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Office of Public Health Preparedness and Response (OPHPR)

Regulation of Select Agents and Toxins

Photo of radiation symbol.The CDC Select Agent Program regulates the possession, use, and transfer of biological agents and toxins that could pose a severe threat to public health and safety (select agents). This program has greatly enhanced the nation’s oversight of the safety and security of select agents and is overseen by the Division of Select Agents and Toxins (DSAT), located in CDC’s Office of Public Health Preparedness and Response (OPHPR). The Select Agent Program promotes laboratory safety and security by


  • Developing, implementing, and enforcing the select agent regulations,
  • Providing guidance to the regulated community, and
  • Inspecting facilities working with select agents.
  • CDC works closely with the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) in the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Criminal Justice Information Services Division (CJIS) in the Department of Justice.  APHIS regulates the possession, use, and transfer of select agents that pose a severe threat to animal or plant health and/or animal or plant products.  CJIS conducts security risk assessments of non-governmental entities and personnel needing access to select agents.

CDC Select Agent Program: Ensuring the Safe and Secure Possession, Use, and Transfer of Select Agents in the U.S., 2008. Learn more about Adobe Acrobat Reader (475 KB/4 pages) CDC's Select Agent Program at a glance.

National Select Agent Registry (NSAR)
The CDC and Animal APHIS Select Agent Programs jointly maintain the NSAR Web site. The site includes applicable regulations, guidance documents, frequently asked questions, links to guidelines, and other helpful information. All Select Agent forms can be downloaded at this Web site.

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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention   1600 Clifton Rd. Atlanta, GA 30333, USA
800-CDC-INFO (800-232-4636) TTY: (888) 232-6348, New Hours of Operation 8am-8pm ET/Monday-Friday
Closed Holidays - cdcinfo@cdc.gov

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