SAM.gov registration is the free federal process that lets your business or organization bid on government contracts and receive federal grants. You complete it online at SAM.gov by creating a user account, gathering a few pieces of tax and banking information, submitting an entity registration, and waiting for the government to validate your data. Registration typically takes up to 10 business days to become active once you submit.1SAM.gov. Entity Registration There is no charge at any step.
Who Has to Register
Under the Federal Acquisition Regulation, businesses must be registered in SAM.gov at the time they submit an offer or quotation on a government contract.2Acquisition.GOV. FAR 4.1102 Policy For grants and other financial assistance, 2 CFR Part 25 requires all applicants and recipients to maintain an active registration, and an agency can treat an unregistered applicant as unqualified and give the award to someone else.3eCFR. 2 CFR Part 25 – Unique Entity Identifier and System for Award Management
A few narrow situations are exempt from the contract registration requirement:
- Micro-purchases paid for with a government purchase card that also serves as the ordering method.
- Classified contracts where registration could compromise national security.
- Contracts awarded by deployed contracting officers during contingency, humanitarian, or disaster-response operations.
- Awards made without full competition due to unusual and compelling urgency.
- Contract actions at or below $40,000 awarded to foreign vendors for work performed outside the United States when registration is impractical.2Acquisition.GOV. FAR 4.1102 Policy
On the grants side, agencies can also exempt entities when disclosing the recipient’s identity would jeopardize national security or personal safety, and foreign organizations working overseas on awards under $25,000 may be exempted case by case. If an agency needs to make an award before registration is complete due to exigent circumstances, the recipient still has to register within 30 days.4eCFR. 2 CFR 25.110 – Exemptions
What to Gather Before You Start
Four pieces of information carry the registration. Missing any one of them will stall the process.
Unique Entity ID
The Unique Entity ID is a 12-character alphanumeric identifier that SAM.gov assigns directly. Since April 4, 2022, it has replaced the older DUNS Number, so you no longer need a third party like Dun & Bradstreet to get one.5General Services Administration. Implementing the Unique Entity ID You can request a UEI through SAM.gov on its own, without completing a full registration, at no cost.1SAM.gov. Entity Registration
Taxpayer Identification Number
Have your entity’s TIN exactly as it appears on your most recent tax return. For most businesses this is the Employer Identification Number issued by the IRS. Sole proprietors can use a Social Security Number, though the GSA recommends getting a free EIN instead.6U.S. General Services Administration. Quick Start Guide for Grantee Registrations SAM.gov validates your TIN against IRS records, so any mismatch in name or number will fail the check.
CAGE Code
The Commercial and Government Entity code identifies your business at a specific physical location and is assigned by the Defense Logistics Agency. If you don’t already have one, SAM.gov requests it from DLA as part of your registration. No separate application is needed.7Acquisition.GOV. FAR 52.204-16 – Commercial and Government Entity Code Reporting
Electronic Funds Transfer Information
Federal law requires nearly all government payments to be made by electronic funds transfer.8Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 31 USC 3332 – Required Direct Deposit You’ll enter your bank account and routing numbers so the government can pay you electronically for contract work or grant disbursements.
How to Submit Your Registration
Start by creating an individual user account on SAM.gov tied to a validated email address. That login is personal, and it is separate from the entity registration itself. Once your account exists, you can begin an entity registration and request the Entity Administrator role, which gives you authority to manage the organization’s profile and approve other users later on.9U.S. General Services Administration. SAM.gov Role Management Guide
The registration form runs through several pages of assertions, representations, and certifications. The assertions section is where you enter NAICS codes and describe the goods and services you provide. The representations and certifications section asks about business size, socioeconomic status, and compliance with various federal requirements, and it feeds directly into your eligibility for set-aside programs. These answers are re-certified each year.10SAM.gov. Entity Registration Checklist
After you submit, SAM.gov runs two validation checks: a TIN match against IRS records and CAGE code validation through the Defense Logistics Agency. Active status can take up to 10 business days from submission.1SAM.gov. Entity Registration If either validation fails, you’ll get an email explaining the problem, so watch your inbox and respond quickly to any request for documentation.
NAICS Codes and Small Business Designations
During registration you select North American Industry Classification System codes that describe what your entity sells.10SAM.gov. Entity Registration Checklist These matter more than most new registrants expect. Each NAICS code has a size standard set by the Small Business Administration, and the codes you pick determine whether you qualify as a small business for contracts in that industry. If you meet the threshold under at least one code, SAM.gov opens an SBA supplemental page where you can add information for programs like 8(a) Business Development or HUBZone certification.
The federal government aims to award at least 23% of prime contract dollars to small businesses, and several set-aside programs channel opportunities to specific groups:11U.S. Small Business Administration. Set-Aside Procurement
- 8(a) Business Development, for small businesses owned by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals.
- HUBZone, for businesses located in Historically Underutilized Business Zones with at least 35% of employees living in a HUBZone.12U.S. Small Business Administration. HUBZone Program
- Women-Owned Small Business, for businesses at least 51% owned and controlled by women.
- Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business, for businesses owned by veterans with a service-connected disability.
Your SAM.gov profile is where contracting officers verify these designations when they conduct market research for set-aside opportunities.13Acquisition.GOV. FAR Subpart 4.12 – Representations and Certifications
Annual Renewal and What a Lapse Costs
Your registration expires 365 days after it becomes active, and you have to renew inside that window to keep it current.1SAM.gov. Entity Registration Renewal is free, but start 45 to 60 days before your expiration date to leave room for TIN and CAGE re-validation.14Department of Energy. Appendix 7 – SAM Registration User Guide The process itself is straightforward: log in, review your existing data, update banking or business details as needed, and re-certify that everything is accurate.
Under 2 CFR Part 25, recipients of federal financial assistance must maintain active SAM.gov registration until they submit all final reports or receive final payment, whichever comes later.15Legal Information Institute. 2 CFR Appendix A to Subpart D of Part 25 – Award Term If your registration lapses, the government can withhold payments on existing awards and disqualify you from new ones. SAM.gov also processes on-time renewals ahead of lapsed re-registrations, so an expired entity trying to reactivate goes to the back of the line.16System for Award Management. Frequently Asked Questions for SAM.gov Registration for International Entities If you’re mid-performance on a contract when that happens, payments stop while you wait.
Registration Is Free — Watch for Scams
Registering, renewing, and getting help on SAM.gov cost nothing.1SAM.gov. Entity Registration Third-party companies nevertheless send official-looking emails and letters offering to handle your SAM.gov registration for hundreds of dollars. Those solicitations do not come from the federal government.
Any email claiming to represent SAM.gov and asking you to pay for registration or renewal is a red flag. The GSA Office of Inspector General has issued fraud alerts about fake government solicitations and requests for quotes that impersonate agencies.17GSA Office of Inspector General. Fraud Alert – Fake Government Requests for Quotes Report suspicious messages to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov, and report agency-impersonation scams to that agency’s Office of Inspector General.
For real help, the Federal Service Desk at FSD.gov offers free support through live chat, web forms, and a searchable knowledge base.18SAM.gov. About Contact