DD Form 1694 is the Department of Defense’s Request for Variance, the form a contractor uses to get written permission to depart from the technical requirements in a federal contract. You download it from the Executive Services Directorate at esd.whs.mil, complete it, and return it to the government contracting officer named on the contract. The form handles two situations: a deviation, filed before production when you know the part won’t match specification, and a waiver, filed after a part has already been produced out of spec.
Deviation, Waiver, and Severity
Block 5 is where you check which of the two you’re requesting. A deviation looks forward: you want approval to build the part differently. A waiver looks backward: the part exists, it doesn’t conform, and you’re asking the government to accept it anyway.
Every variance also carries a severity classification, and this drives who reviews it and how long the review takes.
- Critical: the departure involves safety. Expect the most scrutiny and the longest timeline.
- Major: the departure affects health, performance, interchangeability, reliability, survivability, maintainability, effective use or operation, weight, or appearance where appearance is a contractual factor.
- Minor: the nonconformance falls outside all of the above and has no material effect on function or safety.
Classify honestly. Calling a major variance minor to speed the review is the kind of shortcut that damages both the product and your standing with the procuring agency.
What to Gather Before You Start
Missing any of the following will stall the review:
- Your CAGE code, the five-character Commercial and Government Entity code that identifies your company in the DoD system. It goes in Block 8b.
- The federal contract number and line item tied to the production run, for Block 11.
- Part nomenclature: the formal name, national stock number, and configuration item identifier for the affected component.
- The technical data package: the original engineering drawings, specifications, and referenced standards that define what the part is supposed to be. This is your baseline.
- Supporting documentation: updated drawings showing the proposed change, material certifications, test results, or other evidence that the changed part will still perform.
The fillable PDF and its companion instructions document, DD 1694-INST, are both posted by the Executive Services Directorate.1DoD Forms Management Program. DD 1694 – Request for Variance (RFV) Download both before you begin.
Filling Out the Form
The form runs about two dozen blocks. Most are identifiers; a handful carry the substance of the request.
Identification Blocks
Block 1 takes the preparation date in YYYYMMDD format. Block 5 is the deviation-or-waiver checkbox. Block 8b is your CAGE code. Block 11 is the contract number and line item.2Defense Contract Management Agency. Request for Deviation/Waiver Check every one of these against the contract itself. They route the form to the right people.
The Narrative: Blocks 13 through 16
Reviewers read Blocks 13 through 16 as a single connected argument. Write them that way.
Block 13, Description of Variance, spells out exactly how the item differs from the contract specification. Cite the drawing number, paragraph, or specification clause you’re departing from. Precision matters: “the wall thickness is 0.048 inches instead of the required 0.050 inches” is useful; “the part is slightly thinner than spec” is not.
Block 14, Need for Variance, explains why the departure is necessary. Tooling limitations, material availability, or a design conflict discovered during production are common reasons. Justify why a variance is the right answer instead of reworking the part to meet the original requirement.
Block 15, Corrective Action Taken, describes what you’ve done or plan to do so the same nonconformance doesn’t recur. On a waiver this might be a machining process adjustment; on a deviation, a plan to update tooling for future lots. Leaving this blank suggests you haven’t thought the problem through.
Block 16, Effect on Performance, is the block reviewers spend the most time on. Address function, reliability, durability, maintainability, and interfaces with other components. Use technical metrics: test data, stress analysis, tolerance stack-up. If a minor variance truly has zero performance impact, say so and explain why.
Block 17 asks whether the variance is recurring. If you’ve submitted the same or a similar request before, check “Yes” and reference the earlier request number. Recurring variances signal a systemic issue, and reviewers will want to know what’s being done about the root cause.3EverySpec. DD Form 1694, Request for Variance (RFV), March 2013
Cost Impact
The form has fields for cost effect. If the variance simplifies manufacturing or uses cheaper materials, the government may seek a downward price adjustment. If it stems from a government-directed change or requires added testing, document the increased cost with line-item detail. Being transparent here heads off disputes later.
Where to Send It
Return the completed form to the government issuing contracting officer for the contract, or to the procuring activity listed in Block 2.2Defense Contract Management Agency. Request for Deviation/Waiver Submission usually goes through a secure government portal or encrypted email to protect proprietary technical data. Some programs specify a particular electronic method, so confirm with the contracting officer before sending.
The administrative contracting officer assigned to your contract also plays a role. Under FAR 42.302, the ACO assists in evaluating waivers and deviations and recommends acceptance or rejection.4eCFR. 48 CFR 42.302 – Contract Administration Functions The form still goes to the procuring contracting officer first; the ACO enters at the evaluation stage, not at initial submission.
What Happens After You Submit
The contracting officer routes the form to the appropriate technical authority or a Configuration Control Board for engineering evaluation. Timelines vary widely. A minor variance on a non-critical component with solid supporting data may clear in days. A critical deviation on a safety-related system can take months while additional testing, analysis, or consultation with the design activity plays out. The severity classification you selected drives both the depth of review and who holds approval authority: minor variances often clear at lower levels, critical ones typically require senior engineering approval.
The review ends one of three ways:
- Approval. The variance is accepted as submitted. The signed form becomes a legal amendment to the contract’s technical requirements.
- Conditional approval. The variance is accepted with stipulations, such as additional testing, extra inspection, a price reduction, or a cap on how many units the variance covers.
- Disapproval. You must either bring the item into conformance or submit a revised request that addresses the reviewer’s concerns.
The signed form joins the official contract file as a permanent record.
If Your Request Is Disapproved
Start informally. Government policy under the Contract Disputes Act favors resolving issues by mutual agreement at the contracting officer’s level before formal procedures.5Acquisition.GOV. Subpart 33.2 – Disputes and Appeals Go back to the reviewing authority with additional test data, a revised analysis, or a modified proposal that responds directly to the reasons given for disapproval.
If informal resolution fails and the disagreement is really about contract terms, such as a flawed specification or an unreasonable government interpretation, the formal disputes process under 41 U.S.C. Chapter 71 is available. You submit a written claim to the contracting officer, and if the decision goes against you, you can appeal to the relevant Agency Board of Contract Appeals. Mediation and other alternative dispute resolution methods are also available and often encouraged before a formal appeal.
How Long to Keep the Records
Keep copies of every submitted DD Form 1694, the supporting technical documentation, and the government’s disposition well beyond the end of the contract. FAR 4.805 sets a baseline six-year retention period for contract files after final payment. Some DoD components require longer under their DFARS supplements.6DOD Procurement Toolbox. FAR and FMR Records Retention Policy Check your contract and the procuring agency’s rules for the number that applies to you. Approved variances become part of the technical baseline, so losing the paperwork causes real problems if the item is ever re-procured or audited.
What Happens If You Skip the Form
Delivering nonconforming parts without a variance request is a contract compliance failure, not a paperwork oversight. The False Claims Act imposes civil penalties for knowingly submitting false claims to the government. As of 2025, inflation-adjusted penalties range from $14,308 to $28,618 per claim, on top of triple the government’s actual damages.7Federal Register. Civil Monetary Penalty Inflation Adjustment Shipping parts you know don’t meet specification without disclosing the nonconformance fits squarely within the statute.
Beyond civil penalties, failing to report known defects can lead to termination for default, suspension or debarment from future government contracting, and, for safety-critical items, potential criminal liability if the nonconforming product causes harm. DD Form 1694 exists to give you a legitimate path when a part won’t meet spec. Using it protects the end user and it protects you.