The short answer
Yes, in most cases. FDA food facility registration covers facilities that manufacture, process, pack or hold food for U.S. consumption — and holding includes warehouses, cold stores, distribution centers and consolidation facilities, in the U.S. and abroad. FDA’s guidance says there is no minimum time: holding food for any period counts.
The registration belongs to whoever has physical control of the food. A typical third-party logistics (3PL) warehouse registers itself; the owner of a self-storage unit that never handles the food does not.
Who registers?
| Facility | Register with FDA? |
|---|---|
| U.S. 3PL or public warehouse storing imported food | Yes — the warehouse operator, because it controls the food |
| U.S. cold store or frozen warehouse | Yes |
| Self-storage unit where the owner never handles the food | Owner no; the food company using it registers the unit if it keeps physical control |
| Foreign export warehouse or consolidator — the last stop before shipping to the U.S. | Yes |
| Foreign warehouse whose food then goes to another foreign plant for more than de minimis processing | No — only the later facility registers |
| Trucks, ships and containers holding food only as carriers | No |
| Farms, restaurants, retail food establishments, nonprofit food establishments, private residences | No — exempt |
Other rules for warehouses
- Preventive controls rule: facilities that only store packaged food not exposed to the environment follow the CGMPs and, for food that needs temperature control, modified requirements for temperature monitoring and records — not a full food safety plan.
- Prior Notice: food entering the U.S. — even for later export — needs Prior Notice. See Prior Notice filing.
- Renewal: food facility registrations are renewed between October 1 and December 31 of every even-numbered year. See renewal deadlines.
- U.S. Agent: foreign warehouses need a U.S. Agent, just like factories. See what a U.S. Agent is.
Example: a consolidator in Vietnam and a cold store in California
A Vietnamese exporter buys packaged cashews and dried fruit from several registered factories, stores them in its own warehouse in Ho Chi Minh City and ships mixed containers to the U.S. Because its warehouse is the last facility before export, it registers the warehouse with FDA and names a U.S. Agent. In California, the cold store that receives frozen shrimp for the importer registers as a holding facility and keeps temperature records.
FDA food facility registration with U.S. Agent from $300 per year, or $450 for 2 years. Each additional food facility $150.
Frequently asked questions
Does a cold storage warehouse need FDA registration?
Yes. Holding food for U.S. consumption is a registrable activity, whatever the length of storage.
Who registers a 3PL warehouse?
The warehouse operator, because it has physical control of the food.
Does a foreign export warehouse need to register?
Yes, if it is the last facility to handle the food before export to the U.S. If the food then goes to another foreign facility for more than de minimis processing, only that later facility registers.
Do warehouses need a food safety plan?
Facilities that only store packaged food not exposed to the environment follow the CGMPs and, for temperature-controlled food, modified requirements — not a full food safety plan.
Sources
- FDA — Questions and answers regarding food facility registration (seventh edition, August 2018)
- FDA — Supplemental questions and answers on food facility registration (draft, August 2018): 3PL and self-storage warehouses
Requirements checked on November 12, 2026. This article is general information, not legal advice.