FDA switches MQSA certificates to online delivery; facilities still must print and display them
The FDA stops mailing mammography-facility certificates and certification letters on October 22, shifting delivery to its MQSA Facility Portal. The change puts downloading and printing in the facility’s hands while retaining the requirement to display a printed certificate on-site. It does not apply to certificates issued by FDA-approved state certifying agencies.
News date: 2026-10-22 · Checked: 2026-10-22 (Asia/Bangkok)
The FDA stops mailing mammography-facility certificates and certification letters on October 22, shifting delivery to its MQSA Facility Portal. The change puts downloading and printing in the facility’s hands while retaining the requirement to display a printed certificate on-site. It does not apply to certificates issued by FDA-approved state certifying agencies.
Three key points
- October 22 is the final implementation date for online delivery of FDA-issued MQSA certificates and certification letters.
- Facilities must retrieve the documents, and certificates still need to be printed and prominently displayed on-site.
- The FDA says the process does not apply to facilities certified by approved state agencies in Illinois, Iowa, South Carolina and Texas.
An email prompts retrieval, rather than delivering a paper copy
The FDA’s process sends portal notifications to three contacts recorded or verified during the annual inspection: the accreditation contact, the most responsible individual and the inspection contact. Those contacts are responsible for signing in and retrieving the certificate or letter.
Notifications include access and download instructions. The agency describes a sign-in using the facility ID and email address, followed by a one-time passcode sent to the facility’s email. Its guidance asks facilities to keep their inspection contact details current.
The change covers more than a routine three-year certificate. The FDA lists provisional certificates, replacement copies, certification extensions and letters about expiration or loss of certification among the documents handled through the portal. Receiving a notification therefore does not by itself establish that a facility has gained or renewed certification.
Electronic delivery does not remove the on-site display requirement
The agency explicitly separates delivery from display: when an updated certificate is available, the facility must download it, print it and display it. This is an administrative change to document handling, not an announcement that certification is optional.
A transition began September 14. During that interval a facility could receive both a mailed document and a portal notification for the same item. The FDA identifies October 22 as the final implementation date.
The agency excludes facilities whose certificates are issued by its approved state certifying agencies, currently Illinois, Iowa, South Carolina and Texas, saying those agencies’ issuance process will not change. Facilities should follow the instructions relevant to their certifying authority.
The photograph used here shows the FDA campus in Silver Spring, Maryland, in November 2010. It provides agency context and does not show a mammography facility, the portal or implementation of today’s change.
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