21 CFR § 860.120 - General.

---
identifier: "/us/cfr/t21/s860.120"
source: "ecfr"
legal_status: "authoritative_unofficial"
title: "21 CFR § 860.120 - General."
title_number: 21
title_name: "Food and Drugs"
section_number: "860.120"
section_name: "General."
chapter_name: "FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES"
subchapter_number: "H"
subchapter_name: "MEDICAL DEVICES"
part_number: "860"
part_name: "MEDICAL DEVICE CLASSIFICATION PROCEDURES"
positive_law: false
currency: "2026-04-05"
last_updated: "2026-04-05"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
authority: "21 U.S.C. 321(h), 353(g), 360c, 360d, 360e, 360i, 360j, 371, 374."
regulatory_source: "43 FR 32993, July 28, 1978, unless otherwise noted."
cfr_part: "860"
---


# 860.120 General.

(a) Sections 513(e) and (f), 514(b), 515(b), and 520(l) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act provide for reclassification of a device and prescribe the procedures to be followed to effect reclassification. The purposes of subpart C are to:

(1) Set forth the requirements as to form and content of petitions for reclassification;

(2) Describe the circumstances in which each of the five statutory reclassification provisions applies; and

(3) Explain the procedure for reclassification prescribed in the five statutory reclassification provisions.

(b) The criteria for determining the proper class for a device are set forth in § 860.3(c). The reclassification of any device within a generic type of device causes the reclassification of all devices within that generic type. Accordingly, a petition for the reclassification of a specific device will be considered a petition for reclassification of all devices within the same generic type.

(c) Any interested person may submit a petition for reclassification under section 513(e), 514(b), or 515(b) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. A manufacturer or importer may submit a petition for reclassification under section 513(f) or 520(*l*) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. The Commissioner may initiate the reclassification of a device under the following sections of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act:

(1) Section 513(e) (for a classified device other than a device classified into class III under section 513(f)(1) or 520(*l*)(1) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act);

(2) Section 513(f)(3) (for a device classified into class III under section 513(f)(1) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act); or

(3) Section 520(*l*)(2) (for a device classified into class III under section 520(*l*)(1) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act).

[43 FR 32993, July 28, 1978, as amended at 57 FR 58404, Dec. 10, 1992; 83 FR 64456, Dec. 17, 2018]