Tramadol is not currently a controlled substance in the United States. However, that could change in the future. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has proposed making tramadol a Schedule IV controlled substance. This would mean that tramadol would have stricter regulation and would be more difficult to obtain. The DEA has not made a final decision on this proposal yet, so it is possible that tramadol could become a controlled substance in 2022 or later.