News · 2026-09-17
The DEA MATE Act: The One-Time Eight-Hour Training Every DEA-Registered NP Must Attest To
You'll learn which nurse practitioners must complete this federal training, what satisfies it, and how to attest when you renew your DEA registration.
If you are a California nurse practitioner with a DEA registration, you are required to attest to completing an eight-hour training on treating substance use disorders the next time you apply or renew, starting June 27, 2023. This is a one-time requirement under the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023, which embedded the Medication Access and Training Expansion (MATE) Act into federal law. It does not repeat with every renewal cycle — you attest once, and you are done.
Who must attest
The requirement applies to all DEA-registered practitioners except those who are solely veterinarians. If you hold a California nurse practitioner furnishing number and you prescribe or order controlled substances under a DEA registration, you must attest to the training at your first applicable registration or renewal on or after June 27, 2023. A DEA registration is separate from your California NP furnishing number; if you have not applied for a DEA registration because you do not prescribe or order controlled substances, this training does not apply to you.
What satisfies the requirement
You are deemed to have met the training if you hold board certification in addiction medicine or addiction psychiatry from the American Board of Medical Specialties, the American Board of Addiction Medicine, or the American Osteopathic Association. You also satisfy it if you graduated in good standing from an accredited advanced practice nursing school in the United States within the past five years (as of June 27, 2023) and your program included at least eight hours of training on treating and managing patients with opioid or other substance use disorders, including the appropriate clinical use of all FDA-approved medications for substance use disorder.
If neither of those applies, you must complete at least eight hours of training on the treatment and management of patients with substance use disorders, delivered by an entity the law names. Acceptable providers include the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, the American Nurses Credentialing Center, organizations accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education, the Commission for Continuing Education Provider Recognition, or any other organization approved by the Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use. You may find the full list in the DEA's MATE Act FAQ.
The training can occur in a classroom, at a professional society meeting, or online. Training you completed before December 29, 2022 — the date the law was enacted — counts toward the eight hours if the topic was relevant. Past DATA-waiver training also counts.
How to attest
When you submit your DEA Form 224 or Form 224a for initial registration or renewal on or after June 27, 2023, you will see a section asking you to attest that you have completed the training according to one of the three standards described above. You check a box affirming completion. The DEA does not require you to upload certificates or other documentation at the time of application, but the agency recommends you keep a record of your training certificates in case they are requested later. If the DEA approves your application after you attest, your certificate of registration will be issued.
This attestation is separate from California's continuing education requirements for your RN license and from any gerontology CE you may owe as a nurse practitioner serving an older patient population. The MATE Act training is a federal requirement tied to your DEA registration, not to your California NP furnishing number or your state nursing license.
What does not count
Because this is a DEA rule, the training must address substance use disorders and the management or treatment of patients with those disorders. General pharmacology courses, pain management courses that do not address substance use disorder, and controlled-substance prescribing courses unrelated to addiction treatment do not satisfy the MATE Act requirement. If you are uncertain whether a course you took qualifies, review the course description and compare it to the topics the law names: treating and managing patients with opioid or other substance use disorders, and the appropriate clinical use of FDA-approved medications for substance use disorder.
When the deadline falls
The deadline is the date of your next DEA registration submission — initial application or renewal — on or after June 27, 2023. DEA registrations run on a rolling schedule and expire on the last day of the month one, two, or three years after issuance, depending on the registration type. Check the expiration date printed on your current certificate. If your renewal falls after June 27, 2023, the attestation is required at that time. If you have already renewed once since June 27, 2023, and you attested then, you do not attest again.
Where this fits in California scope
California law does not require the MATE Act training. Your authority to furnish Schedule II controlled substances under your NP furnishing number requires that you complete pharmacological content on controlled substances, including risks of addiction, in your nurse practitioner program and that you register with the DEA. The MATE Act is the federal condition for maintaining that DEA registration. The two requirements operate side by side: one is California scope and the other is federal registration.