---
kind: "section"
citation: "21 U.S.C. § 832"
title: "21"
title_heading: "Food and Drugs"
number: "832"
heading: "Suspicious orders"
release: "119-102"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/21/832"
units:
  - "Chapter 13 — Drug Abuse Prevention and Control"
  - "Subchapter I — Control and Enforcement"
  - "Part C — Registration of Manufacturers, Distributors, and Dispensers of Controlled Substances"
---

# §832. Suspicious orders

- (a) **Reporting—** Each registrant shall—
  - (1) design and operate a system to identify [suspicious orders](/usc/21/802.md?p=57) for the registrant;
  - (2) ensure that the system designed and operated under [paragraph (1)](#a-1) by the registrant complies with applicable Federal and [State](/usc/21/802.md?p=26) privacy laws; and
  - (3) upon discovering a [suspicious order](/usc/21/802.md?p=57) or series of orders, notify the [Administrator](/usc/21/1523.md?p=1) of the [Drug Enforcement Administration](/usc/21/802.md?p=4) and the Special [Agent](/usc/21/802.md?p=3) in Charge of the Division [Office](/usc/21/1701.md?p=14) of the [Drug Enforcement Administration](/usc/21/802.md?p=4) for the area in which the registrant is located or conducts business.
- (b) **Suspicious order database—**
  - (1) **In general—** Not later than 1 year after October 24, 2018, the Attorney General shall establish a centralized database for collecting reports of [suspicious orders](/usc/21/802.md?p=57).
  - (2) **Satisfaction of reporting requirements—** If a registrant reports a [suspicious order](/usc/21/802.md?p=57) to the centralized database established under [paragraph (1)](#b-1), the registrant shall be considered to have complied with the requirement under [subsection (a)(3)](#a-3) to notify the [Administrator](/usc/21/1523.md?p=1) of the [Drug Enforcement Administration](/usc/21/802.md?p=4) and the Special [Agent](/usc/21/802.md?p=3) in Charge of the Division [Office](/usc/21/1701.md?p=14) of the [Drug Enforcement Administration](/usc/21/802.md?p=4) for the area in which the registrant is located or conducts business.
- (c) **Sharing information with the States—**
  - (1) **In general—** The Attorney General shall prepare and make available information regarding [suspicious orders](/usc/21/802.md?p=57) in a [State](/usc/21/802.md?p=26), including information in the database established under [subsection (b)(1)](#b-1), to the point of contact for purposes of administrative, civil, and criminal oversight relating to the diversion of [controlled substances](/usc/21/802.md?p=6) for the [State](/usc/21/802.md?p=26), as designated by the Governor or chief executive officer of the [State](/usc/21/802.md?p=26).
  - (2) **Timing—** The Attorney General shall provide information in accordance with [paragraph (1)](#c-1) within a reasonable period of time after obtaining the information.
  - (3) **Coordination—** In establishing the process for the provision of information under this subsection, the Attorney General shall coordinate with [States](/usc/21/802.md?p=26) to ensure that the Attorney General has access to information, as permitted under [State](/usc/21/802.md?p=26) law, possessed by the [States](/usc/21/802.md?p=26) relating to prescriptions for [controlled substances](/usc/21/802.md?p=6) that will assist in enforcing Federal law.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 91–513, title II, § 312, as added Pub. L. 115–271, title III, § 3292(b), Oct. 24, 2018, 132 Stat. 3956.)