Wages, bonds and the rulebook
What is the FAR?
Federal Acquisition Regulation
The Federal Acquisition Regulation is the uniform body of rules governing how executive agencies buy supplies and services, codified at 48 CFR chapter 1 and organised into parts, subparts and sections that solicitations cite constantly.
Also written as: federal acquisition regulation, FAR clause, 48 CFR chapter 1.
The citation format is worth learning because it is how solicitations talk. FAR 19.502-2 is part 19, subpart 19.5, section 19.502-2. Clauses live in Part 52 and are cited as FAR 52.219-14 — those are the ones that end up incorporated into your contract, sometimes by reference alone, and they are binding whether or not the text is printed in the document you were given.
Parts most relevant to a small contractor: Part 13 (simplified acquisition), Part 14 (sealed bidding), Part 15 (negotiated procurement), Part 16 (contract types), Part 19 (small business programs), Part 22 (labour standards), Part 28 (bonds), Part 33 (protests) and Part 42 (contract administration, including past-performance reporting).
A clause incorporated by reference has full effect. "52.222-6 Construction Wage Rate Requirements" printed as a line in a clause list means the whole of that clause applies to you.
What this means when you bid
When a solicitation cites a clause you do not recognise, look it up before you price. Incorporation by reference is how obligations arrive without being described.
FAR compared with the terms it gets confused with
FAR vs DFARS
The FAR applies governmentwide; DFARS is the Department of Defense supplement that adds to and, in places, tightens it for DoD acquisitions.
What DFARSmeans →Where this definition comes from
Federal contracting is one of the few fields where the authoritative answer is free, public and one click away. These are the sources this page is built from — go and read them.
- Federal Acquisition Regulation→
The full FAR, as published at acquisition.gov (48 CFR chapter 1).
- FAR 2.101→
The FAR's own definitions section.
This page explains a term in plain English and cites the authority it comes from. It is not legal advice, and the regulation governs where this page and the regulation differ.
Free tools for government contractors
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FAR— common questions
- What is the FAR?
- The Federal Acquisition Regulation is the uniform body of rules governing how executive agencies buy supplies and services, codified at 48 CFR chapter 1 and organised into parts, subparts and sections that solicitations cite constantly.
- What is the difference between FAR and DFARS?
- The FAR applies governmentwide; DFARS is the Department of Defense supplement that adds to and, in places, tightens it for DoD acquisitions.
- Why does the FAR matter when you are bidding?
- When a solicitation cites a clause you do not recognise, look it up before you price. Incorporation by reference is how obligations arrive without being described.
Related terms
- DFARS — Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement
- Sealed bidding
- RFP — Request for Proposal
- Bid protest