Diazepam tablets are small, round, scored pills whose color tells you the dose. Brand-name Valium and most generics follow the same color pattern: white for 2 mg, yellow for 5 mg, and blue for 10 mg. But not every manufacturer sticks to that convention, so the imprint code stamped into the tablet is the most reliable way to confirm what you’re looking at.
Brand-Name Valium
Valium tablets, made by Roche, are round and flat with beveled edges and a distinctive V-shaped cutout (perforation) running through the center. Each tablet is scored on the back so it can be split in half. The front is engraved with the dose number and the word VALIUM, while the back reads ROCHE on both sides of the score line.
- 2 mg: White, engraved “2 VALIUM” on the front
- 5 mg: Yellow, engraved “5 VALIUM” on the front
- 10 mg: Blue, engraved “10 VALIUM” on the front
All three strengths are about 8 mm in diameter, roughly the size of a standard aspirin tablet.
Generic Diazepam by Manufacturer
Generic diazepam is made by several companies, and while the tablets are all round and scored, the colors and imprint codes vary. Some generics match Valium’s white-yellow-blue scheme, while others use completely different colors for the same dose.
Teva
Teva’s 5 mg diazepam tablet is yellow, round, and flat with beveled edges. One side is debossed with “3926” and a score line; the other side reads “TEVA.”
Mylan
Mylan’s tablets diverge noticeably from the brand-name color scheme. The 5 mg tablet is orange (not yellow), debossed with “MYLAN” over “345” on one side and scored on the other. The 10 mg tablet is green (not blue), debossed with “MYLAN” over “477.” Both are round and about 8 mm across.
Watson/Actavis (DAN Imprint)
Tablets with the “DAN” imprint follow the traditional color pattern more closely. The 2 mg is white and stamped “DAN 5621,” the 5 mg is yellow and stamped “DAN 5619,” and the 10 mg is blue and stamped “DAN 5620.” All are round and scored.
Why Colors Differ Between Manufacturers
There is no FDA requirement that generic pills match the color of the brand-name version. Manufacturers choose their own dyes, which is why a 5 mg diazepam tablet can be yellow from one company and orange from another. The active ingredient and dose are identical. The imprint code printed or debossed on every prescription tablet is what lets you verify the drug, dose, and manufacturer with certainty. You can look up any imprint using the FDA’s pill identification tool or by searching the code on DailyMed.
Non-Tablet Forms
Diazepam also comes in liquid and gel forms that look nothing like the tablets. The standard oral solution (5 mg per 5 mL) is an orange, peppermint-flavored liquid sold in bottles or single-dose cups. A more concentrated version (5 mg per mL) is a clear yellow solution packaged in small 30 mL bottles that must be protected from light and discarded 90 days after opening. There is also a rectal gel formulation (Diastat), which is a clear to slightly yellow gel that comes in a prefilled, single-use delivery device, typically prescribed for emergency seizure management.
Spotting Counterfeit Tablets
Diazepam is one of the more commonly counterfeited prescription drugs, particularly among pills sold online. The FDA has specifically warned about counterfeit diazepam tablets that are light yellow, scored on one side, and stamped with the letters “AGOG” on the other. Legitimate diazepam tablets will always carry a recognizable manufacturer imprint (like VALIUM, TEVA, MYLAN, or a DAN code) that you can verify in a drug database.
Red flags for counterfeits include imprint codes that don’t match any known manufacturer, tablets that crumble easily or have uneven edges, colors that are slightly off from the expected shade, and any pill purchased from an unverified online source. If a tablet’s markings don’t return results when you search them, treat it as suspect.