FDA Food Facility Registration

Food facilities are required to renew their registration in every even numbered year between October 1st and December 31st.   The owner, operator, or agent in charge of the facility can submit a facility registration renewal electronically, by mail or fax.

If your company has not renewed your registration for 2019 through 2020, please be sure to do so immediately. If your company ships food into the United States that was manufactured by another company, please communicate with your supplier and advise them to register if they have not done so already.

The FDA food facility registration number is a mandatory data element for shipment processing.  If the facility registration number is invalid or voided by the FDA it could result in your shipment being denied entry into the United States until a valid number can be transmit.

Please note that food facilities can contact the FDA Registration Helpdesk at 1.866.521.2297 to verify if the registration is valid.  This must be done by the owner/operator as the FDA will not release information to 3rd parties.

If you are not sure if your company should be registered, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) released an updated “Small Entity Compliance Guide” to help businesses comply with food facility registration requirements.  This explains which types of facilities are required to register and how to achieve registration.  Also, the guide explains the consequences of failure to register or renew timely.  If you are registered as a food facility with the FDA, please take the time to read the guide.