What SAM.gov registration is
SAM.gov — the System for Award Management — is the US government’s register of every organisation that does business with it. Before an agency can award you a contract, you must be registered and active in SAM. It is also where you make your standard representations and certifications, and where agencies check your size and status.
Registration is free. Companies offering paid “SAM registration services” are third parties; the General Services Administration warns that you never need to pay to register or renew.
UEI only, or full registration?
SAM offers two levels:
| Option | What you get | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| UEI only | A Unique Entity ID, needing just your legal name and physical address | Receiving a subaward from a prime contractor |
| Full registration (“All Awards”) | A UEI plus an active registration | Bidding on and winning federal contracts |
To bid, you need the full registration. The UEI — a 12-character SAM-generated identifier — replaced the old DUNS number on 4 April 2022.
What you need before you start
| You’ll need | Notes |
|---|---|
| A Login.gov account | Required to sign in to SAM.gov |
| Legal business name and physical address | Exactly as on your tax and incorporation records — no PO boxes. SAM validates both. |
| Date and place of incorporation | |
| US taxpayer identification number (TIN/EIN) | US entities only, with consent for IRS validation. Foreign entities leave it blank unless they pay US taxes. |
| CAGE or NCAGE code | US entities get a CAGE code assigned automatically. Foreign entities must get an NCAGE code before they start. |
| Bank details for electronic payment | Required for US entities; optional for non-US entities |
| NAICS codes | The industry codes for what you sell — they determine your size status for each contract |
| Size information | Your worldwide receipts or employee numbers, used to work out whether you’re small for each NAICS code |
| Points of contact | For your registration, contracts and payments |
Names must match exactly. The most common reason registrations stall is a legal name or address that doesn’t match the IRS record — or, for foreign companies, the NCAGE record — down to punctuation and suffixes such as “Ltd” or “Pvt”.
For foreign companies: get an NCAGE code first
A company outside the US needs an NCAGE code (NATO Commercial and Government Entity code) before it can register in SAM. You get it from your country’s national codification bureau if it has one, or through the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) ePortal — which is the route for companies in countries such as India.
The name and address on your NCAGE record must match what you enter in SAM, character for character.
Step by step
- Create a Login.gov account and sign in to SAM.gov.
- In your workspace, choose Register Entity, then All Awards for full registration.
- Validate your legal name and address. SAM checks them against its validation service; if it can’t match them, you can open a ticket with the Federal Service Desk.
- Receive your UEI. It is issued once validation passes.
- Complete the core data: taxpayer details, CAGE or NCAGE, banking, and business types.
- Complete your assertions: NAICS codes and size information.
- Complete your representations and certifications — the standard statements about your business that agencies rely on.
- Add your points of contact, then submit.
SAM.gov says registrations can take up to ten business days to become active after submission. US entities also need IRS validation of their TIN and a CAGE code from the Defense Logistics Agency. Plan for two to four weeks if you’re a foreign company starting from scratch.
Representations and size status
When you register, you make your representations and certifications once, in SAM, rather than in every bid. They include your size status for each NAICS code — whether you count as a small business for that industry, based on SBA size standards. If your size metrics exceed a standard, SAM won’t let you represent as small for it.
To count as a US small business, a firm needs a place of business in the US and must operate primarily there or contribute significantly to the US economy. A company located outside the US can’t claim small-business status.
Keeping your registration active
- Renew every 365 days. An expired registration can block new awards.
- Update it when things change — a new address, bank account or point of contact.
- Keep an Entity Administrator. Since January 2025 the notarized letter is needed mainly when an existing registration has no administrator. Keeping someone in that role avoids it.
A note on the rules: the Federal Acquisition Regulation is being rewritten (the “Revolutionary FAR Overhaul”), and some clause numbers are changing. Registration in SAM remains required throughout. Where any rule differs, the clauses in the solicitation you’re bidding on control.
Questions
Does SAM.gov registration cost anything?
No. SAM.gov says there is no charge to get a Unique Entity ID, register or renew. Companies that charge for ‘SAM registration’ are third parties — GSA warns you never need to pay one. Free help is available from the Federal Service Desk and from APEX Accelerators.
What’s the difference between a UEI and a SAM registration?
A UEI is your identifier — it needs only your legal name and address, and is enough to receive a subaward. To bid on and win federal contracts as a prime contractor, you need a full ‘All Awards’ registration, which gives you a UEI plus active status.
Can a foreign company register in SAM.gov?
Yes. Foreign entities register the same way, with two differences: you must get an NCAGE code before starting, and you leave the US taxpayer number blank unless you pay US taxes. Your NCAGE name and address must match your SAM entry exactly.
How long does SAM registration take?
SAM.gov says a registration can take up to ten business days to become active once submitted. Foreign companies also need an NCAGE code first, so allow two to four weeks overall.
Do I still need a notarized letter?
Usually not. Since January 2025, the notarized letter is required only in narrower cases — chiefly when an existing registration has no Entity Administrator, for example because the previous administrator has left.
What happens if my SAM registration expires?
An expired registration can stop you from receiving new awards. Registration must be renewed every 365 days — set a reminder well before the expiry date.
Sources
- Entity registration — SAM.gov
- Entity registration checklist — SAM.gov
- Register your business — General Services Administration
- SAM.gov notarized letter requirement, Federal Register notice (27 January 2025)
- FAR 52.204-16, Commercial and Government Entity Code Reporting (CAGE and NCAGE)
- Size standards and the definition of a US small business, 13 CFR 121.105
This guide explains the rules in plain English; it isn’t legal advice. Procurement rules change, and each tender document sets its own conditions — it always prevails.