If your company manufactures, processes, packs, or holds food for consumption in the United States, the FDA registration renewal window is open now and closes on December 31, 2026, at 11:59 PM. With fewer than eight weeks left, this is the time to get it done.
Who must renew
Section 415 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act requires every food facility that must register with FDA, domestic or foreign, to renew its registration between October 1 and December 31 of each even-numbered year. 2026 is a renewal year.
What happens if you miss it
FDA treats a registration that is not renewed by the deadline as expired and removes it from the facility's account. Operating without a valid registration is a prohibited act under the FD&C Act, and food from an unregistered foreign facility can be held at the port of entry. For importers and their foreign suppliers, a lapsed registration can mean stalled shipments in the new year.
What to check before you renew
Your unique facility identifier (UFI). Every registration must include a UFI FDA accepts, which today means a D-U-N-S number issued by Dun & Bradstreet. Confirm that the number is active and that the name and address on file with D&B match your registration. Mismatches are a common cause of last-minute delays.
Account access. Make sure someone at your company can still log in to FDA's Food Facility Registration system and has the registration PIN.
Renewal, not an update. Updating a registration and renewing it are separate functions. During the renewal period, the Update option does not appear until the renewal is complete.
Every section. FDA's system lists each registration due for renewal. Review the full record, edit what has changed (owner, contacts, product categories, U.S. agent for foreign facilities), and submit.
Don't wait until late December
D-U-N-S corrections, lost account credentials, and U.S. agent confirmations for foreign facilities all take time, and FDA's help desk slows down near the deadline. Renewing in November leaves room to fix problems before the registration lapses.
How MDRXLaw can help
MDRXLaw advises food manufacturers, distributors, and importers on FDA registration and compliance, including biennial renewals, D-U-N-S and UFI issues, U.S. agent questions, expired or cancelled registrations, and shipments held at import. If you are unsure whether your facility must register, need help completing the renewal, or have already run into a problem, contact us at info@mdrxlaw.com or 212-668-0222 before the December 31 deadline.
Source: FDA, Food Facility Registration User Guide: Biennial Registration Renewal. This alert is for general information and is not legal advice.
