Two FDA registration offers can share a name and cover different work. Even FDABridge's own catalog gives food and cosmetic facilities a filing-only option or one that adds identifier help and a first-year U.S. Agent. This article lists the terms worth comparing, why each matters under FDA's rules and where FDABridge publishes its answer, so you can ask any provider the same questions. For warning signs and general questions, see red flags and questions to ask an FDA registration service.
1. Is it the filing you actually need?
In a July 2026 update, FDA asked businesses to register food facilities only when required, warning that needless registration may lead to unnecessary inspections or confusion about compliance obligations. For facilities that must register, a first registration, a biennial renewal and an update are separate submissions, and a change of U.S. Agent is an update due within 60 calendar days.
FDABridge's answer: its food page notes that a trader or broker does not need facility registration solely because it trades food, and its cosmetic facility service checks activity and exemptions before preparing a filing. The pricing page states that first registration, 2026 renewal and an Agent change are different tasks, and that an Agent update alone does not complete biennial renewal.
2. What the U.S. Agent covers, and when coverage ends
Under 21 CFR 1.227, a foreign food facility's U.S. Agent must reside or maintain a place of business in the United States, cannot be a mailbox or answering service, and is the communications link between FDA and the facility for routine and emergency communications. FDA treats the agent's representations as those of the facility. Compare what the agent will do, what it will not do, and when coverage ends.
FDABridge's answer: Year 1 coverage included in a listed registration package lasts 12 months from the effective, accepted designation and does not renew automatically; continuation needs a separate written scope, quote and payment. FDABridge serves as a contact point for FDA communications relevant to the role and routes them to the facility. Agent coverage by itself excludes registration or renewal filings, amendments, listings, label review, Prior Notice, FSVP or importer services, customs brokerage, legal representation and inspection responses, among other tasks listed on the U.S. Agent page. If you are thinking of moving an existing agent designation, see how switching your FDA U.S. agent to FDABridge works.
3. Government fees versus professional fees
FDA charges no fee to register a food facility and does not require facilities to use a third-party registrar. It notes that U.S. Agent fees are a matter between the facility and the agent, and that private service businesses are not affiliated with FDA. A clear offer keeps the two kinds of charge apart.
FDABridge's answer: the pricing page separates professional fees from FDA government fees and states the government fee position for each option, such as no FDA food facility filing fee, no MoCRA facility or product-listing filing fee, and drug program fees that are separate and depend on activity and fiscal year.
4. Renewals and the cost after Year 1
Food facility registrations are renewed between October 1 and December 31 of each even-numbered year. Cosmetic facility registrations are renewed every two years from the date of initial registration, and cosmetic product listings are updated annually. Drug establishments renew between October 1 and December 31 each year. Ask which renewal an offer includes, and whether agent fees also renew the registration.
FDABridge's answer: paying for annual U.S. Agent coverage does not itself renew a food facility registration, as the food facility registration page states. Renewal with an Agent transfer is a separate offer for food and cosmetic facilities, the drug establishment service lists annual re-registration support, and the next recurring cost after Year 1 is quote-based. The current cycles are explained in the 2026 food facility registration renewal guide and the 2026 MoCRA cosmetic facility registration renewal guide.
5. Evidence, records and account access
FDA does not issue certificates of food facility registration, does not recognize certificates issued by private businesses, and issues none for cosmetic facility registration or product listing. The evidence to expect is the FDA record: a confirmation, a registration or listing number and, for a foreign facility, the accepted U.S. Agent designation. See our guide to FDA registration certificates and proof of registration.
FDA also advises registrants never to share their FDA Industry Systems username and password, and has warned about third-party registrars requesting PINs and passwords: an entity given a registration number and PIN can link the registration to its own account and view, change or cancel it. Instead, an account holder can create subaccounts for people who help with submissions.
FDABridge's answer: each option on the pricing page names its completion evidence, such as the FDA registration confirmation and the accepted Agent designation, with DUNS or FEI evidence only when the bundle includes that work. The food registration page tells exporters never to share their FDA username or password, including with FDABridge's team, and to agree an FDA-supported authorization process instead.
A comparison checklist
- Filing: initial registration, renewal, update or listing, matched to what the facility does.
- U.S. Agent: when coverage ends, how it continues and the written exclusions.
- Fees: professional fees shown separately from any FDA fee.
- Renewal: which renewal is included and the next recurring cost.
- Evidence: the FDA record or confirmation, not a private certificate.
- Access: no request for your FDA password or PIN.
- Language: terms your colleagues can read. FDABridge's service, pricing and FAQ pages are published in 27 languages.
How FDABridge helps
FDABridge provides filing support for food facilities, cosmetic facilities and drug establishments, with U.S. Agent Year 1 in selected offers. Compare each option's scope on the pricing page or request a written scope through the contact page. Six points you can check on FDABridge's own pages before ordering are summarized in six verifiable reasons exporters choose FDABridge. FDABridge is independent of FDA, and registration is not FDA approval.
Sources: FDA, FDA Advises Human and Animal Food Facilities to Protect their Food Facility Registration Information, July 20, 2026 (https://www.fda.gov/food/hfp-constituent-updates/fda-advises-human-and-animal-food-facilities-protect-their-food-facility-registration-information); FDA, Questions Regarding Whether Food Facilities are Required to Pay Registration Fees and Private Businesses Claiming or Suggesting an Affiliation with FDA (https://www.fda.gov/food/guidance-regulation-food-and-dietary-supplements/questions-regarding-whether-food-facilities-are-required-pay-registration-fees-and-private); 21 CFR 1.227, 1.230, 1.231 and 1.234 (https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-21/chapter-I/subchapter-A/part-1/subpart-H); FDA, Registration and Listing of Cosmetic Product Facilities and Products (https://www.fda.gov/cosmetics/registration-listing-cosmetic-product-facilities-and-products); FDA, How to Register a Drug Establishment (https://www.fda.gov/drugs/drug-registration-and-listing-instructions/how-register-drug-establishment).