Every CE requirement verified against official state nursing board sources. How RenewRN verifies the data →
Every CE requirement verified against official state nursing board sources. How RenewRN verifies the data →
Reviewed by Keegan, RN · ER & NICU travel nurse
Updated June 18, 2026
A DEA number is two letters and seven digits, like AB1234563. For a nurse practitioner the first letter is usually M, for Mid-Level Practitioner. The number is a federal registration to handle controlled substances, not a license and not prescriptive authority. Here is what each part means, how the built-in check digit lets you verify the format, and how to register for one.
1st letter
Registrant type
For a nurse practitioner this is usually M, the code for a Mid-Level Practitioner. (A, B, and F are physicians and other practitioners.) The DEA formally defines mid-level practitioners to include NPs, nurse midwives, CRNAs, and clinical nurse specialists.
2nd letter
Your last initial
Almost always the first letter of your last name (or your business name). In rare cases it can be a digit, and the number is still valid.
7 digits
ID + check digit
Six digits identify the registration, and the seventh is a check digit calculated from the other six (see how to verify it below).
DEA defines the mid-level practitioner category that NPs register under. The first-letter codes and the check-digit method below are long-standing conventions, not figures the DEA publishes on a single page.
The seventh digit is a checksum of the first six. To verify a DEA number is well-formed, take the seven digits (for AB1234563, that is 1234563):
Apply and renew through the DEA Diversion Control registration site. MATE training details from the DEA MATE Act FAQ.
The DEA number registers you to handle controlled substances at the federal level. Your authority to prescribe, and which schedules you may prescribe, comes from your state, and some states restrict NPs from certain schedules. Several states also require a separate state controlled-substance registration in addition to the DEA number. Your state APRN renewal rules spell out what applies where you practice.
Scammers impersonate DEA agents, spoof DEA phone numbers, and even cite your real DEA number to sound legitimate, then claim you are under investigation and demand immediate payment by gift card or wire. The DEA will never call to demand money or sensitive information. Hang up and report it to the FTC and the FBI's IC3.
General educational information, not legal or prescribing advice. DEA fees and rules change, and controlled- substance prescriptive authority is set by your state. Confirm the current fee and your state's rules before you apply.
Your license, national certification, compact status, and DEA registration each renew on their own cycle. RenewRN keeps every one in a single dashboard so none of them lapses, free to start.
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