If you have ever been asked to send an "FDA registration certificate" for your cosmetic products, you may have spent an afternoon searching for a document that does not exist. On September 9, 2026, FDA put it in writing.
What FDA clarified
FDA stated that it has received an increased number of inquiries from people seeking certificates or other documents to verify compliance with cosmetic facility registration, or to confirm that a person or facility is not required to register. The agency does not provide any of them. That covers a certificate as proof of registration or listing, a letter or email stating that a facility is registered or a product is listed, and any document confirming that a facility or responsible person is not required to register or list cosmetic products. Nothing arrives in the mail, and nothing can be requested from the agency to fill that gap.
Why the question keeps coming up
FDA is aware that e-commerce platforms such as TikTok Shop may ask sellers for proof of FDA registration, or, for businesses that are not required to register, a letter or email from FDA confirming the exemption. Some business partners ask for the same thing during onboarding. FDA addressed this directly in a Cosmetics Constituent Update written for facilities, retailers and industry responsible persons, so the message is meant for both sides of the request.
A number is not an approval
Under section 607 of the FD&C Act, as amended by MoCRA, owners or operators of facilities that manufacture or process cosmetic products are generally required to register with FDA and renew that registration every two years. The responsible person for each marketed product must also list it with FDA, including its ingredients, and provide updates annually. Both steps give you a number. FDA is clear that registration and listing are neither a cosmetic approval program nor a promotional tool, and that a facility registration number or product listing number does not indicate FDA approval of the facility or its products. It should never be described that way in marketing or in conversations with buyers.
What to share instead
When a platform or partner asks for proof, share your facility registration number or your product listing number, since these are the identifiers FDA actually assigns. Alongside them, keep your own records. Save the confirmation numbers you receive after each submission and screenshots from Cosmetics Direct showing the registration or listing. If someone asks again later, you can answer in minutes instead of rebuilding the paper trail.
A red flag worth remembering
If a company offers to sell you an "FDA certificate" for your cosmetic facility or product, treat it as a warning sign. FDA does not issue that document, so anything sold under that name is not what it claims to be.
What this means for brands
Having your registration and listing in order is a baseline for selling cosmetics in the United States, and being able to explain what those numbers mean is part of doing it professionally. A short, consistent answer you can give any platform saves time and keeps you from claiming more than the facts support.
At Vaulabs, we manufacture in our FDA-registered facility in Clearwater, Florida, and we help our clients understand the regulatory side of their products so these requests never slow down a launch.
Not sure what a platform or retailer is asking for, or whether your records are complete? Send us your questions and we will walk you through it.
Sources: U.S. Food and Drug Administration, "FDA clarifies it does not provide certificates or other documents to verify compliance for cosmetic product" (September 9, 2026). https://www.fda.gov/cosmetics/cosmetics-news-events/fda-clarifies-it-does-not-provide-certificates-or-other-documents-verify-compliance-cosmetic-product