DEA number validation

3 min read Updated October 22, 2026

What is available

The API checks that a DEA number is well formed: the format and the check digit. The DEA registrant database is not public and no registry is connected, so the API cannot tell you whether a registration exists, is active, or which schedules it covers.

Validate a number

bash

curl -H "x-api-key: $CG_API_KEY" \
  "https://api.compliancegrid.ai/v1/pharma/dea/validate/AB1234563"

json

{ "success": true, "deaNumber": "AB1234563", "valid": true }

A bad check digit returns valid: false with the reason (AB1234564). The lookup and search endpoints (/v1/pharma/dea/lookup, /dea/search) have no registry behind them and always answer found: false; do not read that as an invalid registration.

Confirming a registration

Confirm active status and authorized schedules with the DEA (21 CFR 1301) or the state board, and keep that record.

Use cases

Data entry checks: catch mistyped numbers before a manual verification
KYC workflows: validate format, then verify the registration at the source

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