United States · FDA establishment identifiers
FDA FEI number format validator.
Check that an FDA Establishment Identifier (FEI) has the shape FDA describes: digits only, up to 10 digits long, with 10 digits the length FDA uses on export lists.
The rule in one line: digits only, up to 10 of them. Ten digits is the length FDA uses for the FEI on export lists; seven digits is the length of the older Central File Number (CFN). Example shape: 3001234567.
How to check a FEI Number
- Type or paste the value. Spaces and hyphens are ignored and case does not matter.
- Press Check.
- Read the result: either the normalized value, or the exact rule it breaks.
Your input stays on your device
The check runs in your browser, inside an isolated frame on this page that has no network access. Nothing you type is uploaded to TNAADO or anyone else, and nothing is stored. The advertising on this page sits outside the frame and cannot see what you enter.
What an FEI identifies
FDA's GDUFA page describes the FEI, the FDA Establishment Identifier, as a unique identifier issued by FDA to track inspections of a regulated establishment or facility. The same number is used to track GDUFA facility fee payments. The agency has also said it will use the FEI as the required facility registration number for cosmetics, and its policy for export lists is to use the 10-digit FEI as the approval number.
That makes it a number that travels between spreadsheets: a supplier questionnaire, an import record, a registration form, an export list application. Each handoff is a chance for a digit to be dropped, so a quick shape check is worth having. This page checks the shape only; it does not search FDA records.
How long an FEI is
FDA's Blood Establishment Registration FAQ answers the length question directly: FEI numbers are up to 10 digits long. FDA's export list page narrows that for current practice: the general policy is to use the 10-digit FEI as the approval number. For seafood lists the same page says the export list system automatically assigns the FEI as the approval number when a firm first applies. It adds that many establishments on seafood export lists still use the 7-digit CFN as the approval number, that FDA no longer uses CFNs internally, and that listed establishments do not need to change those numbers.
| Length | What it usually is | This checker |
|---|---|---|
| 10 digits | The length FDA uses for the FEI on export lists | Accepts |
| 7 digits | The older CFN length, still found as an approval number on some lists | Accepts, with a note to check the source |
| 1 to 6, 8 or 9 digits | Allowed by the "up to 10" wording but not a common length | Accepts, with a note to check the source |
| More than 10 digits, or any non-digit | Not an FEI | Rejects |
Worked examples
All numbers below are made up.
3001234567passes: 10 digits.1234567passes with a note: seven digits is the CFN length, so confirm whether your source calls it a CFN or an FEI.300-123-4567passes after the hyphens are removed and is reported as3001234567.30012345678fails: 11 digits, past the limit.30O1234567fails: the letter O in the third position. This is the classic copy error between a letter O and a zero.123456789passes, but it is also the length of a U.S. EIN. The shape cannot separate them, so where the number came from decides what it is.0000000fails: an all-zero value is not a usable identifier.
FEI, CFN, DUNS and tax ID are four different things
FDA's GDUFA page is explicit that an FEI is different from a Central File Number, that the CFN has been phased out and is no longer used for inspection purposes, that the DUNS number is a separate identifier from Dun and Bradstreet which is required for foreign organizations to register in the User Fee System, and that the FEI is not a federal tax identification number. A firm can hold several of these at once, so putting one in another's box is an easy mistake to make. If you hold a nine-digit tax ID, use the EIN validator instead.
Getting or finding an FEI
FDA's cosmetics guidance says the owner or operator of a facility needs to obtain an FEI before submitting a facility registration, and refers firms to an FEI Search Portal to see whether one already exists. When we checked on 2026-10-20 the portal addresses linked from FDA's pages returned an error, so we link the guidance rather than the portal. For questions about assigned FEI numbers, FDA's GDUFA page points domestic firms to the appropriate FDA district office. Related identifiers on this site include the CMS CCN decoder for hospitals and other Medicare providers, the DEA number validator and the NPI validator.
Common mistakes
- Entering a DUNS or EIN in an FEI field because it is also a run of digits.
- Using a CFN where an FEI is required, or the reverse.
- Letting a spreadsheet turn the value into scientific notation or strip a leading zero. Store identifiers as text.
- Typing the letter O for zero, or the letter l for one.
Who this is for
Regulatory affairs and quality staff, importers and customs brokers, contract manufacturers and their customers, consultants preparing FDA submissions, and anyone cleaning a supplier list who needs to flag values that cannot be FEIs.
What this does not cover
- Whether FDA assigned the number, and to which firm.
- The firm's name, address, registration status, inspection history or any compliance record. This page does not search or copy FDA registries.
- NDC product codes, 510(k) numbers, registration numbers and other FDA identifiers.
- Regulatory or legal advice about registration duties.
Why the check stays on your device
A supplier's identifiers can be commercially sensitive, so the check never leaves your browser. It is a short set of rules built from the FDA pages listed under Sources: digits only, at most ten of them, and a length note for the two lengths FDA discusses.
Frequently asked questions
How many digits is an FDA FEI number?
Up to 10. FDA's blood establishment FAQ says FEI numbers are up to 10 digits long, and FDA's export list policy is to use the 10-digit FEI as the approval number.
Is a 7-digit number an FEI or a CFN?
It could be either. Seven digits is the length of the older Central File Number (CFN). FDA says it no longer uses CFNs internally, but many seafood export list firms still carry the 7-digit CFN as their approval number. Check the document the number came from.
What is the difference between an FEI and a CFN?
FDA's GDUFA page says an FEI is different from a Central File Number, and that the CFN has been phased out and is no longer used for inspection purposes.
Is an FEI the same as a DUNS number or an EIN?
No. FDA describes the FEI as a unique identifier it issues to track inspections of a regulated establishment, and distinguishes it from a DUNS number and from a federal tax identification number. The EIN is a nine-digit number issued by the U.S. government.
What is an FEI used for?
FDA says it tracks inspections of a regulated establishment or facility and tracks GDUFA facility fee payments. FDA also uses it as the approval number on export lists and has said it will use the FEI as the required facility registration number for cosmetics.
How do I get an FEI?
For cosmetics, FDA's guidance says the owner or operator of a facility needs to obtain an FEI before submitting the facility registration. For questions about FEI numbers already assigned to domestic firms, FDA's GDUFA page points to the appropriate FDA district office.
Does a passing result mean the FEI exists?
No. It only means the characters fit the described shape. This page does not search FDA records and cannot show a firm's name, address or inspection history.
Is the number I type sent anywhere?
No. The check runs in your browser inside an isolated frame with no network access, and nothing is stored.
Sources
- FDA CBER, Blood Establishment Registration FAQ (FEI is up to 10 digits) (retrieved 2026-10)
- FDA, Online Applications for Export Lists (10-digit FEI policy, 7-digit CFN) (retrieved 2026-10)
- FDA, GDUFA cover sheet clarifications: facility (FEI vs CFN, DUNS and tax ID) (retrieved 2026-10)
- FDA, final guidance on registration and listing of cosmetic product facilities (FEI as facility registration number) (retrieved 2026-10)
Common mix-ups
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Often assumedAn FDA establishment identifier (FEI) is always a 10-digit number.
What the source saysFDA's blood establishment registration FAQ says FEI numbers are up to 10 digits long. Ten digits is not a fixed length, so a shorter value is not automatically a typo and needs checking against its source. [1]
Checked against these sources on .
Shape only
A correctly formatted value is not proof that FDA assigned the number or that it belongs to the firm in front of you. Confirm it with FDA. This page is general information, not regulatory or legal advice.