---
kind: "section"
citation: "21 U.S.C. § 364j"
title: "21"
title_heading: "Food and Drugs"
number: "364j"
heading: "Preemption"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/21/364j"
units:
  - "Chapter 9 — Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act"
  - "Subchapter VI — Cosmetics"
---

# §364j. Preemption

- (a) **In general—** No [State](/usc/21/321.md?p=a-1) or political subdivision of a [State](/usc/21/321.md?p=a-1) may establish or continue in effect any law, regulation, order, or other requirement for [cosmetics](/usc/21/321.md?p=i) that is different from or in addition to, or otherwise not identical with, any requirement applicable under this subchapter with respect to registration and [product](/usc/21/360eee.md?p=13) listing, good manufacturing practice, records, recalls, [adverse event](/usc/21/364.md?p=1) reporting, or safety substantiation.
- (b) **Limitation—** Nothing in the amendments to this chapter made by the Modernization of [Cosmetics](/usc/21/321.md?p=i) Regulation Act of 2022 shall be construed to preempt any [State](/usc/21/321.md?p=a-1) statute, public initiative, referendum, regulation, or other [State](/usc/21/321.md?p=a-1) action, except as expressly provided in [subsection (a)](#a). Notwithstanding [subsection (a)](#a), nothing in this section shall be construed to prevent any [State](/usc/21/321.md?p=a-1) from prohibiting the use or limiting the amount of an ingredient in a [cosmetic product](/usc/21/364.md?p=2), or from continuing in effect a requirement of any [State](/usc/21/321.md?p=a-1) that is in effect at the time of enactment of the Modernization of [Cosmetics](/usc/21/321.md?p=i) Regulation Act of 2022 for the reporting to the [State](/usc/21/321.md?p=a-1) of an ingredient in a [cosmetic product](/usc/21/364.md?p=2).
- (c) **Savings—** Nothing in the amendments to this chapter made by the Modernization of [Cosmetics](/usc/21/321.md?p=i) Regulation Act of 2022, nor any standard, rule, requirement, regulation, or [adverse event](/usc/21/364.md?p=1) report shall be construed to modify, preempt, or displace any action for damages or the liability of any [person](/usc/21/321.md?p=e) under the law of any [State](/usc/21/321.md?p=a-1), whether statutory or based in common law.
- (d) **Rule of construction—** Nothing in this section shall be construed to amend, expand, or limit the provisions under [section 379s of this title](/usc/21/379s.md).

## Source credit

(June 25, 1938, ch. 675, § 614, as added Pub. L. 117–328, div. FF, title III, § 3502, Dec. 29, 2022, 136 Stat. 5857.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### References in Text

The amendments to this chapter made by the Modernization of Cosmetics Regulation Act of 2022, referred to in subsecs. (b) and (c), means the amendments made by subtitle E (§§ 3501–3508) of title III of div. FF of Pub. L. 117–328, which enacted this section and sections 364 to 364i of this title and amended sections 331, 361, 362, 374, and 381 of this title.

The time of enactment of the Modernization of Cosmetics Regulation Act of 2022, referred to in subsec. (b), probably means the date of enactment of subtitle E (§§ 3501–3508) of title III of div. FF of Pub. L. 117–328, which was approved Dec. 29, 2022.

### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Construction; Confidentiality

Nothing in section 3502 of Pub. L. 117–328, which enacted this section, to be construed to authorize the disclosure of information that is prohibited from disclosure under section 331(j) of this title or section 1905 of title 18 or that is subject to withholding under section 552(b)(4) of title 5, see section 3503(c)(2) of Pub. L. 117–328, set out as a note under section 364 of this title.