DEA registration validation

5 min read Updated February 6, 2026

Overview

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) requires registration for entities that manufacture, distribute, or dispense controlled substances. ComplianceGrid's Pharma API lets you validate DEA registration numbers programmatically.

Validating a DEA Number

bash

curl -H "Authorization: Bearer $CG_TOKEN" \
  "https://api.compliancegrid.ai/v1/pharma/dea/lookup?registrationNumber=BJ1234563"

Response Fields

registrationNumber — The DEA number queried
registrantName — Registered entity name
status — ACTIVE, EXPIRED, REVOKED, or SURRENDERED
expirationDate — When the registration expires
schedules — List of controlled substance schedules authorized
businessActivity — Type of activity (manufacturer, distributor, pharmacy, etc.)
address — Registered address

Checksum Validation

DEA numbers follow a specific checksum algorithm. Our API validates the checksum before querying the DEA database, returning an immediate 400 if the format is invalid. This saves you an unnecessary API call.

Use Cases

Supply chain verification — Confirm suppliers are authorized to handle controlled substances
Customer onboarding — Validate pharmacy or distributor DEA registrations during KYC
Periodic re-screening — Check that registrations haven't expired or been revoked
Audit compliance — Maintain records of DEA verification checks

Batch Validation

For verifying multiple DEA numbers at once, pass an array of registration numbers:

bash

curl -X POST https://api.compliancegrid.ai/v1/pharma/dea/lookup/batch \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $CG_TOKEN" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"registrationNumbers": ["BJ1234563", "AB7654321", "FC9876543"]}'

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