DEA Tracks Badges and Bullets with New Gear Database
Published Date: 4/29/2026
Notice
Summary
The DEA is starting a new system to keep track of equipment like clothing, firearms, and body armor at their warehouses. This helps them manage who has what gear and when it’s issued or returned. The system goes live now, and the public can share their thoughts by May 29, 2026—no extra costs involved!
Analyzed Economic Effects
5 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 3 costs, 1 mixed.
DEA creates inventory tracking system
The DEA created a new system of records called JUSTICE/DEA-023 ("DEA Inventory Tracking Records") to track distribution and lifecycle of clothing, firearms, body armor, tactical equipment, and information technology hardware at DEA depots and warehouses. The system covers DEA personnel, deputized task force officers and other non-DEA personnel issued equipment, points of contact at DEA locations, and vendors.
Detailed personal data are stored
Records in the system may include names, home addresses, telephone numbers, job titles, DEA numbers, and biographical data such as sex, height, weight, and body measurements. Firearms allocations will include serial numbers and corresponding qualification records for named personnel, deputized officers, and certain locally employed staff abroad.
Records may be disclosed widely
The DEA may disclose all or part of these records to many recipients as routine uses, including federal, state, local, tribal, and foreign law enforcement; contractors; courts and grand juries; the news media; licensing agencies; Members of Congress; oversight bodies like GAO and Inspectors General; and other agencies for breach response. Disclosures are described in the notice's routine uses section.
How to get or contest your records
If you are a subject of records in this system, you can request access or ask to amend records using the DEA FOIA/Privacy Act procedures (via https://ifa.dea.gov/foia/ or by mail to the DEA FOIA/Privacy Act Section). Requests must include your full name, current address, date and place of birth, be signed, and be either notarized or submitted under penalty of perjury.
30-day public comment window
This notice is effective upon publication and the public may comment on the new system of records for 30 days; comments may be submitted on any part of the notice by May 29, 2026. The public can submit comments online at http://www.regulations.gov, by mail, fax, or email as listed in the notice.
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