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The DEA telemedicine rule and online TRT
Testosterone is a Schedule III controlled substance, so whether a telehealth provider can prescribe it without ever seeing you in person depends on a DEA rule that expires on December 31, 2026. This page tracks that rule, with every date sourced, and is updated when anything changes.
Telehealth providers can prescribe testosterone without an in-person visit through December 31, 2026.
That permission comes from a temporary DEA and HHS rule. Its permanent replacement, a special registration for telemedicine, has been under White House review since August 25, 2026, and its text isn't public. Unless the replacement or another extension is published first, the in-person requirement returns on January 1, 2027.
December 31, 2026
The dates that matter
- The Ryan Haight Act
Federal law requires at least one in-person medical evaluation before a practitioner prescribes a controlled substance over the internet, with narrow exceptions. Testosterone is a Schedule III controlled substance. 90 FR 61301
- Pandemic flexibilities
During the COVID-19 public health emergency, DEA lets registered practitioners prescribe Schedule II to V controlled substances by telemedicine without an in-person visit. 90 FR 61301
- First proposed rules
DEA proposes permanent rules for telemedicine prescribing. reginfo.gov
- First temporary extension
The pandemic flexibilities are extended instead of ending. reginfo.gov
- Second temporary extension
Extended through December 31, 2024. reginfo.gov
- Third temporary extension
Extended through December 31, 2025. reginfo.gov
- Special registration proposed
DEA proposes "Special Registrations for Telemedicine and Limited State Telemedicine Registrations" (90 FR 6541). Comments closed on March 18, 2025. Federal Register
- Fourth temporary extension
Published at 90 FR 61301 and effective January 1 to December 31, 2026. This is the rule in force today. 90 FR 61301
- Final rule sent for review
The White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs receives DEA's final special registration rule (RIN 1117-AB40), marked economically significant. The text under review isn't public. reginfo.gov
- As of October 23, 2026
The fourth temporary extension is in force. The final rule is still under review.
- Planned final action
The Justice Department's regulatory agenda lists November 2026 for final action. A target, not a deadline. reginfo.gov
- 90 days of review
Executive Order 12866 normally gives the review office up to 90 days, with one 30-day extension allowed. That limit governs the review, not when the rule is published. McDermott
- Temporary rule ends
The fourth extension expires at the end of the day. 90 FR 61301
- In-person rule returns, unless replaced
Without a final rule or a fifth extension, a prescriber needs at least one in-person evaluation before prescribing testosterone remotely. 90 FR 61301
What the 2025 proposal would require
The rule under review may differ from this proposal, which is the last version published.
- A Telemedicine Prescribing Registration for prescribing Schedule III to V drugs, which include testosterone, without a prior in-person visit. It's open to physicians and board-certified mid-level practitioners.
- An Advanced Telemedicine Prescribing Registration for Schedule II, limited to certain specialists, and a Telemedicine Platform Registration for online platforms.
- A DEA-issued State Telemedicine Registration for every state where a clinician prescribes by telemedicine.
- A check of state prescription-monitoring databases before prescribing.
- Fees of $888 for each special registration and $50 for each state registration.
Source: 90 FR 6541, January 17, 2025.
What each outcome would mean
The final rule is published first
Prescribers would need the new registration to keep prescribing testosterone by telemedicine without an in-person visit. Some providers may pause new patients, or change the states they serve, while their prescribers register. Prices and terms may change with it.
A fifth temporary extension
Nothing changes for telehealth patients until the new end date. The current extension was published on December 31, 2025, the day the previous one expired, so a late one is possible.
Neither arrives by December 31
From January 1, 2027, a prescriber would need at least one in-person evaluation before prescribing testosterone remotely. Patients who have never seen their prescriber in person would need a visit before the next prescription. No provider in this index has said publicly how it would handle that.
If you've paid for months past December 31
These plans charge for several months at a time. None of the terms below mentions the DEA rule, so if a provider can't keep prescribing after December 31, what happens to the months you've paid for isn't written down anywhere.
| Provider | Plan | What its terms say about ending early |
|---|---|---|
| PeterMD | Injectable testosterone: 12-month plan, $79/mo, $948 upfront read Oct 23, 2026 | The policy doesn't say what happens to the unused part of a prepaid 6- or 12-month plan. |
| TMates | Injectable testosterone: 12-month plan, $83/mo read Oct 25, 2026 | Not stated |
| Maximus | Injectable testosterone: 6-month plan, $99.99/mo read Oct 23, 2026 | A 3- or 6-month plan can't be ended early. There's no refund for the rest of the term, whether you paid upfront or in installments. |
| PrescribedRX | Injectable testosterone: 3-month plan, $129/mo read Oct 23, 2026 | Covered by PrescribedRX's refund policy, which the cancellation page doesn't summarize. |
| PrescribedRX | Testosterone cream or gel: 3-month plan, $129/mo read Oct 23, 2026 | Covered by PrescribedRX's refund policy, which the cancellation page doesn't summarize. |
If you're weighing a prepaid plan now, ask the provider in writing what happens to unused months if it can't prescribe after December 31, and keep the answer.
What providers have said
| Provider | Public statement on 2027 |
|---|---|
| PeterMD | None found (checked Oct 23, 2026) |
| TMates | None found (checked Oct 23, 2026) |
| MangoRx | None found (checked Oct 23, 2026) |
| Maximus | None found (checked Oct 23, 2026) |
| Henry Meds | None found (checked Oct 23, 2026) |
| PrescribedRX | None found (checked Oct 23, 2026) |
| Feel30 | None found (checked Oct 23, 2026) |
| Hone Health | None found (checked Oct 23, 2026) |
| GoodLife Health | None found (checked Oct 23, 2026) |
| Taurus Meds | None found (checked Oct 23, 2026) |
| Brightmeds | None found (checked Oct 23, 2026) |
| Male Excel | None found (checked Oct 23, 2026) |
| Defy Medical | None found (checked Oct 23, 2026) |
| Fountain TRT | None found (checked Oct 23, 2026) |
| Hims | None found (checked Oct 23, 2026) |
| Rugiet Health | None found (checked Oct 23, 2026) |
Where the answer will appear first
- OIRA review entry for RIN 1117-AB40
- Federal Register: DEA documents
- Federal Register: documents on public inspection, usually a day before publication
These are checked automatically every day; this page is updated when any of them changes.
Cite this page
TRT Prices, “The DEA telemedicine rule and online TRT”, updated October 23, 2026. https://trtprices.com/dea-telemedicine-rule/
Page history
- October 23, 2026Page published. Status checked against the OIRA review entry, the regulatory agenda and the Federal Register.
This page reports what federal documents say and when. It isn't legal advice.