DEA Announces Update to Renewal Application Policies

Earlier this year, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) announced that effective January 1, 2017, it would implement stricter renewal policies for registrants of the Controlled Substance Act of 1970. The changes included eliminating the grace period for registrants who failed to file a timely renewal application, as well as reducing the number of renewal notifications sent to registrants.

This week, the DEA reversed its decision and posted a notice that it is retaining its current policy and procedures, with one minor change, regarding registration renewals. The revised DEA post states that “starting January 1, 2017, DEA will no longer send its second renewal notification by mail. Instead, an electronic reminder to renew will be sent to the email address associated with the DEA registration.” 

The policy and procedures that remain in place are the following:

• If a renewal application is submitted in a timely manner prior to expiration, the registrant may continue operations, authorized by the registration, beyond the expiration date until final action is taken on the application.
• The DEA allows the reinstatement of an expired registration for one calendar month after the expiration date. If the registration is not renewed within that calendar month, an application for a new DEA registration will be required.
• Regardless of whether a registration is reinstated within the calendar month after expiration, federal law prohibits the handling of controlled substances or List 1 chemicals for any period of time under an expired registration.

DEA registration can be renewed on the DEA's website. To log in, registrants need to refer to information on their current renewal notice and/or registration certificate.

(Photo Courtesy of the Drug Enforcement Administration)