If your facility manufactures, processes, packs or holds food for consumption in the United States and is required to register with FDA, 2026 is a renewal year. The window runs from October 1 through December 31, 2026. FDA says a registration not renewed by the deadline will be considered expired. This applies to covered domestic and foreign facilities handling human or animal food.
Renewal is more than confirming that you have a registration number. Check your facility record, DUNS number, account access and U.S. Agent information before submitting through FDA Industry Systems.
FDA source: FDA 2026 renewal notice
Who needs to renew an FDA food facility registration?
Facilities required to register with FDA generally renew in every even-numbered year. Some operations are exempt. Confirm whether the specific facility and its activities fall within the registration requirement; being an exporter or selling food products alone does not answer that question.
If you registered or updated an existing facility earlier in 2026, do not assume that completed the biennial renewal. FDA treats updating and renewing as different functions. Check the status of the actual record in your FDA account.
A facility that may qualify as a qualified facility should also check whether a qualified-facility attestation is due during the same period.
FDA source: FDA 2026 renewal notice · FDA renewal user guide
What should you check before renewing?
- Start with the existing registration, not a new application. Confirm the legal facility name, physical address and contact details.
- FDA currently recognizes a facility-specific DUNS number as an acceptable unique facility identifier. The address associated with it must match the facility address in the registration.
- Make sure an authorized person can access the existing FDA record. If account access or registration information is missing, contact FDA for help instead of creating a duplicate registration solely to recover it.
- Check food categories and other record details against the facility's actual operations. For a foreign facility, confirm the designated U.S. Agent's details and any proposed change before filing.
- Protect your registration number, PIN and individual FDA account credentials. Do not send your FDA Industry Systems username or password to a service provider. FDA explains that an account holder can create appropriate subaccounts for additional personnel.
FDA source: FDA 2026 renewal notice · FDA registration security advisory
How do you complete the 2026 renewal?
Submit renewal information electronically through FDA Industry Systems unless FDA has granted a waiver allowing mail or fax. In the Food Facility Registration system, open the registration available for renewal, correct applicable information, complete the required review and submit it. Follow the current instructions in your account and retain the FDA record or confirmation.
Do not stop at ‘submitted’ if an issue remains unresolved. Check the final status, especially when a U.S. Agent change or another detail needs confirmation.
FDA source: FDA 2026 renewal notice · FDA renewal user guide
Is there an FDA renewal fee?
No. FDA charges no government fee to renew a food facility registration. You may submit directly or authorize someone to assist. A private company may charge for its own professional filing or U.S. Agent services, but that is not an FDA fee. FDA does not require a third-party registrar or endorse private registration businesses.
An annual commercial U.S. Agent arrangement is separate from FDA's two-year registration cycle. Paying an Agent's annual service fee does not itself renew the facility registration.
FDA source: FDA fee and third-party clarification
What if you miss December 31?
FDA states that a facility registration not renewed by December 31, 2026 will be considered expired. Check the record's actual status in FDA Industry Systems and follow FDA's applicable instructions before relying on it for a shipment. An old registration number does not prove the facility remains registered.
FDA source: FDA 2026 renewal notice · FDA renewal user guide
Why choose FDABridge for renewal support?
You can renew directly with FDA at no government charge. FDABridge provides paid help for a clearly defined task, particularly when you need to review an existing foreign-facility record and coordinate a U.S. Agent change.
Before buying, use FDABridge's free 2026 renewal readiness check to identify the task to verify. It does not ask for your registration number, PIN or email. Compare first registration, biennial renewal and Agent changes in the published service comparison before choosing a package.
The published renewal plus U.S. Agent transfer service is $349 per facility. If you already have an acceptable Agent and need filing support only, request a written scope and quote instead of buying a transfer you do not need. FDA's renewal fee remains $0 either way. Review exact deliverables and exclusions before ordering.
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FDABridge is an independent service provider, not the FDA. Food facility registration is not FDA product approval and does not guarantee U.S. import clearance.