CRNAs who prescribe or order controlled substances under their own authority need their own DEA registration. CRNAs who only administer controlled substances selected and ordered by another provider can often work under the facility's DEA registration instead, depending on state law and facility policy.
That distinction is the whole game. Before you spend money on a registration, find out what your state board of nursing allows you to do with controlled substances and what your employer expects.
Key points
- Registration costs $888 for three years, same rate as physicians.
- Hospital-employed CRNAs often work under the facility's DEA instead.
- MATE Act training is one-time: eight hours, attested once.
- Expect one registration per state where you keep a practice address.
Who actually needs a DEA number
The DEA classifies nurse anesthetists as mid-level practitioners. That is any individual practitioner other than a physician, dentist, veterinarian, or podiatrist whom a state authorizes to dispense controlled substances.
You need an individual DEA registration if you:
- Prescribe controlled substances, where your state allows it
- Order or select controlled substances under your own authority, rather than carrying out another provider's order
- Work 1099 or locum roles where the facility requires every anesthesia provider to hold their own number
You may not need one if you administer controlled substances only as an agent of a hospital or surgery center, under its registration and protocols. Many hospital-employed CRNAs practice this way. Rules differ by state, so confirm with your board of nursing and your facility's pharmacy department.
Credentialing is the practical driver. Many employers, locum agencies, and payers ask for a DEA number regardless of the legal minimum, because it simplifies their paperwork. If you work in locum roles or as a 1099 CRNA, plan on holding your own registration.
How to apply
You apply online through the DEA Diversion Control Division at dea.gov/deadiversion, using DEA Form 224 for practitioners. You will need:
- Your state license information, including any state controlled substance registration if your state requires one
- Your Social Security number or tax ID
- A business address in the state where you practice
- Payment for the fee
The registration is tied to the state on the application. If you practice in more than one state, you generally need a separate DEA registration for each state where you keep a registered address. See practicing in more than one state for how locum CRNAs handle this.
Processing usually takes a few weeks. Apply before you need the number, since credentialing committees will not wait for it.
The fee
The practitioner registration fee is $888 for a three-year registration. That rate took effect October 1, 2020, when it rose from $731, and it covers new applications and renewals alike.
Fees change through federal rulemaking, so check the current fee schedule on the DEA Diversion Control site before you pay. If you are employed, ask whether your employer reimburses it. Many hospitals and groups do, and it is a normal ask in contract negotiation.
Renewals
DEA registration renews every three years. The DEA sends renewal notices to the email and mailing address on file, so keep those current, especially if you change jobs or states.
There is no grace period worth relying on. If your registration expires, you cannot legally handle controlled substances under it, and reinstating can mean a new application. Put the expiration date in whatever system you use to track your licenses and certifications.
The MATE Act training requirement
Since June 27, 2023, every practitioner applying for or renewing a DEA registration must attest to completing eight hours of training on treating and managing patients with opioid or other substance use disorders. This comes from the MATE Act, part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023.
Key points:
- It is a one-time requirement, not a recurring one. Once you have attested, future renewals do not require it again.
- The eight hours can be completed across multiple sessions and multiple providers.
- Training must come from qualifying accredited providers. Relevant past training from those providers counts, even if you took it years ago.
- You are deemed to have met it if you graduated within five years of June 27, 2023 from an advanced practice nursing program whose curriculum included at least eight hours of this content, or if you completed the old DATA-2000 buprenorphine waiver training.
You attest by checking a box on the online DEA application or renewal form. Keep your certificates anyway. The DEA does not collect them up front, but you are responsible for being able to show them.
State controlled substance registrations
Many states require their own controlled substance registration (CSR) on top of the federal DEA number. In some of those states you must hold the state CSR before the DEA will issue or renew your federal registration.
State CSRs have their own fees, their own renewal cycles (often one to three years), and sometimes their own CE requirements. Your state board of nursing or board of pharmacy website will say whether your state has one. If you practice in several states, track each CSR separately alongside each state license.
This page is general information, not legal advice. Confirm your own prescribing and registration obligations with your state board and, where needed, a healthcare attorney.
Do all CRNAs need a DEA number?
No. CRNAs who only administer controlled substances ordered by another provider, under a facility's DEA registration, often do not need their own. CRNAs who prescribe or order under their own authority do, and many employers require one regardless.
How much does DEA registration cost a CRNA?
$888 for three years, the same practitioner rate physicians pay. Verify the current amount on the DEA Diversion Control fee page before applying, since fees change by rulemaking.
Is the MATE Act training required every renewal?
No. It is a one-time, eight-hour requirement. You attest once on your first application or renewal after June 27, 2023, and you are done.
Do I need a separate DEA registration for each state?
Generally yes, one per state where you maintain a registered practice address. Locum CRNAs working in several states budget for this.
Sources
- DEA Diversion Control Division, Mid-Level Practitioners
- FDA Law Blog: DEA Raises Registration Fees (2020 final rule)
- Becker's: DEA prescriber registration fees to increase October 1
- Michigan State Medical Society: New DEA Requirement via the MATE Act
- Ohio Board of Pharmacy: CRNA DEA Registration Guidance