-in page for a connected government service.
2. Enter the account email address and password.
3. When the authentication page appears, select Choose another security option.
4. Scroll to the bottom and select the link for deleting your account.
5. Read the warning and make sure no usable authentication method remains.
6. Select Yes, continue deletion.
7. Check the account’s email inbox. The first message confirms that Login.gov received the request, but it does not mean the account has been deleted.
8. When the follow-up message arrives, complete the instructions in that message to finish the deletion.

This security process requires action from the account owner. Support can explain the steps but cannot complete Login.gov account deletion for you.

What to Do After Account Deletion

After deletion is fully complete, you can create another Login.gov account with the same email address. The address may not be available for a new account immediately, so rely on the messages and prompts shown during the process.

A new account does not automatically inherit the old account’s password, authentication methods, identity verification, or agency connections. Set up the new account from the beginning and add more than one authentication method if possible.

To reconnect a government service, return to that agency’s sign-in page and choose Login.gov. Sign in with the new account and follow the agency’s prompts. You may need to verify your identity or provide information again. If the agency does not recognize the new account or cannot connect it to your existing records, ask that agency for help linking the account. Do not ask Login.gov to change agency records.

Get Help With Login.gov Account Deletion

Use the official Login.gov help area for instructions about signing in, password resets, authentication problems, and deleting an account. You can also use its support request option when the published steps do not resolve the problem.

When requesting help, provide the email address associated with the account, the authentication method causing trouble, the step where you became stuck, and the exact error message if one appeared. Explain whether you can still open the email inbox and whether any backup authentication method is available.

Do not include a password, security code, backup code, government identification number, full date of birth, or other sensitive personal information in a support request. Login.gov support can provide instructions and troubleshoot sign-in issues, but it cannot delete, create, or manage the account for you. Questions about an application, benefit, eligibility decision, payment, or agency record must go to the government agency that holds that information.