Many, many companies around the world that have registered with the FDA have their original Registration number (to include on shipping documents), but cannot locate the original PIN number that was included with the Registration Number at the time of the original registration. The FDA has been overwhelmed with requests for PIN numbers. In order to meet the extended biennial re-registration deadline of January 31, 2013, the FDA has decided to allow companies that do not have their original PIN to register all over again. Since re-registration must now be done every other year, remember your new PIN number. Here are the two new FAQs added by the FDA in a notice dated January 18, 2013:
NOTE:
FDA issued a guidance document stating that because there was a delay in FDA’s implementation of biennial registration renewal for the 2012 cycle, and registration renewal did not become available until October 22, 2012, FDA intends to exercise enforcement discretion with respect to registration renewals submitted to FDA after December 31, 2012 for a period of 31 days, until January 31, 2013.
See Guidance for Industry: Questions and Answers Regarding Food Facility Registration (Fifth Edition).
UPDATE:
January 18, 2013
Please note the addition of two new FAQs concerning the renewal process:
IC.3.26 I do not have the Food Facility Registration PIN number that is required to access my registration in the online registration system, and therefore I am unable to renew my registration. What steps should I take?
Due to certain confidentiality constraints and the amount of time it takes the Agency to process PIN requests, the Agency is no longer able to fulfill PIN requests for registration renewals for the 2012 renewal period. If a facility is unable to renew its existing registration by January 31, 2013 because it does not have its PIN number, the facility may create a new registration by January 31, 2013 in order to be registered in accordance with section 415 of the FD&C Act.
IC.3.27 If I create a new registration, will I retain my compliance history or shipping history associated with my facility?
Some facilities may create new registrations rather than renew existing registrations because they no longer have the PIN numbers that are needed to access their existing registrations in the online registration system. For such a facility, the Agency does not anticipate a loss of compliance history or shipping history, provided that the facility’s new registration includes the same information such as facility name and facility address.
FDA issued a guidance document stating that because there was a delay in FDA’s implementation of biennial registration renewal for the 2012 cycle, and registration renewal did not become available until October 22, 2012, FDA intends to exercise enforcement discretion with respect to registration renewals submitted to FDA after December 31, 2012 for a period of 31 days, until January 31, 2013.
See Guidance for Industry: Questions and Answers Regarding Food Facility Registration (Fifth Edition).
UPDATE:
January 18, 2013
Please note the addition of two new FAQs concerning the renewal process:
IC.3.26 I do not have the Food Facility Registration PIN number that is required to access my registration in the online registration system, and therefore I am unable to renew my registration. What steps should I take?
Due to certain confidentiality constraints and the amount of time it takes the Agency to process PIN requests, the Agency is no longer able to fulfill PIN requests for registration renewals for the 2012 renewal period. If a facility is unable to renew its existing registration by January 31, 2013 because it does not have its PIN number, the facility may create a new registration by January 31, 2013 in order to be registered in accordance with section 415 of the FD&C Act.
IC.3.27 If I create a new registration, will I retain my compliance history or shipping history associated with my facility?
Some facilities may create new registrations rather than renew existing registrations because they no longer have the PIN numbers that are needed to access their existing registrations in the online registration system. For such a facility, the Agency does not anticipate a loss of compliance history or shipping history, provided that the facility’s new registration includes the same information such as facility name and facility address.