What Is Schedule III? Drug List, Prescriptions, and Penalties

Schedule III drugs are the middle tier of the federal Controlled Substances Act’s five-level classification system. They have a recognized medical use and a lower abuse potential than Schedule I or II substances, but they still carry a real risk of dependence. Codeine combination products, ketamine, anabolic steroids and testosterone, and buprenorphine are the most familiar examples. Where a drug sits on this schedule shapes how doctors prescribe it, how many refills you can get, and what happens if it is handled outside those rules.

What Puts a Drug in Schedule III

Under 21 U.S.C. § 812, a substance belongs in Schedule III only if the federal government makes three specific findings: its abuse potential is lower than anything in Schedules I or II, it has a currently accepted medical use in the United States, and misuse of it may lead to moderate or low physical dependence or high psychological dependence.¹

That third finding is what makes Schedule III distinctive. A drug can sit here even if it creates strong psychological cravings, so long as the physical withdrawal risk stays moderate or low.

The DEA and the Department of Health and Human Services share responsibility for evaluating classifications. Either agency can start the process of adding, removing, or reclassifying a substance, and outside parties can petition for changes as well.²

The neighboring schedules put Schedule III in context. Schedule II drugs (oxycodone, fentanyl, Adderall) have high abuse potential and cannot be refilled at all; a new prescription is required each time. Schedule IV drugs (Xanax, Valium, Ambien) have lower abuse potential and lower dependence risk than Schedule III.¹³

Which Drugs Are Classified as Schedule III

The concentration or formulation of a drug often decides whether it qualifies for Schedule III or a stricter tier.

Codeine and Dihydrocodeine Combinations

Codeine is not automatically Schedule III. It lands here only when a dosage unit contains no more than 90 milligrams of codeine combined with at least one non-narcotic active ingredient in a recognized therapeutic amount. The classic example is codeine mixed with acetaminophen.¹ The same concentration rule applies to dihydrocodeine: no more than 90 milligrams per dosage unit, or no more than 1.8 grams per 100 milliliters of liquid, again paired with a non-narcotic ingredient.⁴ Pure codeine at higher concentrations moves into Schedule II.

Ketamine

Ketamine is used primarily as an anesthetic in human and veterinary medicine. Its legitimate medical role keeps it in Schedule III despite a known abuse profile. Ketamine-based treatments for depression have expanded its clinical use in recent years, all under the same Schedule III prescribing rules.

Anabolic Steroids and Testosterone

Federal law places anabolic steroids in Schedule III by name, and testosterone products fall under that umbrella.¹ The classification exists largely to control non-medical use for athletic performance and bodybuilding, which remains the main driver of diversion for these drugs.

Buprenorphine

Buprenorphine was moved from Schedule V to Schedule III in 2002 after the DEA concluded its abuse potential exceeded Schedule IV narcotics but fell below Schedules I and II.⁵ It is now one of the most widely prescribed medications for opioid use disorder, sold under brand names including Suboxone and Subutex.

How Prescriptions Work

A Schedule III prescription can be written on paper, sent electronically, or called in orally by the prescriber. When a pharmacist takes an oral prescription, it must be promptly reduced to writing with all required information.⁶ Schedule II, by contrast, only allows oral prescriptions in emergencies.

Federal law caps refills at five within six months of the date the prescription was written. Once you hit either limit, five refills or six months, whichever comes first, the prescription expires and you need a new one.⁷

Pharmacies can also fill a Schedule III prescription in parts. If you only need some of your prescribed quantity, the pharmacist can dispense a smaller amount, provided the total across all partial fills never exceeds the original quantity and no dispensing happens after the six-month window closes.⁸ Each partial fill is recorded like a refill.

Every bottle dispensed to you must carry a warning that federal law prohibits transferring the drug to anyone other than the person it was prescribed for.⁹ Sharing a Schedule III medication with a friend or family member is a federal offense, not just a bad idea.

Telehealth Prescribing

The Ryan Haight Act normally requires an in-person medical evaluation before a practitioner can prescribe controlled substances remotely. The DEA has extended COVID-era telehealth flexibilities through December 31, 2026, letting registered practitioners prescribe Schedule II through V drugs after a video-based telemedicine visit with no prior in-person exam.¹⁰ For Schedule III through V narcotics approved for opioid use disorder treatment, primarily buprenorphine, audio-only phone calls qualify even without video.

Federal Penalties

Federal exposure for a Schedule III violation depends heavily on whether the charge is distribution or simple possession.

Distribution and Manufacturing

A first-time conviction for distributing or manufacturing a Schedule III substance carries up to 10 years in federal prison and a fine of up to $500,000 for an individual or $2,500,000 for an organization. If someone dies or suffers serious bodily injury from using the distributed substance, the maximum prison term rises to 15 years on a first offense.¹¹

Repeat offenders face steeper numbers. A person with a prior felony drug conviction who is convicted of distributing a Schedule III substance can receive up to 20 years and a fine of up to $1,000,000. Where death or serious injury results, the ceiling rises to 30 years, and organizations face fines up to $5,000,000.¹¹

Simple Possession

Possessing a Schedule III drug without a valid prescription is a separate federal offense. A first conviction carries up to one year in prison and a minimum fine of $1,000.¹² The penalties escalate on repeat offenses:

Second offense: 15 days to 2 years in prison and a minimum $2,500 fine.
Third or subsequent offense: 90 days to 3 years in prison and a minimum $5,000 fine.¹²

Prior drug convictions under any state law count toward these escalators, not only prior federal convictions. A state-level drug misdemeanor in your past can push a federal simple possession charge into mandatory minimum territory.

Consequences That Outlast the Sentence

A federal Schedule III conviction can trigger consequences that stay with you long after any prison term ends.

Firearms

Federal law bars anyone convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year of imprisonment from possessing firearms or ammunition.¹³ Because Schedule III distribution carries up to 10 years, a conviction triggers this ban. First-offense simple possession sits just below the threshold at one year maximum, but a second possession conviction carries up to two years, which crosses the line. Separately, anyone who is an unlawful user of any controlled substance is prohibited from possessing firearms regardless of whether they have been convicted of anything.

Medical and Professional Licenses

Healthcare providers convicted of a felony drug offense face revocation or suspension of their DEA registration, which effectively ends their ability to prescribe any controlled substance. The DEA can also revoke registration if a provider’s state medical license is suspended, or for acts inconsistent with the public interest, a broad standard covering diversion, overprescribing, and record-keeping failures.¹⁴ Before revoking a registration, the Attorney General must issue an order to show cause and give the provider at least 30 days to respond, with a chance to submit a corrective action plan. Registrations can be suspended immediately in cases involving imminent danger to public health.

Is Marijuana a Schedule III Drug?

Not yet. Marijuana remains Schedule I, but a rescheduling effort that would move it to Schedule III has been underway since 2024. In May 2024, the Department of Justice published a proposed rule to reclassify marijuana based on a recommendation from the Department of Health and Human Services that it meets Schedule III criteria. The proposal drew nearly 43,000 public comments and is currently awaiting an administrative law hearing.¹⁵

A December 2025 presidential action directed the Attorney General to complete the rescheduling process as quickly as federal law allows. If finalized, the move would not legalize recreational marijuana. It would remain a controlled substance requiring a prescription, but the change would ease research restrictions and could affect how federal tax law treats state-licensed cannabis businesses. The reclassification has not been finalized as of early 2026, and the administrative hearing process could extend the timeline further.

1
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 21 USC 812 Schedules of Controlled Substances
2
United States Drug Enforcement Administration. The Controlled Substances Act
3
United States Drug Enforcement Administration. Drug Scheduling
4
eCFR. 21 CFR 1308.13 Schedule III
5
Federal Register. Schedules of Controlled Substances Rescheduling of Buprenorphine From Schedule V to Schedule III
6
Drug Enforcement Administration. Practitioner’s Manual
7
GovInfo. 21 USC 829 Prescriptions
8
eCFR. 21 CFR 1306.23 Partial Filling of Prescriptions
9
eCFR. 21 CFR 290.5 Drugs Statement of Required Warning
10
United States Drug Enforcement Administration. DEA Extends Telemedicine Flexibilities to Ensure Continued Access to Care
11
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 21 USC 841 Prohibited Acts A
12
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 21 USC 844 Penalties for Simple Possession
13
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Identify Prohibited Persons
14
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 21 USC 824 Denial, Revocation, or Suspension of Registration
15
The White House. Increasing Medical Marijuana and Cannabidiol Research