What Is a DEA Number? DEA Number Lookup, Format and Check Digit

What is a DEA number? A plain definition

A DEA number is the registration number the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) assigns when it registers a practitioner or business to handle controlled substances. Under federal rules, anyone who manufactures, distributes, dispenses, imports or exports a controlled substance must register unless the law exempts them. People often call it a DEA license, but the number identifies a registration, not a license or credential. A valid DEA registration is what lets a practitioner prescribe or dispense controlled substances in the state where it was issued, within the schedules it lists.

Registrants include physicians, dentists, veterinarians and, where state law allows, mid-level practitioners such as nurse practitioners. Pharmacies, hospitals, manufacturers and distributors register too. Each registration is tied to a location in a state, lists the drug schedules it covers and must be renewed. One practitioner can hold more than one registration, for example in two states.

Prescriptions for controlled substances must carry the prescriber's DEA number, according to 21 CFR 1306.05. Some states require a separate state controlled substance registration as well; the rules vary by state.

DEA number vs NPI: two different numbers

The DEA number and the NPI are often confused, but they differ:

• NPI: a 10-digit number from CMS that identifies a health care provider in standard transactions such as insurance claims. It stays the same for life.
• DEA number: two letters and seven digits from DEA that identify a registration to handle controlled substances, tied to a state and an address. The registration must be renewed.

The NPI can be searched by name in the public NPI Registry; the NPI lookup guide explains how.

DEA number format: what the letters and digits mean

A DEA registration number has two letters followed by seven digits. DEA's Pharmacist's Manual notes that knowing how the number is built can help a pharmacist spot a forged prescription.

• First letter, the registrant type: the manual says practitioner numbers issued before October 1, 1985 began with A, later ones begin with B or F, and numbers for mid-level practitioners begin with M. Other letters exist, so treat it as a rough guide.
• Second letter: for a practitioner, almost always the first letter of the registrant's last name, such as J for Jones. For a business, it is usually the first letter of the business name. A name change after registration can explain a mismatch.
• Seven digits: a computer-generated sequence. The seventh digit is a check digit calculated from the first six.
• Old X numbers: practitioners who treated opioid use disorder with buprenorphine once also had an identifier beginning with X. In a January 2023 letter, DEA said those numbers are no longer needed for any prescription.
• Hospital prescribers: residents and other practitioners working for a hospital may prescribe under the hospital's DEA number plus a special internal code the hospital assigns to each of them.

How to check a DEA number with the check digit

The check digit catches many typing mistakes in seconds. DEA's manual explains the letters; the arithmetic is a widely used pharmacy check, described in pharmacy literature. To check a DEA number:

1. Confirm the format: two letters, then exactly seven digits.
2. Ignore the letters and number the digits 1 through 7, from left to right.
3. Add the 1st, 3rd and 5th digits.
4. Add the 2nd, 4th and 6th digits, then double that sum.
5. Add the two results. If the last digit of the total matches the 7th digit, the number passes the check. If not, it fails, and the number was probably mistyped or misread.

You can also compare the second letter with the first letter of a practitioner's last name. ASL Doctor Search, described below, runs this check in your browser.

DEA number example: the math, step by step

The number in this example is fictional. It was made up for this guide and belongs to no one. Never use it, or any invented number, on a real prescription or form.

Say a made-up physician, Dr. Jordan Rivera, has the number BR1234563. B is a practitioner prefix, and R matches the last name Rivera.

• 1st, 3rd and 5th digits: 1 + 3 + 5 = 9
• 2nd, 4th and 6th digits: 2 + 4 + 6 = 12, and 12 doubled is 24
• Total: 9 + 24 = 33
• The last digit of 33 is 3, and the 7th digit is 3, so the number passes the check.

Now swap the 3rd and 4th digits, as a rushed typist might: BR1243563. The 1st, 3rd and 5th digits give 1 + 4 + 5 = 10. The 2nd, 4th and 6th give 2 + 3 + 6 = 11, doubled to 22. The total is 32, so the 7th digit should be 2, not 3. The check fails and the typo is caught.

The check is not perfect: swapping the 1st and 3rd digits, for example, leaves the total unchanged.

What a passing DEA number check does not prove

A pass means only that the number is shaped correctly and the arithmetic works. Anyone who knows the rule can invent a number that passes, as the example shows. A passing check does not show that:

• a DEA registration with that number exists;
• the registration is active and unexpired, or has not been surrendered, suspended or revoked;
• the number belongs to the person or business named on the prescription or form;
• the registration covers the schedule of the drug involved, or the state where the prescriber is practicing;
• the prescriber holds a current state license or any state controlled substance registration the state requires.

How to verify a DEA number, and why there is no lookup by name

To look up a DEA number's registration status, you need DEA's own records. The DEA Diversion Control Division offers a Registrant Validation Toolset for this. DEA says access is restricted to DEA registrants and is checked when you log in. A pharmacy, for example, can use it to check a prescriber's registration.

• Prescriptions written under a hospital's number: DEA's Pharmacist's Manual advises contacting the hospital, which keeps a list of the internal codes it assigned.
• Questions about a registration: call the DEA Registration Service Center at 1-800-882-9539.
• Patients: you do not need to check a prescriber's DEA number. To confirm a license, ask the state licensing board.

Looking for a DEA number lookup by name? DEA does not offer a public search of registrations by name. Be wary of sites that claim to show anyone's DEA number; they are not DEA services, and their data may be old or wrong. To find a provider by name, use the public NPI Registry instead.

Privacy and misuse: use a DEA number only for its purpose

DEA numbers appear on prescriptions, so they are not secret, but they are sensitive. Use one only for what it is for: controlled-substance prescriptions, orders and records.

• Never invent a DEA number or use someone else's. Under 21 U.S.C. 843, knowingly using a registration number that is fictitious, revoked, suspended, expired or issued to another person to dispense or obtain controlled substances is a federal crime.
• Developers: use clearly fictional numbers in sample data and keep them out of real prescriptions and claims.
• Prescribers: share your DEA number where controlled substances require it. When a form only needs a provider ID, the NPI is the identifier designed for that.
• If you think someone is misusing your DEA number, contact DEA's Diversion Control Division.

Where ASL Doctor Search fits

ASL Doctor Search is a free, bilingual search of public U.S. provider records. It includes a separate DEA tool that checks only a number's format and check digit, and you can optionally enter a registrant's last name to compare with the second letter. The calculation runs entirely in your browser: the number and the name are not sent to ASL, not stored and never added to the page address.

It prints the arithmetic step by step, in English or Spanish. A pass or fail covers format and the check digit only. It does not say whether a registration exists, is active or unexpired, covers any schedule, or belongs to a particular person. For registration status, the tool points to DEA's official registration tools and the DEA Registration Service Center number.

ASL Doctor Search needs no account. It is independent and not affiliated with CMS, HHS or the DEA. See how ASL Doctor Search works.

Frequently asked questions

What is a DEA number?

It is the registration number the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration issues to practitioners, pharmacies and businesses that handle controlled substances. It has two letters and seven digits.

How do I verify a DEA number?

The check digit only catches typing mistakes. To confirm that a registration exists and is current, DEA registrants such as pharmacies use DEA's Registrant Validation Toolset. Questions about a registration go to the DEA Registration Service Center at 1-800-882-9539.

Can I do a DEA number lookup by name?

Not through DEA. It does not offer a public search by name, and its validation tools are restricted to registrants. To find a provider by name, search the NPI Registry, which uses a different number.

What is an example of a DEA number?

A made-up example is BR1234563: B for a practitioner, R for a last name such as Rivera, and seven digits ending in the check digit 3. It is fictional and must never be used on a real prescription or form.

Is a DEA number the same as an NPI?

No. The NPI is a 10-digit identifier from CMS used in health care transactions. The DEA number identifies a registration to handle controlled substances. Many providers have an NPI but no DEA number.

Do DEA numbers expire?

The registration behind the number must be renewed, and DEA can suspend or revoke it. A number that passes the check digit can belong to an expired or revoked registration, or to none at all. Only DEA's records show current status.

Related guides

• NPI lookup: how to find a doctor's NPI number

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