FDA Food Facility Registration Renewal 2026: Deadline, Steps, and the U.S. Agent Check

Published by US Compliance Agent LLC · October 2026

Every food facility registered with FDA has to renew its registration between October 1 and December 31, 2026. That includes foreign facilities that make, pack, or store food for the U.S. market. If you miss the window, FDA treats the registration as expired, and food from an unregistered foreign facility can be held at the U.S. port.

This guide covers what you need before you log in, how the renewal works step by step, the U.S. Agent check that catches many foreign facilities, and what happens if the deadline passes.

The 2026 renewal at a glance

• Window: October 1, 2026 (12:01 AM) to December 31, 2026 (11:59 PM), per FDA's renewal user guide

• Who: every domestic and foreign food facility that must register under 21 CFR 1.230(b)

• Where: online, through FDA Industry Systems

• Fee: none. FDA confirms that there is no fee to register a food facility

• Required: a valid Unique Facility Identifier (UFI), which for now means a DUNS number

• If you miss it: the registration expires under 21 CFR 1.241(b)

FDA sent a reminder about this cycle on September 29, 2026 in its constituent update on biennial renewal.

What you need before you log in

Gather these first. Most renewal problems come from one of them.

• Your FDA Industry Systems login and the food facility registration number you are renewing.

• A DUNS number that matches your registration. FDA requires a UFI under 21 CFR 1.232 and currently accepts the DUNS number, issued by Dun & Bradstreet. The facility name and address in your DUNS record must match the registration. Check this early, because correcting a DUNS record can take time.

• Your U.S. Agent's current details (foreign facilities): name, full U.S. address, phone number, and email address.

• An emergency contact phone number and email address.

• Your food product categories and activities, such as manufacturer/processor, packer, or warehouse/holding.

How to renew, step by step

These steps follow FDA's renewal user guide.

Step 1: Log in. Sign in to the Food Facility Registration module from the Online Account Administration page in FDA Industry Systems.

Step 2: Choose biennial renewal. Select the biennial registration renewal option from the main menu.

Step 3: Pick the registration. Choose the registration from the list of registrations available for renewal and open it.

Step 4: Review every section. Only sections with an "Edit" button can be changed. Check the facility address, the UFI, the U.S. Agent, the emergency contact, and your product categories.

Step 5: Submit. Complete the remaining sections and submit to finish the renewal. Save the confirmation for your records.

During the renewal period, the "Update" option does not appear for a registration until it has been renewed. If you need to change details, make the changes as part of the renewal.

Nothing changed? Under 21 CFR 1.230(c), you can file an abbreviated renewal. You confirm that nothing in your registration has changed since your last submission and certify that the information is truthful and accurate.

The U.S. Agent check

Every foreign facility must name a U.S. Agent. Under 21 CFR 1.231(a)(5), FDA contacts the agent to confirm they agreed to serve, and it will not confirm a foreign facility's registration until the agent does.

FDA's U.S. Agent Voluntary Identification System guidance covers registrations, updates, and renewals. A foreign facility can enter the agent's full contact details, or the agent's VIS identification number if the agent has one. If the agent does not confirm or declines, FDA tells the facility it has 30 days to name a valid U.S. Agent. Until then, the registration is not confirmed.

What this means in practice:

• Confirm your agent before you submit. Make sure they still serve as your agent and expect FDA's verification request.

• Check the agent details in your registration. An old address or an inbox nobody reads can stall your renewal.

• Changing agents? Do it as part of the renewal, and give your new agent a heads-up first.

Outside the renewal window, any change to required information, including a new U.S. Agent, must be reported within 60 calendar days under 21 CFR 1.234(a).

Qualified facilities: attestation in the same window

If your facility is a "qualified facility" under FDA's preventive controls rules, FDA's renewal reminder says the qualified facility attestation is due in the same October 1 to December 31 window. It is filed on Form FDA 3942a (human food) or Form FDA 3942b (animal food), and you need a valid registration first. See FDA's qualified facility attestation page for the instructions.

What happens if you miss December 31

• The registration expires. FDA considers a registration that is not renewed to be expired and treats the facility as not registered (21 CFR 1.241(b)). FDA's user guide says expired registrations are removed from your account.

• FDA will cancel it. FDA cancels registrations that have expired (21 CFR 1.241(c)).

• Shipments can be held. Food from a foreign facility that is not registered is subject to being held at the port of entry (21 CFR 1.285).

• Prior notice is affected. Prior notice for imported food asks for the manufacturer's registration number, or an explanation of why it isn't provided (21 CFR 1.281).

Failing to renew is also a prohibited act under the FD&C Act (21 CFR 1.241(a)).

Common renewal mistakes

• Waiting until late December. FDA's registration help desk works business hours and closes on holidays. Renew early and leave time to fix problems.

• DUNS address mismatch. If the DUNS record and the registration don't match, fix the DUNS record first.

• An agent who doesn't respond. Your renewal stalls until the U.S. Agent confirms.

• Paying for an "FDA certificate." FDA states that it does not issue a certificate of registration and does not recognize certificates issued by private companies.

For registration questions, FDA's help desk is reachable at FURLS@fda.gov.

Need a U.S. Agent for your renewal?

Our FDA Food Facility U.S. Agent service is $349 per year. You get the U.S. Agent name, address, phone, and email to enter in your registration, confirmation of FDA's U.S. Agent verification request, and same-business-day forwarding of FDA correspondence.

We don't file your renewal, and we don't act as your FSVP importer. For the full picture of the role, read FDA Food Facility Registration: U.S. Agent Requirements for Foreign Food Exporters.

If your facility is renewing this quarter, visit our FDA U.S. Agent page or see our pricing page.

US Compliance Agent LLC is a private company. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to the FDA or any U.S. government agency. We do not provide legal advice, regulatory consulting, product testing, or certification services.