What States Have Banned Or Restricted Tianeptine? A 2026 Update

Written By: Neat Digital, Research Content Writer

Reviewed By: Natalie Kunsman, M.D., Board-Certified Physician

Last Reviewed: September 8, 2026

Twenty-one states restrict tianeptine as of August 2026, and the larger development sits above all of them. On July 8, 2026, the DEA proposed placing tianeptine in Schedule I, a federal control that would apply in every state at once. The public comment period closed on August 7, 2026. If that rule is finalized, the state-by-state map below stops being the deciding factor, because federal control would override it and limit tianeptine to researchers registered with the DEA.

So the short answer has two parts. Fourteen states schedule tianeptine as a Schedule I controlled substance, five schedule it as Schedule II, Mississippi lists it as Schedule III, and Maryland bans its retail sale outright. And the federal government is now moving to match them.

As of August 2026, tianeptine is a controlled substance in 20 US states and banned from retail sale in Maryland, which makes 21 states with active restrictions. It is not yet a federal controlled substance, but the DEA has proposed placing it in Schedule I, a step that would ban it nationwide except for DEA-registered research.

Which States Have Banned Or Restricted Tianeptine?

Twenty-one states have enacted restrictions, and they fall into three legal buckets. Most schedule tianeptine as a controlled substance, which bars possession as well as sale. A few take a narrower route and ban only retail sale. The table lists each state, how it classifies tianeptine, and when the law took effect, drawn from LAPPA's December 2025 compilation and cross-checked against 2026 legislative activity. 

Minnesota and Michigan moved first, both in 2018. The pace picked up through 2024 and 2025, when nine states acted. That clustering matters for the federal story below, because the DEA weighs state action when it decides whether to control a substance nationally.

Schedule I, Ii, And Iii Restrict Tianeptine Differently

The schedule number changes what the law prohibits, not just the label. A Schedule I placement, used by 14 states, means tianeptine has no accepted medical use in that state and possessing it without authorization is unlawful. The Schedule II and Schedule III states, Arkansas, Michigan, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Mississippi, also control possession, but through tiers that carry their own registration and record rules. In all 20 scheduling states, a "research use only" line on a package does not exempt the shipment from state law. Scheduling attaches to the substance itself, not to the wording on the label.

Maryland And Pennsylvania Targeted Sales Instead Of Scheduling

Two states went after the sale rather than the schedule. Maryland's April 2024 law prohibits retailers from distributing, selling, displaying, or advertising any tianeptine product, but it does not schedule the substance. Pennsylvania is following the same logic through its legislature. On June 15, 2026, the Pennsylvania House passed HB 377 in a near-unanimous vote, making the sale, manufacture, or distribution of tianeptine a felony punishable by up to five years and a $15,000 fine, with simple possession left out. That bill still needs the state Senate and the governor's signature. A sales ban aims at storefronts and shippers, which is the detail that matters most for anyone distributing from those states.

Is Tianeptine Federally Legal In 2026?

For now, yes, but that is changing. Tianeptine is not a controlled substance under the federal Controlled Substances Act today, which is why tracking tianeptine's legal status state by state has carried so much weight. That shifted on July 8, 2026, when the DEA published a notice of proposed rulemaking to place tianeptine in Schedule I (Federal Register citation 91 FR 42150, Docket DEA-1596). The comment period closed August 7, 2026. If the DEA finalizes the rule, tianeptine becomes a Schedule I controlled substance nationwide, retail sale to the public ends, and only researchers registered with the DEA under Schedule I controls may handle it, with security, recordkeeping, and quota requirements attached. Researchers already registered for Schedule I work would get a short window to file a modified registration.

What Does The FDA Say About Tianeptine?

The FDA has taken the hardest line available to it short of scheduling, which is not a power it holds. The agency states that tianeptine is not approved for any medical use in the US and has told consumers not to purchase or use any tianeptine product. In January 2024, it sent letters directing retailers to stop selling tianeptine products, and it uses import alerts to detain shipments at the border. The DEA's own drug fact sheet describes tianeptine as active at the mu-opioid receptor, which is the pharmacology behind the "gas station heroin" nickname now used by both the press and regulators.

What The State Map Means For Sourcing Research Material

Treat the map as provisional, because it moves every legislative session. A supplier operating responsibly keeps state-by-state shipping controls current and blocks orders bound for states where tianeptine is scheduled or sale-banned, rather than leaving that check to the buyer. Nordic Chems maintains its shipping profiles for this reason and will not ship the tianeptine it stocks into a state that prohibits it. For a research buyer, three things follow. Confirm your own state's current classification before you order, because a research-use declaration does not override a state schedule. Expect the federal picture to tighten rather than loosen. And keep your documentation in order, since handling tianeptine in laboratory research will run on DEA registration rather than a checkout box once the federal rule lands.

More States Are Lined Up Behind The Current Bans

Several are close. Connecticut has a law requiring tianeptine to be scheduled and held a public hearing in October 2025, with a decision pending. California has a Schedule I proposal, New Jersey and New York have Schedule II proposals, and Maine has a Schedule I equivalent on the table. Pennsylvania cleared its House in June 2026. Layer the federal Schedule I proposal on top, and the direction is one way. The real question for 2026 is not which states have banned tianeptine, but how long the unrestricted states stay that way.

Conclusion

The honest 2026 answer to "what states have banned tianeptine" is that the list stands at 21 and keeps growing, yet the state list is about to matter less than it ever has. On July 8, 2026, the DEA proposed a national Schedule I ban, and the comment period has already closed. If that rule is finalized, the map of 14 Schedule I states, five Schedule II states, Mississippi's Schedule III listing, and Maryland's sales ban folds into one federal rule that reaches all fifty states and confines tianeptine to DEA-registered research. For anyone sourcing tianeptine as a research material, the takeaway is practical. Check your state's current status before every order, since scheduling applies no matter how a sale is labeled, and treat federal control as a matter of timing rather than possibility. The suppliers that come through this shift will be the ones already turning away shipments into restricted states.

FAQs

How many states have banned tianeptine in 2026?

Twenty-one states restrict tianeptine as of August 2026. Twenty schedule it as a controlled substance (14 as Schedule I, five as Schedule II, and Mississippi as Schedule III), and Maryland bans its retail sale without scheduling it.

Is tianeptine a federal controlled substance?

Not yet. Tianeptine is not scheduled under the federal Controlled Substances Act as of August 2026. The DEA published a proposal to place it in Schedule I on July 8, 2026, and the comment period closed on August 7, 2026. If finalized, it would apply nationwide.

Which states classify tianeptine as Schedule I?

Fourteen states: Alabama, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Minnesota, Nebraska, Nevada, Ohio, Utah, and Virginia. In these states, possessing tianeptine without authorization is unlawful, not just selling it.

Does a research-use label make tianeptine legal in banned states?

No. In the 20 states that schedule tianeptine, the controlled-substance status attaches to the material itself. A "research use only" declaration at checkout does not exempt a shipment or a buyer from that state's law.

Why is tianeptine being banned?

The FDA reports serious harm tied to tianeptine products, including seizures, loss of consciousness, hospitalization, and death, and it has not approved the substance for any use. The DEA identifies activity at the mu-opioid receptor, the basis for the "gas station heroin" label and the Schedule I proposal.

Can researchers still obtain tianeptine in 2026?

It depends on the state today, and it depends on the DEA tomorrow. Responsible suppliers block shipments into restricted states. If the federal Schedule I rule is finalized, only DEA-registered researchers will be able to handle tianeptine, under security, recordkeeping, and quota controls.

Which states are most likely to restrict tianeptine next?

Connecticut has scheduling pending after an October 2025 hearing, and California, New Jersey, New York, and Maine have proposals in progress. Pennsylvania's House passed a sales-ban bill in June 2026 that awaits Senate action.