How to Appoint a U.S. Agent for FDA Food Registration
The appointment itself is quick. What trips companies up is the consent email — and a single wrong address.
Key Takeaways
- The agent is entered in FURLS — in the Food Facility Registration Module, as part of your registration.
- Consent is required: FDA emails the agent; no reply within 10 business days can affect registration.
- You need a correct agent email — the #1 cause of a stalled appointment is a typo there.
- Real U.S. address, no P.O. box, reachable in business hours.
- No FDA fee to appoint — and the designation carries through the biennial renewal.
Information You'll Need
Have these ready and the appointment takes minutes, not weeks:
- The agent's name (person or company)
- A real U.S. physical address — never a P.O. box
- The agent's phone number
- A correct email address for the agent — FDA's confirmation goes here
- Your facility details as they appear in the registration
- If updating an existing registration: your registration number and PIN with FURLS access
How to Appoint Your U.S. Agent — Step by Step
Confirm you need a U.S. Agent
Your facility is foreign and manufactures, processes, packs, or holds food for U.S. consumption — and isn't exempt (farm, restaurant, retail).
Gather the required information
Agent name, real U.S. address, phone, and a correct email — plus your facility details and (if updating) registration number and PIN.
Access the FURLS registration
Log in to the FDA Food Facility Registration Module in FURLS — to create a new registration or update an existing one.
Enter the U.S. Agent details
Complete the U.S. Agent section, double-checking the email so FDA's verification actually reaches the agent.
Complete consent verification
FDA emails the agent to confirm consent; the agent must respond, since no reply within 10 business days can affect the registration.
Confirm & maintain
Verify the agent is on the active registration, then keep it current through updates and the biennial renewal.
How Consent Verification Works
Because it's where appointments fail, it's worth understanding exactly what happens after you enter the agent:
FDA emails the agent
Once you submit, FDA sends an automated message to the agent's listed email, asking them to confirm they consent to serve — typically within a day or two.
The agent confirms
The agent responds to verify consent. A prompt reply can complete the appointment the same day.
The 10-business-day clock
If the agent denies consent or doesn't respond within 10 business days, FDA notifies the facility and the registration can be affected — so responsiveness matters.
Common Appointment Mistakes
Wrong agent email
A typo means FDA's confirmation never arrives — the single most common reason an appointment stalls.
Using a P.O. box
FDA requires a real U.S. physical address; a P.O. box isn't accepted.
Unresponsive agent
An agent who doesn't confirm within 10 business days leaves the designation incomplete.
No FURLS access
Updating an existing registration without your registration number and PIN blocks the change.
Naming a conflicted agent
Using a distributor who may not prioritize FDA communications — or who you could lose.
Assuming it's "set and forget"
Not confirming the agent landed on the active registration, or letting it lapse at renewal.
Have Your U.S. Agent Appointed for You
FDA Registration Assistance serves as your U.S. Agent and manages the appointment end to end — entering the designation, completing consent verification, confirming it's on your active food facility registration, and maintaining it through renewals.
Contact us at info@fdaregistrationassistance.com or call +1 (928) 275-8333. Trusted by food companies across 135+ countries, with 15+ years of FDA experience.
Frequently Asked Questions — Appointing a Food U.S. Agent
1. How do I appoint a U.S. Agent for FDA food registration?
Designate a U.S.-based agent in your food facility registration in FURLS — name, U.S. address, phone, email — then FDA emails the agent to confirm consent. Once they confirm, the designation is active. It's usually done within a few business days.
2. What information do I need?
The agent's name, a real U.S. address (no P.O. box), phone, and a correct email for FDA's verification — plus your facility details, and, if updating, your registration number and PIN with FURLS access.
3. Where is the U.S. Agent entered?
In the Food Facility Registration Module within FURLS, as part of the facility registration form — whether registering for the first time or updating.
4. Does the agent have to confirm the appointment?
Yes — the step most people miss. FDA emails the agent to confirm consent; if they deny or don't respond within 10 business days, FDA notifies the facility and the registration can be affected. It's not done until they confirm.
5. How long does it take?
Usually a few business days — the entry is immediate, FDA's email arrives within a day or two, and once the agent confirms (often same day) it's active. A wrong agent email is the top delay.
6. Who needs to appoint a U.S. Agent?
Every foreign food facility that manufactures, processes, packs, or holds food for U.S. consumption. Domestic facilities don't, and exempt operations (farms, restaurants, retail) don't register at all. See our food U.S. Agent page.
7. Can I be my own U.S. Agent?
Only with a U.S.-based person or business to serve. A foreign company with no U.S. presence can't — the agent needs a real U.S. address and must be reachable during business hours.
8. Can a P.O. box be used?
No. FDA requires a real U.S. physical address, not a P.O. box — a common appointment error.
9. What's the most common appointment mistake?
A wrong agent email, so FDA's verification never arrives and the appointment stalls. Also: a P.O. box, an unreachable agent, or the agent not responding in time.
10. Is there an FDA fee to appoint?
No. FDA charges nothing for food facility registration or the U.S. Agent designation. Any cost comes from your service provider, not FDA.
11. Do I appoint a new agent at each renewal?
Not necessarily — the designation carries through as long as the registration is active and the agent keeps consenting. Food registration renews biennially (even-year Oct–Dec); you confirm or update the agent then.
12. How do I appoint while updating an existing registration?
Log in to your registration in FURLS with your number and PIN, update the U.S. Agent section, and submit. The new agent then completes consent verification, same as an initial appointment.
13. Can my importer or distributor be the agent?
They can, but many choose an independent provider. A distributor has its own interests, may not prioritize FDA communications, and if the relationship ends you can lose your agent.
14. Does appointing an agent complete my registration?
It's a required part, but not the whole thing — the facility information, product categories, and other details also have to be entered correctly for the registration itself to be valid.
15. How does FDA Registration Assistance handle it?
It serves as your U.S. Agent and manages the appointment end to end — designation, consent verification, confirmation on the active registration, and maintenance through renewals — for food companies across 135+ countries.
16. How do I get started?
Contact FDA Registration Assistance at info@fdaregistrationassistance.com or call +1 (928) 275-8333 with your facility details, and your agent is appointed and confirmed as part of your registration.
