License renewal · DEA registration
The MATE Act 8-Hour Training: Who Must Complete It and What Counts
A profession-neutral guide to the federal one-time substance use disorder training for DEA registrants: who is covered, the three ways to qualify, which past courses count, what the attestation means, what to keep on file, and how it sits alongside state opioid CME.
Reviewed October 2026 against 21 U.S.C. 823(m) as amended by Pub. L. 119-44, the DEA Diversion Control Division letter and FAQ, SAMHSA and ACCME guidance
Short answer: The MATE Act requires every practitioner who holds or applies for a DEA registration to prescribe Schedule II to V controlled substances, other than those who are solely veterinarians, to complete 8 hours of training on treating and managing patients with opioid or other substance use disorders, once. You meet it through board certification in addiction medicine or addiction psychiatry, through recent graduation from a qualifying program, or through 8 cumulative hours from organizations named in the statute, and you confirm it by checking a box on your first DEA application or renewal submitted on or after June 27, 2023.
Key takeaways
- The requirement lives in federal law at 21 U.S.C. 823(m) (it was subsection (l) until a 2025 redesignation) and applies to physicians, dentists, podiatrists, physician assistants, APRNs and any other practitioner who registers with DEA, except those who are solely veterinarians.
- The 8 hours do not have to be completed in one course or one sitting, and training taken before the law was enacted on December 29, 2022, including the former DATA-waiver (X-waiver) training, counts.
- Only training from organizations the statute names, or from ACCME- or CCEPR-accredited organizations and the other accreditors listed, counts. A course from an unaccredited provider does not count, however good it is.
- The attestation is a one-time checkbox. DEA does not collect certificates, but it asks registrants to keep their own proof of completion.
- DEA practitioner registrations renew every 36 months (first registrations run 28 to 39 months), so by October 2026 every registration that was in force in June 2023 has come up for renewal at least once; the rule now mostly affects new registrants and anyone returning after a lapse.
- The MATE Act does not override state law. State opioid or pain management CME, such as Florida's 2-hour course at every renewal, still has to be met on its own terms.
Where the 8-hour rule comes from, and what changed in 2025
The Medication Access and Training Expansion Act, usually shortened to the MATE Act, was enacted as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023, signed on December 29, 2022. It added a training condition to DEA registration for anyone who dispenses (which, in DEA terms, includes prescribing) controlled substances in Schedules II through V.
The same appropriations law also removed the old federal "DATA waiver" (often called the X-waiver), the separate notice practitioners had to file before prescribing buprenorphine for opioid use disorder. The policy logic connects the two changes: once any DEA registrant with Schedule III authority could prescribe buprenorphine for opioid use disorder, Congress wanted every prescriber to have a baseline of addiction training rather than only the small group who used to seek the waiver.
The statute gave DEA 180 days before the requirement bit. It defines the "first applicable registration" as the first registration or renewal submitted on or after the date 180 days after December 29, 2022, which is June 27, 2023.
Two things changed in 2025. First, the training provision was redesignated from 21 U.S.C. 823(l) to 823(m), through identical amendments in Pub. L. 119-26 (July 16, 2025) and Pub. L. 119-44, so older guidance that cites "823(l)" is pointing to the same rule. Second, the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Reauthorization Act of 2025 (Pub. L. 119-44, signed December 1, 2025) amended the provider and school lists, adding professional organizations that had been left out of the original text, adding podiatric schools to the physician graduate route and adding schools of pharmacy to the other-practitioner graduate route. Section 402(b) states that the amendment takes effect as if enacted on December 29, 2022, so training from the newly named organizations can count even if it was completed before December 2025. The Academy of General Dentistry and the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) both announced the change; ACPE says its accredited providers are now explicitly authorized to offer the 8 hours.
Part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023; the DATA waiver is eliminated by the same law.
DEA adds a one-time training checkbox to new and renewal registration applications.
DEA confirms that certificates do not need to be submitted but should be kept.
Provider and school lists widened, effective as if enacted December 29, 2022; the training provision is now cited as 21 U.S.C. 823(m).
Renewal periods are 36 months and first registrations run at most 39 months, so every registration in force in June 2023 has now come up for renewal at least once.
Who must complete it, profession by profession
The statute applies to any "qualified practitioner," defined as a practitioner licensed under state law to prescribe controlled substances who is not solely a veterinarian. DEA's letter to registrants put it the same way: all DEA-registered practitioners, with the exception of practitioners who are solely veterinarians.
The law splits practitioners into two tracks. The "physician" track borrows the Medicare definition of physician, which covers doctors of medicine and osteopathy but also dentists and podiatrists, which is why dental pain management and podiatric bodies appear in that track. The second track covers every other practitioner whom a state authorizes to prescribe controlled substances, which is where physician assistants and advanced practice registered nurses sit.
| Practitioner | Covered? | Statutory track | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physicians (MD, DO) | Yes | Physician, 823(m)(1)(A) | Board certification route available in addiction medicine or addiction psychiatry |
| Dentists (DDS, DMD) | Yes | Physician, 823(m)(1)(A) | Training may instead focus on safe pharmacological management of dental pain plus screening, brief intervention and referral |
| Podiatrists (DPM) | Yes | Physician, 823(m)(1)(A) | The 2025 amendment added the APMA, providers accredited by the Council on Podiatric Medical Education, and podiatric schools on the graduate route |
| Physician assistants | Yes | Other practitioner, 823(m)(1)(B) | AAPA and the other listed organizations; recent PA program graduates may qualify through curriculum |
| Nurse practitioners and other APRNs (CNM, CRNA, CNS) with DEA registration | Yes | Other practitioner, 823(m)(1)(B) | AANP and ANCC are named providers |
| Any other practitioner with a DEA practitioner registration under state law | Yes | Other practitioner, 823(m)(1)(B) | The 2025 amendment added accredited schools of pharmacy to the graduate route and the American Pharmacists Association and ACPE to the list of training organizations |
| Practitioners who are solely veterinarians | No | Excluded | A veterinarian who also holds a human-health prescribing license is not "solely" a veterinarian |
Source: 21 U.S.C. 823(m) as amended by Pub. L. 119-44; DEA Diversion Control Division letter to registrants.
Profession-specific renewal detail, including state CME, CE and controlled substance rules, is covered on our physician license renewal, PA license renewal, nursing license renewal and dental license renewal guides. This page stays on the federal training itself.
The trigger is your own DEA application, not your state license. A resident who prescribes under a hospital's DEA registration is not yet submitting a registration of their own; the attestation arises when they file their own first application, at which point recent residency training is often the easiest way to qualify (see route 2 below).
Three ways to qualify: which route are you?
DEA groups compliance into two "deemed satisfied" categories and one training category. Most practitioners only need one of them, and the quickest way to find yours is to work down the list in order.
Addiction board certification
Physicians board certified in addiction medicine or addiction psychiatry through the American Board of Medical Specialties, the American Board of Addiction Medicine or the American Osteopathic Association are deemed to have met the requirement. No further hours are needed.
Recent graduate with qualifying curriculum
Graduates in good standing of an accredited US medical, osteopathic, podiatric or dental school, or of a PA, advanced practice nursing or pharmacy program, within the 5 years before their first registration or renewal, whose curriculum or residency included at least 8 hours on substance use disorders (or, for dental graduates, dental pain management).
8 hours from a listed organization
Everyone else completes 8 hours on treating and managing patients with opioid or other substance use disorders from an organization the statute names or an accredited organization it recognizes. Hours can be cumulative and can include past training.
Check for addiction board certification
If you are a physician certified in addiction medicine or addiction psychiatry by ABMS, ABAM or AOA, you are done. This route is limited to the physician track; PAs and APRNs do not have a board certification route under the statute.
Check your graduation date against your application date
The statute measures the 5 years backward from the date you first register or renew on or after June 27, 2023. DEA's letter described it as graduation within five years of June 27, 2023. If you finished training recently, ask your school or residency program for written confirmation that the curriculum included at least 8 hours of relevant content, because the curriculum condition is part of the test, not an assumption.
Count your existing qualifying hours
Add up past activities on substance use disorders from qualifying organizations, including any DATA-waiver training. Many clinicians find they already hold 8 hours from earlier CME, CE or waiver courses.
Top up the shortfall
If you have fewer than 8 hours, complete the difference through a qualifying provider before you submit your DEA application, and keep the certificate.
A nurse practitioner who held an X-waiver
An NP completed DATA-waiver training and obtained a waiver in 2019, and renewed her DEA registration in 2024. Because DEA counts past DATA-waiver training toward the 8 hours, those hours alone covered her requirement, and she checked the attestation box at that 2024 renewal. She will not see the question again at her 2027 renewal, but she keeps the waiver training certificate in her records.
Based on the DEA FAQ statement that past DATA-waived trainings count toward the 8-hour requirement. Names and dates are illustrative.
What training counts toward the 8 hours
Three questions decide whether an activity counts: who provided it, what it covered, and whether you can document it. Format and timing matter much less than people expect.
Who can provide it
DEA's guidance lists the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM), the American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry (AAAP), the American Medical Association (AMA), the American Osteopathic Association (AOA) or any organization it accredits for CME, the American Dental Association (ADA), the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (AAOMS), the American Psychiatric Association (APA), the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP), the American Academy of Physician Associates (AAPA) and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). It also accepts any organization accredited by the ACCME or the Commission for Continuing Education Provider Recognition (CCEPR), directly or through a state medical society accreditor those bodies recognize, and any organization approved or accredited by the Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use.
The 2025 amendment layered more names onto the statutory lists. For the physician track, which includes dentists and podiatrists, it added the American Academy of Family Physicians (and CME providers the AAFP accredits), the American Podiatric Medical Association, the Academy of General Dentistry, the American Optometric Association and organizations accredited by the Council on Podiatric Medical Education. For the other-practitioner track, it added the American Pharmacists Association, the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education, the American Psychiatric Nurses Association, the American Academy of Nursing and the AAFP. The lists differ slightly between the physician track and the other-practitioner track, so if you rely on a less common provider, check that it appears in the list for your track.
In practice, most CME and CE on this subject from established providers already qualifies, because those providers hold accreditation from one of the named bodies. Many accredited providers also report qualifying activities to ACCME's PARS system so they appear on a learner's CME Passport transcript.
None of our courses count toward the MATE Act 8 hours. Our controlled substances course explains the requirement and the attestation so you can confirm you have met it through an eligible provider.
What it has to cover
The core subject is the treatment and management of patients with opioid or other substance use disorders. For the physician track, which includes dentists, the statute also accepts training on the safe pharmacological management of dental pain combined with screening, brief intervention and referral for appropriate treatment of patients with, or at risk of developing, opioid or other substance use disorders. SAMHSA publishes recommended curricular elements, which ACCME summarizes as content addressing the prevention, recognition and care of people with substance use disorders.
A general pain management or risk management course may or may not qualify. The test is content, not the course title: an activity that only covers prescription writing rules or diversion controls is unlikely to count, while one focused on recognizing, treating and referring patients with substance use disorders is the intended subject.
Format, timing and past training
- Any format: live, online, enduring material, society seminars or classroom sessions all count.
- Cumulative: the 8 hours can be split across several activities completed at different times.
- Past training: relevant training received before December 29, 2022 counts.
- Former X-waiver training: past DATA-waiver training counts toward the 8 hours.
- Timing: training must be complete before you submit the DEA application on which you attest.
The one-time attestation on your DEA application
From June 27, 2023, DEA's online application for new and renewal practitioner registrations has included a checkbox on which you affirm that you have completed the training. DEA states that this affirmation "will not be a part of future registration renewals." The statute backs this up: DEA may not require a qualified practitioner to complete the training more than once.
This one-time training requirement affirmation will not be a part of future registration renewals.DEA Diversion Control Division, MATE Act FAQ
Why the timing now matters less for most registrants
DEA practitioner registrations renew for 36 months at a time, and a first registration is assigned an expiration date between 28 and 39 months out. A registration that was in force on June 27, 2023 had to be renewed by the end of September 2026 at the latest, so every established registrant has already met their attestation point. In October 2026 the requirement mostly affects new graduates applying for their first registration, practitioners adding a registration for the first time, and anyone whose registration lapsed and who is now reapplying.
More than one registration
DEA requires a separate registration for each principal place of practice where controlled substances are handled, and multistate practitioners often hold several. The training obligation attaches to the practitioner and cannot be required more than once, so a second registration does not create a second 8 hours. DEA's published FAQ does not separately address how the checkbox appears on additional registrations, so answer each application accurately and keep one set of records that supports all of them.
Check the box only when it is true
The checkbox is a statement on a federal registration application. If you are not sure whether you have 8 qualifying hours, resolve that before you submit rather than after. Completing a short accredited activity takes far less time than explaining an inaccurate attestation later.
Record-keeping: what to keep and for how long
DEA asks practitioners to keep certificates or other proof of completion, but states that these documents do not need to be submitted to DEA with initial or renewal applications. Neither the statute nor DEA's FAQ sets a retention period. Because the attestation is permanent and is never repeated, the sensible approach is to keep the evidence for as long as you hold a DEA registration.
ACCME notes that CME Passport transcripts, built from credit that accredited providers report to PARS, are recognized as primary source-verified reports by DEA and other national regulatory bodies, and that providers may add wording to certificates stating that an activity met MATE Act content requirements. That kind of wording is useful but not required; an ordinary certificate showing provider, title, date and hours from a qualifying organization still documents the training.
- Certificates for each activity you counted, showing provider name, activity title, date and hours.
- For route 2, a letter or transcript from your school or residency confirming graduation date, good standing and at least 8 hours of relevant curriculum.
- For route 1, a copy of your addiction medicine or addiction psychiatry board certification.
- For past DATA-waiver training, the original training certificate if you still have it.
- A one-page summary listing which activities make up your 8 hours and the date you attested, stored with your DEA registration records.
Good records matter beyond DEA. State boards audit CME and CE, and if an activity is being used toward a state opioid requirement too, the same certificate will be requested. Our guide on what happens if you fail a CME or CE audit explains how boards handle missing documentation.
How MATE stacks with state opioid and pain CME
The MATE Act is a federal condition of DEA registration. It does not replace state licensing requirements, and the statute says so directly: nothing in it preempts additional state requirements on dispensing controlled substances, and nothing stops a practitioner from using the same training to meet state requirements or for other lawful purposes.
That gives two practical rules. First, completing the federal 8 hours never excuses a state requirement. Second, a single activity can count for both when it meets both sets of rules: the federal provider and content test, and the state's own topic, provider and timing rules. ACCME has noted that MATE training may help learners meet state requirements in pain management and opioid use, and vice versa.
| Requirement | Frequency | Provider rule | Can MATE training also count? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Federal MATE Act, all DEA practitioners | Once | Statutory list and recognized accreditors | Not applicable |
| Florida: 2-hour controlled substance prescribing course for DEA-registered prescribers | Every renewal | Board-approved course from a statewide professional association of physicians with AMA or AOA Category 1 accreditation | Only if the specific course is the board-approved one; a general MATE activity will not substitute |
| Pennsylvania: 2 hours in pain management, identification of addiction or opioid prescribing for prescribers | Every renewal (plus 4 hours once at initial licensure) | For physicians, AMA PRA Category 1 or 2 activities | Possibly, if the activity's title and content fit one of the listed topics and it falls in the current renewal period |
| Michigan: 3 hours of pain and symptom management, at least 1 on controlled substances prescribing | Every 3-year renewal | Michigan board CME rules | Possibly, for hours earned within the current cycle that meet the topic |
Sources: 21 U.S.C. 823(m)(3); Fla. Stat. 456.0301; Pennsylvania State Board of Medicine notice on Act 124 of 2016; Mich. Admin. Code R 338.2443. Check the current rule for your own license before relying on any overlap.
The key difference is time. The MATE hours can be years old, but most state opioid requirements recur each renewal and must be earned within the current cycle. An addiction course from 2019 can satisfy the federal requirement and still do nothing for a state renewal due this year. Michigan, for example, also has a separate controlled substances awareness training rule tied to its state controlled substance license.
State-by-state detail sits in our cluster guides: Pennsylvania physician CME, Michigan physician CME and Illinois physician CME. California, Texas, Florida and New York opioid and pain mandates are compared on the physician license renewal hub.
Myths vs the actual rules
"I have to do 8 hours again at every DEA renewal."
No. The attestation is one-time and DEA may not require the training more than once (21 U.S.C. 823(m)(2); DEA FAQ).
"It has to be a single 8-hour course."
No. Hours are cumulative across activities and formats, including online and enduring material (DEA letter; ACCME).
"Only training completed after the law passed counts."
No. Relevant training before December 29, 2022 counts, including DATA-waiver training (DEA FAQ).
"I need to upload my certificates to DEA."
No. DEA does not collect them, but you should keep them (DEA FAQ, August 2023).
"Any opioid course from any provider will do."
No. The provider must be a named organization or recognized accredited organization, and the content must address substance use disorders (or dental pain management for the physician track).
"Finishing the MATE hours covers my state opioid CME."
Not automatically. State requirements are not preempted and usually recur each renewal (21 U.S.C. 823(m)(3)).
"Dentists are outside the rule because it is about addiction treatment."
No. Dentists fall in the physician track, with a dental pain management option for the training topic (21 U.S.C. 823(m)(1)(A)).
Common mistakes and a before-you-apply checklist
- Counting hours from an unrecognized provider. Hours only count when the provider is on the statutory list or accredited by a listed body. Check the provider's accreditation statement on the certificate before you rely on it.
- Assuming the graduate route applies without checking the curriculum. Graduating within 5 years is only half the test; the program must have included at least 8 hours of relevant content.
- Discarding old waiver or CME certificates. Past training is valuable precisely because it counts. Losing the record means you cannot show it later.
- Treating MATE as a substitute for state renewal CME. Old hours satisfy the federal rule but rarely the current-cycle state requirement.
- Relying on outdated lists. Guidance written in 2023 predates the 2025 amendment, which added organizations such as AGD, AAFP and ACPE, and cites the old subsection 823(l).
- Checking the box first and finding hours later. The training has to be complete when you submit the application.
- Identify your route: board certification, recent graduate with qualifying curriculum, or 8 hours of training.
- If route 3, list each activity, its provider, its date and its hours, and confirm the total reaches 8.
- Confirm each provider is a named organization or accredited by a listed body for your track.
- Close any shortfall with a qualifying accredited activity before you apply.
- Save certificates and your summary sheet with your DEA records.
- Separately, check your state's opioid, pain or controlled substance CME and whether any of your hours count toward it.
Controlled Substances: Safe Prescribing and Dispensing
A self-paced course for physicians, PAs, APRNs, dentists, pharmacists and others who prescribe, dispense or store controlled substances. It walks through the US controlled substances framework, DEA registration and required training, lawful prescriptions including telemedicine, PDMPs and opioid use disorder, storage and records, diversion and loss, and how controlled substance concerns reach regulators. It is supporting education: it does not count toward the MATE Act 8 hours, which must come from a qualifying provider on the statutory list.
Our courses are education.
Frequently asked questions
I renewed my DEA registration in 2024 and checked the box. Do I need to do anything at my next renewal?
No further training is required. DEA has said the one-time affirmation will not be part of future renewals, and the statute bars DEA from requiring the training more than once. Keep your certificates in case you are ever asked how you met it.
Does the MATE Act apply if I only prescribe buprenorphine, or if I never prescribe opioids?
Yes. The trigger is holding a DEA practitioner registration for Schedule II to V substances, not what you actually prescribe. A practitioner who rarely or never prescribes opioids but holds a DEA registration is still covered, unless they are solely a veterinarian.
Can I get my 8 hours entirely online and free?
Format is not restricted, so online and enduring activities count, and many professional societies and accredited providers offer free options. Cost is irrelevant; what matters is that the provider is a named organization or accredited by a listed body and the content addresses substance use disorders.
Does residency training count toward the requirement?
It can. For the physician track, the recent-graduate route covers a curriculum or residency that included at least 8 hours of relevant training, if you graduated in good standing within the 5 years before your first registration or renewal on or after June 27, 2023. Get written confirmation from your program.
Is the MATE Act training the same as the old X-waiver?
No. The X-waiver was eliminated by the same 2022 law, so no separate waiver is needed to prescribe buprenorphine for opioid use disorder. The MATE Act is a different, broader requirement for all DEA registrants. Training you took for the old waiver does count toward the 8 hours.
Will DEA audit my MATE Act training?
DEA's FAQ does not describe an audit process. It asks registrants to keep proof of completion and states that certificates do not need to be submitted with applications. Keeping complete records is the practical safeguard if your attestation is ever questioned.
Do the 2025 changes mean I need to redo my training?
No. Pub. L. 119-44 widened the list of qualifying organizations and is written to apply as if enacted on December 29, 2022. It did not add hours or make the requirement recurring, so training that already qualified still qualifies.
Official sources
- DEA Diversion Control Division: Letter to registrants on the MATE Act training requirement
- DEA Diversion Control Division: Medication Access and Training Expansion (MATE) Act frequently asked questions
- Office of the Law Revision Counsel: 21 U.S.C. 823, Registration requirements (subsection (m), required training for prescribers, and amendment notes for Pub. L. 119-44)
- eCFR: 21 CFR 1301.13, Application for registration; time for application; expiration date
- eCFR: 21 CFR 1301.12, Separate registrations for separate locations
- SAMHSA: Waiver elimination (MAT Act)
- SAMHSA: Recommendations for curricular elements in substance use disorders training
- ACCME: The Medication Access and Training Expansion (MATE) Act FAQs
- Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education: MATE Act update, December 2025
- Academy of General Dentistry: President signs SUPPORT Act into law (December 3, 2025)
- Florida Legislature: Florida Statutes 456.0301, Requirement for instruction on controlled substance prescribing
- Pennsylvania State Board of Medicine: Notice regarding opioid education (Act 124 of 2016)
- Michigan LARA: Administrative Code R 338.2401 to R 338.2443 (Medicine, general rules, incl. R 338.2443)
- Michigan LARA: Administrative Code R 338.3101 to R 338.3199q (Controlled substances, incl. R 338.3135 awareness training)
Checked October 2026.