To change the address on your DEA registration, submit a modification request to the DEA Diversion Control Division either online or by mail. There is no fee. The change takes effect only after the DEA approves it, and until then you cannot store, administer, or dispense controlled substances at the new location. If your move crosses state lines, you must already hold an approved controlled substance license in the new state before the DEA will process the modification.
What to Have Ready Before You Submit
Pull these together first:
- Your DEA registration number, printed on your current certificate of registration (DEA Form 223).
- Your current registered address, exactly as it appears on the certificate.
- The full street address of the new location, including any suite or unit number. A P.O. Box does not qualify; the DEA registers the physical location where controlled substances and records are kept.
- If you are moving to a different state, an approved state controlled substance license at the new address.
DEA requires a separate registration for each physical location where controlled substances are stored, administered, or dispensed.1eCFR. 21 CFR Part 1301 – Registration If you are adding a second practice location rather than replacing your current one, that site needs its own new registration, not a modification.
Submitting the Change Online
The online portal is the fastest route. Go to the Diversion Control Division site at www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov, open the Registration section, and select “Address Changes” under “Make Changes to My DEA Registration.” Log in with your DEA registration number and password, enter the new address, and submit. Once approved, the change takes effect immediately.2Drug Enforcement Administration. Registration – Diversion Control Division
Check every field before submitting. A missing suite number or wrong ZIP code will delay processing, and you cannot handle controlled substances at the new location until the request clears.
Submitting the Change by Mail
A written request must include your name (or business name), current registered address, DEA registration number, complete new physical address, and a signature matching the one on file.3eCFR. 21 CFR 1301.51 – Modification in Registration
Send it to:
Drug Enforcement Administration
Attn: Registration Section/DRR
P.O. Box 2639
Springfield, VA 221524eCFR. 21 CFR 1321.01 – DEA Mailing Addresses
Use certified mail with a return receipt so you have proof of submission.
If You Are Moving to a Different State
The interstate move trips up a lot of registrants. Before the DEA will process your address modification, you must already hold an approved controlled substance license in the destination state.2Drug Enforcement Administration. Registration – Diversion Control Division State timelines vary, so start that application well ahead of the move. Waiting until after you relocate can leave you unable to prescribe or dispense for weeks.
The order that works: get the new state license first, then submit the DEA modification. The DEA treats a modification the same way it treats a new application, and once approved, it issues a new certificate of registration.3eCFR. 21 CFR 1301.51 – Modification in Registration
What You Can and Cannot Do During the Wait
Your registration authorizes activity at a specific physical address. Until the modification is approved, the new address is not a registered location, so you cannot store, administer, or dispense controlled substances there. Because the DEA handles modification requests like new applications, plan for a gap between submission and approval.3eCFR. 21 CFR 1301.51 – Modification in Registration
If you are physically moving controlled substance inventory, time the transport to line up with the approval date. Holding scheduled drugs at an unregistered location, even briefly, creates compliance exposure.
Records and Inventory During the Move
Federal rules require inventory logs and controlled substance records to be kept at your registered location for at least two years and made available for DEA inspection.5eCFR. 21 CFR 1304.04 – Maintenance of Records and Inventories When you relocate, those records move to the new registered address with you.
To keep certain financial or shipping records at a central location separate from your registered address, notify the DEA Special Agent in Charge for your area by certified mail at least 14 days beforehand. The notice must state the exact central location, the types of records stored there, and your DEA registration number. If you don’t hear back within 14 days, you are cleared to proceed. Even with central recordkeeping approval, executed order forms and physical inventories must stay at the registered location.5eCFR. 21 CFR 1304.04 – Maintenance of Records and Inventories
Pharmacies have one more constraint. Paper prescriptions for Schedule II substances must remain at the registered location. Electronic prescription records can live on computers elsewhere, but you have to be able to pull them up at the registered site on demand if the DEA or law enforcement asks.5eCFR. 21 CFR 1304.04 – Maintenance of Records and Inventories
Cost
The DEA charges no fee for an address modification.3eCFR. 21 CFR 1301.51 – Modification in Registration If the move is out of state, budget for the new state’s controlled substance license fee, which varies by state and registrant type.
Confirming the Change Went Through
Check status through the online portal at www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov or by calling the DEA Registration Service Center at 1-800-882-9539.2Drug Enforcement Administration. Registration – Diversion Control Division After approval, the DEA issues a new certificate of registration. Keep both the old and new certificates on file until the registration period expires.3eCFR. 21 CFR 1301.51 – Modification in Registration
If a couple of weeks pass without any update, call the same number. The Service Center can tell you whether the request is pending, incomplete, or waiting on state license verification.