Drug prescribers must now apply for DEA licenses online, no more checks

The Drug Enforcement Administration will no longer accept paper checks or money orders for new or renewed licenses. All applications must now be submitted and paid for online.

This is a small administrative change, but it means one less paper process for a federal agency. It pushes a specific group of professionals — doctors, pharmacists, and others who prescribe controlled substances — fully into the digital realm for a routine but mandatory task. This kind of incremental digitization reduces administrative overhead for the government and makes compliance slightly easier for prescribers.