The United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) is the national anti-doping organization (NADO) for Olympic, Paralympic, Pan American, and Parapan American sports in the United States. USADA’s mission is to stand with athletes to champion their right to clean sport, inspire true and healthy sport, and promote the integrity of sport.

USADA is responsible for administering all the components of the anti-doping program, including the testing and results management processes, for all United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC)-recognized sport National Governing Bodies (NGBs) and their athletes, as well as events. In addition, USADA is responsible for athlete education, drug reference resources, Therapeutic Use Exemptions, and scientific research initiatives.

USADA is an independent, non-profit organization. It is not a branch or office of the federal government.

USADA was created as the result of recommendations made by the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee’s Select Task Force on Externalization. Prior to USADA’s founding in October 2000, management of the anti-doping program for Olympic and Paralympic sport was handled internally by the USOPC. The USOPC took the important step to externalize the anti-doping program, and USADA’s creation as a separate and independent anti-doping entity is largely unique in major American sport. USADA was established to remove the inherent conflict of interest that results from an organization being charged with both promoting and policing a sport.

USADA is located in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and operates in the Mountain Time Zone. USADA’s main telephone number is (719) 785-2000, and our toll-free telephone number is (866) 601-2632. USADA’s main fax number is (719) 785-2001. USADA’s general email address is USADA@USADA.org.

Athletes and their support personnel can contact USADA’s Athlete Connect resource by calling (719) 785-2000 or emailing AthleteConnect@USADA.org. Our mailing address is 5555 Tech Center Drive, Suite 200, Colorado Springs, CO 80919-2372. For more ways to contact us, please click here.

The USOPC, USOPC-recognized National Governing Bodies for sport (NGBs), and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Code have authorized USADA to test and adjudicate anti-doping rule violations for any athlete who:

• Is a member or license holder of, or under contract with, a National Governing Body or sports organization for whom USADA is authorized to conduct any aspect of Doping Control;
• Is a member of, or the recipient of a license from, an International Federation (IF) or other WADA Code Signatory or a member of a Signatory;
• Participates in sport, including by registering or preparing for or participating in an Event or Competition in the United States or which is organized or sanctioned by the USOPC, an NGB, or a sport organization for whom USADA is authorized to conduct any aspect of Doping Control;
• Applies for (including participating in any qualifying Event or other step in the selection process), or is selected to, a U.S. national, Olympic, Paralympic, Pan American, Parapan American, Youth Olympic team, or other team representing the USOPC or NGB in an International Event;
• Applies for a change of sport nationality to the United States;
• Is present in the United States;
• Receives benefits from the USOPC or NGB;
• Registers for or uses any USOPC training center, training site, or other facility;
• Gives their consent to Testing by USADA;
• Is a U.S. Athlete and submits, or is required to submit, a Whereabouts Filing to USADA or an IF within the previous twelve (12) months and has not given his or her IF, NGB, and USADA written notice of retirement;
• Is included in the USADA Registered Testing Pool (RTP), the USADA Clean Athlete Program (CAP), or the USADA Education Pool (EP);
• Is present in the United States, or has been previously sanctioned by USADA for an anti-doping rule violation, and is serving a period of Ineligibility on account of an anti-doping rule violation and who has not given prior written notice of retirement from all sanctioned Competitions to the applicable IF, NGB, and USADA, or the applicable foreign anti-doping agency or foreign sport association;
• Is subject to Testing under authorization from the USOPC, NGB, IF, any NADO, WADA, the IOC, the IPC, any other Anti-Doping Organization (ADO), any other sports organization, or the organizing committee of any Event or Competition; and
• USADA is entitled to test under the rules of any ADO or sports organization.

Capitalized words in the list above refer to defined terms in the World Anti-Doping Code and the USADA Protocol for Olympic and Paralympic Movement Testing.

USADA does testing for IFs, other NADOs, and the World Anti-Doping Agency. USADA does not oversee testing at the Olympic and Paralympic Games, but our staff may be present at the Games to test on behalf of the Testing Authority. The Local Organizing Committee for the Games and WADA oversee testing at the Games.

Generally not, although USADA does oversee the independent anti-doping program for PFL. Most professional sports leagues and the NCAA are not WADA Code signatories, and they conduct their own anti-doping programs in-house. Professional and collegiate athletes who also participate in Olympic sports (e.g. basketball, hockey), however, are subject to USADA testing in the lead up to the Games or World Championship. USADA is responsible for the testing program and results management for athletes in Olympic, Paralympic, Pan American, and Parapan American sport. Please see the previous question to understand what constitutes Olympic, Paralympic, Pan American, and Parapan American sport. USADA also conducts testing by contract for sports and/or events that fall outside this group, such as professional boxing, dance, and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

USADA’s education programs provide athletes, coaches, and other interested individuals valuable information on anti-doping matters, including sample collection policies and procedures, prohibited substances, Therapeutic Use Exemptions, Whereabouts requirements, athlete responsibilities, nutrition, dietary supplements, and other related topics. Athletes can visit www.USADA.org/athletes and www.USADA.org/resources for education information and materials. Additionally, USADA powers TrueSport, a movement working to create a positive youth sport experience through lessons on clean &  healthy performance, sportsmanship, and character building & life skills.

The World Anti-Doping Code is the core document that provides a global framework for the anti-doping policies, rules, and regulations within sport organizations and among public authorities. It was developed and promulgated by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), which is the international organization responsible for monitoring the Code and its signatories. USADA is a signatory to the Code.

The Code is the first document to harmonize regulations regarding anti-doping matters across all sports and countries of the world. The Code works in conjunction with International Standards that include:

• The Prohibited List
• The International Standard for Testing & Investigations
• The International Standard for Therapeutic Use Exemptions
• The International Standard for Laboratories
• The International Standard for Protection of Privacy and Public Information
• The International Standard for Code Compliance by Signatories
• The International Standard for Education
• The International Standard for Results Management

Many International Federations implemented the Code as of January 1, 2004. All International Federations adopted and implemented the Code by August 13, 2004, which was the opening date of the 2004 Olympic Games. After a thorough review and consultation process, the World Anti-Doping Agency Foundation Board approved revised versions of the Code in 2007, 2013, and 2019. The current version of the Code became effective on January 1, 2021. The Code and all of the International Standards can be found at www.wada-ama.org.