SAM.gov Registration Checklist

Is SAM.gov registration free? Yes.

Registration in SAM.gov is always free — the government will never ask you to pay to register, update your registration, or renew. Official guidance says registration can take up to 10 business days to become active, and you must renew every 365 days to keep it active. Everything on this page — your UEI, your CAGE code, entity validation, renewal — costs $0 at sam.gov.

SAM.gov is the federal government's official System for Award Management — where you register to be eligible for federal contracts and grants. Registering is free, and so is everything that comes with it. Read this before you pay anyone:

• SAM.gov registration is free. So are your Unique Entity ID (UEI) and your CAGE code.
• The only official site is sam.gov. There is no fee to register, renew, or get a UEI — and CAGE codes are assigned automatically, never sold.
• Letters, emails, or calls with urgent 'renewal fees', manufactured deadlines, or government-style logos are marketing from private firms — not the government. The GSA warns about exactly these.
• Free help is available from the Federal Service Desk (fsd.gov) and your local APEX Accelerator (formerly PTAC) — no charge, ever.

Start your registration at the official sam.gov entity registration page. Need a free EIN first? Get one from the IRS.

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Who needs full registration — and who only needs a UEI

SAM.gov offers two different paths, and knowing which one you need saves weeks. Full entity registration is the one that makes you eligible to do business with the government: it allows you to bid on federal contracts and apply for federal assistance, and your Unique Entity ID (UEI) is assigned as part of it. The lighter path — getting a UEI only— identifies your business in federal systems but doesn't make you eligible for awards.

Full registration — for anyone bidding or applying

If you want to sell to the government as a prime contractor, or your organization is applying for federal grants, you need the full entity registration. FAR 4.1102 requires offerors to be registered in SAM at the time an offer or quotation is submitted (with narrow exceptions such as micro-purchases), and Grants.gov won't let your organization start applying until it's registered in SAM.gov.

UEI only — identification without eligibility

You can get a Unique Entity ID without completing a full registration by providing just your legal business name and physical address. But a UEI alone does not let you apply for federal awards as a prime awardee — it only identifies your entity, which is enough in some sub-tier and reporting situations. When in doubt, do the full registration.

Applying for a grant? Mind the clock: Grants.gov tells applicants to allow up to 10 business days for the SAM registration to become active — and once it is, your UEI automatically appears in your Grants.gov applications.

Before you start: the exact document checklist

Entity validation — the step that stalls the most registrations — is an exact match between what you type into SAM.gov and what your official records say. So the fastest registration is the one you prep for before you open the site. Gather these first:

• Your legal business name, character for character as it appears on your IRS records (your EIN letter, CP-575) and your state formation documents — 'Inc.' vs 'Inc' matters.
• Your physical street address. A post office box may not be used as the physical address — SAM.gov validates the real location.
• Your EIN (federal tax ID). SAM runs a TIN match, so the name and number must agree with what the IRS has on file.
• Your entity's start year and state of incorporation — both are checked during entity validation.
• Your bank's routing number and your account number, for the Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) details the government uses to pay you.
• Your NAICS codes — the industry codes that classify what your business sells. The SBA size standards attached to your codes determine whether you count as a small business.
• Names and email addresses for the three mandatory points of contact: an Accounts Receivable POC, an Electronic Business POC, and a Government Business POC.

This mirrors SAM.gov's own entity registration checklist (PDF) — print it if you like paper.

Step-by-step: how to register on SAM.gov

Everything happens at the official sam.gov entity registration page — no software to buy, no middleman required. Here's the whole path, in order:

1. 1. Create a Login.gov account

   SAM.gov sign-in runs through Login.gov, the government's shared secure-login service. Login.gov is only for signing in — it doesn't contain or change your SAM account information, and the two accounts are separate. If you already have a SAM.gov account, sign up for Login.gov with the same email address so the two connect cleanly.

2. 2. Start at sam.gov and request entity validation

   Sign in, open the entity registration workspace, and start a new registration. Entity validation is the first step in getting your UEI or registering: SAM.gov checks your legal business name, physical address, start year, and state of incorporation against its validation database. An exact match sails through; a mismatch means uploading documents and waiting on a review.

3. 3. Core Data — TIN match, banking, address

   Enter your EIN (the TIN match checks it against IRS records, so the name on file must agree), your physical address, and your bank's routing and account numbers for Electronic Funds Transfer — this is how the government pays you. Copy from your documents rather than memory; typos here surface later as validation failures.

4. 4. Assertions — NAICS codes and size metrics

   Tell the system what you sell and how big you are. NAICS codes classify businesses by the product or service they supply, and the SBA size standards attached to your codes determine whether you qualify as a small business. Add every code you genuinely work in — you aren't limited to one.

5. 5. Representations & Certifications

   A series of questions where you certify how federal acquisition rules apply to your business. Answer carefully and honestly — these certifications carry legal weight, and you'll review and update them at every annual renewal.

6. 6. Points of Contact — all three

   Every registration must name an Accounts Receivable POC, an Electronic Business POC, and a Government Business POC. Use inboxes someone actually checks: if TIN or CAGE validation fails after you submit, SAM.gov emails instructions to the Government Business POC — and those emails often land in spam.

7. 7. Submit and wait for Active

   After you submit, your TIN is validated and SAM sends your entity information to the Defense Logistics Agency for CAGE code assignment — the CAGE code is free and you never request it separately. SAM.gov's guidance says registration can take up to 10 business days to become active. Sign in to check your status rather than relying on email alone. And once you're registered, expect a wave of official-looking calls and mail from private 'registration help' firms — none of it is from the government.

Login.gov questions — linking an existing account, recovery, two-factor setup — are covered on the official Login.gov help page for SAM.gov. Also free.

What you get: UEI, CAGE, and an active registration

A Unique Entity ID (UEI)

The UEI replaced the DUNS number in April 2022. It's a free 12-character ID assigned at SAM.gov once your business passes entity validation — your identity in the federal system.

A CAGE code

The Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) code is assigned to US entities automatically by the Defense Logistics Agency during registration — at no cost. No one needs to 'sell' you one.

An active registration

Completing your reps & certifications and reaching 'Active' status is what actually makes you eligible to be awarded a federal contract. It expires after 365 days, so you renew yearly.

New to the alphabet soup? Here's what a UEI and CAGE code are — and how they differ from your EIN and DUNS.

"Entity validation failed"? The #1 thing that stalls registration

If SAM.gov just told you "we could not validate your entity" or flagged your registration as "entity validation failed," take a breath — it's almost always a fixable exact-match problem, not a rejection of your business. Before SAM.gov issues your UEI, it validates your business by exact-matching your legal name and physical address against its validation database — the same details that appear on your IRS and state records. It's a literal string match, not interpretation, so small differences fail. Get these right:

• Use your legal business name exactly as it appears on your IRS EIN letter (CP-575) and your Secretary of State record — including punctuation and suffixes ('Inc.' vs 'Inc', 'LLC' vs 'L.L.C.').
• Match 'and' vs '&' to your official record — SAM compares the strings exactly, not what they mean.
• Use your physical street address (no PO boxes) and match the suite/unit format on your incorporation or IRS documents.
• Newly formed entities may not be in the validation database yet. If you just incorporated, you may need to wait, or submit documentation.
• If validation fails, you can submit supporting documents and open a free ticket at the Federal Service Desk (fsd.gov) — you never have to pay a third party.

Entity validation is the first step in getting your UEI or registering in SAM.gov — nothing else proceeds until the Entity Validation Service can confirm your business exists as you described it. SAM.gov's own guidance notes that review time depends on whether a match can be made from your original document submission or additional documentation has to be requested. Pass on the first try and you barely notice the step; fail and you're in a documentation loop that can add days or weeks.

If the automated match fails, you'll be asked to upload documents proving four specific things: your legal business name, your physical address, your start year, and your state of incorporation. Official records work best — your state formation documents (articles of incorporation or organization) typically establish the name, state, and start year, while something like a current utility bill or lease in the business's exact name is the kind of document that supports a physical address. Whatever you submit has to match what you typed, character for character. And any document that isn't in English requires a certified translation.

If you get stuck here, do not pay a "registration help" firm to escalate — they have no special access to the validation queue. The official escalation path is a free ticket at the Federal Service Desk, which supports SAM.gov users Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET, by live chat or phone.

How long does SAM.gov registration take? A realistic timeline

The honest answer has two halves. SAM.gov's official guidance says registration can take up to 10 business days to become active. Grants.gov is blunter with its applicants: allow up to 10 business days — and if your information isn't available or can't be verified, it could take weeks or months. Which half you land in mostly comes down to whether entity validation matches on the first try.

To be completely clear: there is no paid way to expedite. No private company can move you up the government's review queue — a promise to "fast-track" your SAM registration is a sales pitch, not a service. The only real accelerator is preparation: submit a legal name, address, and EIN that exactly match your IRS and state records the first time.

After you're Active: renewal every 365 days

Reaching Active status is the finish line that matters: an active entity registration is what allows you to bid on government contracts and apply for federal assistance. Under FAR 4.1102, offerors and quoters are required to be registered in SAM at the time an offer or quotation is submitted (with narrow exceptions such as micro-purchases) — so Active isn't a nice-to-have, it's the ticket in the door.

It's also not permanent. Your registration expires 365 days after activation, and FAR 52.204-13 obligates contractors to review and update their SAM information annually to ensure it stays current, accurate, and complete. Letting it go stale isn't just an eligibility problem — failing to maintain accurate SAM information can hold up payment on contracts you've already won.

One nuance worth knowing: under FAR 52.204-7(b), as revised by an interim rule effective November 12, 2024, an offeror must be registered in SAM both when it submits its offer and at the time of award. A lapse between offer and award that's cured before award no longer automatically disqualifies you — but don't plan around that. Renew early instead.

Why do so many registrations lapse by accident? Because SAM.gov's automated emails go to your listed points of contact — and its validation emails are already known to land in spam. If your Government Business POC's address goes stale, renewal notices can meet the same fate, and nobody sees the warning until a contracting officer does. Put the renewal date on your own calendar the day you go Active. Not sure when yours expires? Use our free SAM.gov expiration checker to look it up.

And once you're Active, the work changes: the problem stops being paperwork and becomes finding bids actually worth your time. That's the part we handle — new federal and Texas bids in your inbox, summarized in plain English: a free digest on Mondays, or a daily alert in its place for founding members — at most one a day, on the days there is something new for them.

The SAM.gov registration scams, specifically

Scams cluster around SAM.gov registration because the process is confusing and the mail looks official. GSA's own warning is blunt: registration in SAM.gov is always free, and the government will never ask you to pay to register, update your registration, or renew. Here's what the bad actors actually do:

• Imposters posing as a government agency and demanding a 'fee' to register or renew — payable by gift card, cryptocurrency, or wire transfer. The government never asks for payment in any of those forms, because it never asks for payment at all.
• Phishing pages built to look like sam.gov that harvest your login credentials. Only sign in at sam.gov, through Login.gov — check the address bar before you type a password.
• Official-looking letters and emails from private firms — eagle logos, 'renewal deadline' urgency, invoice formatting — selling 'registration help' for hundreds of dollars. They are not the government; they're reselling a free process.

One more thing to expect: during registration you choose whether your record is visible in SAM.gov's public search results — the official entity checklist walks through the option. Either way, private "registration help" firms watch for new SAM records, so plan on a surge of official-looking calls, letters, and emails in the days after you register. Anything demanding a fee is not the government.

If you've been targeted, report it to IC3.gov or the FTC. And if you're stuck and tempted to pay for help, remember that free, official help already exists: the Federal Service Desk supports SAM.gov users Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET, by live chat or phone.

SAM.gov registration FAQ

Is SAM.gov registration free?

Yes. Registering, renewing, getting a Unique Entity ID (UEI), and getting a CAGE code are all free at sam.gov. Private companies that send official-looking letters and charge hundreds — sometimes over a thousand — dollars are not the government; they are reselling a free service. The GSA publishes warnings about exactly these.

How much does it cost to register on SAM.gov?

Nothing. Registration, renewal, your Unique Entity ID, and your CAGE code all cost $0 at sam.gov, and GSA states plainly that the government will never ask you to pay to register, update your registration, or renew. Any fee you're quoted is a private company's service charge for filling in a free form.

How long does SAM.gov registration take to become active?

SAM.gov's official guidance says registration can take up to 10 business days to become active after you submit. Grants.gov warns applicants that if your information isn't available or can't be verified, it could take weeks or months. Submitting information that exactly matches your IRS and state records is the only real way to stay on the fast end.

What documents do I need to register on SAM.gov?

Have your legal business name exactly as it appears on your IRS and state records, your physical street address (no PO boxes), your EIN, your entity's start year and state of incorporation, your bank's routing and account numbers for electronic payments, your NAICS codes, and names and emails for the three mandatory points of contact.

Why is my SAM.gov registration stuck in entity validation?

Usually because SAM.gov couldn't match your legal business name and physical address to authoritative records — punctuation, suffixes, and suite formatting all have to match exactly. If the automated match fails, you'll be asked to submit documents proving your legal business name, physical address, start year, and state of incorporation; documents not in English need a certified translation. If you're stuck, open a free ticket at the Federal Service Desk (fsd.gov).

What does “entity validation failed” or “we could not validate your entity” mean?

It means SAM.gov's Entity Validation Service couldn't exact-match the legal business name, physical address, start year, and state of incorporation you entered against its records. It is not a judgment that your business is ineligible — it's a literal text mismatch. Fix it by copying your legal name and physical street address character-for-character from your IRS EIN letter (CP-575) and state formation documents (watch '&' vs 'and', 'Inc.' vs 'Inc', and suite formatting), then resubmit. If it still fails, upload the supporting documents SAM.gov requests and, if needed, open a free ticket at the Federal Service Desk (fsd.gov). You never have to pay a third party to clear it.

Can I pay a company to do my SAM registration for me?

You can, but you never have to — those firms charge hundreds of dollars to fill in a free form, and their letters are often designed to look like government mail. If you want help, the Federal Service Desk (fsd.gov) supports SAM.gov users free, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET, by live chat or phone, and your local APEX Accelerator offers free one-on-one help.

Can I expedite my SAM.gov registration?

No. There is no paid fast lane, and no third party can move you up the government's review queue — anyone promising to is a red flag. The closest thing to expediting is preparation: submit a legal name, address, and EIN that exactly match your IRS and state records so entity validation passes on the first try.

What is the difference between a UEI and a CAGE code?

Your UEI (Unique Entity ID) is a 12-character alphanumeric ID assigned at SAM.gov that identifies your business across the federal award system; it replaced the DUNS number in April 2022. Your CAGE code is a separate 5-character identifier assigned automatically by the Defense Logistics Agency after you submit your registration. Both are free.

Do I need SAM.gov registration to apply for a federal grant?

If you're applying as an organization, yes — Grants.gov says you can't start applying until your organization is registered in SAM.gov, and your UEI then automatically appears in your applications. Allow up to 10 business days for the registration to become active, and longer if your information can't be verified.

Do I need to renew my SAM.gov registration every year?

Yes. Your registration expires 365 days after activation, and FAR 52.204-13 obligates contractors to review and update their SAM information annually to keep it current, accurate, and complete. Renewal is free — ignore any letter or email demanding a 'renewal fee'.

What happens if my SAM.gov registration expires?

You stop being eligible for new awards: FAR 4.1102 requires offerors to be registered in SAM when they submit an offer, and under FAR 52.204-7(b) you must also be registered at the time of award. A lapse after you've already submitted an offer can be cured before award under the current rule, but stale SAM information can also hold up payment on existing contracts — renew before the date, not after.

My entity validation passed but my CAGE code failed or is stuck — what now?

CAGE assignment is a separate step that happens after your entity validation clears. SAM.gov sends your information to the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA), which assigns your CAGE code automatically at no cost — you never fill out a separate form or pay anyone. If CAGE validation fails, you'll get an email with instructions on what to fix and resubmit, and those messages go to your Government Business point of contact — so if you're the one troubleshooting, make sure that POC's inbox (and its spam folder) is being watched. Likewise, if DLA needs anything further to assign the code, your Government Business POC receives an email notification from DLA with instructions. The usual culprits are the same exact-match problems that stall entity validation: a physical address that won't verify (a P.O. box can't be used as your physical address), or a legal name that doesn't match your IRS records — fix the underlying record, then resubmit. If you're stuck, the DLA Customer Interaction Center is free at 1-877-352-2255; you don't have to pay a third-party firm to clear it. (bidgovcontracts.com is an independent service and is not affiliated with SAM.gov, DLA, or any government agency.)

SAM.gov says my entity already exists or "found a matching record" — but I've never registered. What's going on?

This is the mirror image of "we couldn't validate your entity": instead of finding no record, SAM.gov's Entity Validation Service (EVS) found one that matches the legal business name and physical address you entered, and it verifies each entity is unique — so it won't let you create a second record for the same name-and-address pair. Common causes: an old registration started by a former owner, employee, or agent, or legacy information that was carried into SAM.gov from the DUNS era. As GSA puts it, your previously validated information may still be attached to a registration even though a third party can no longer confirm it. If the existing record is already yours and has a Unique Entity ID, you can just sign in and manage it from your Entities workspace. If it isn't — or the match is wrong — you usually can't fix it by editing your own entry; it takes a manual review. Sign in at SAM.gov and create a validation incident, which automatically opens a ticket at the Federal Service Desk (FSD.gov); GSA's own EVS specialists then review the documents you submit (your legal business name and physical address must appear together on at least one official document) and either connect you to the right record or correct the match. This is free — SAM.gov is an official government site at no cost, and no paid "registration help" firm has special access to that queue or can move it faster. Correspond only through your FSD ticket, not by phone or chat.

How do I become the entity administrator if no one at my company can log in to our SAM.gov registration?

This happens constantly — the person who set up the registration leaves, and no current employee has the Entity Administrator role needed to update or renew it. Because no existing administrator can approve your request, SAM.gov requires a notarized letter to appoint a new one. Create your own Login.gov and SAM.gov user account first, then open a free ticket at the Federal Service Desk (fsd.gov). The notarized letter must be on your company letterhead, signed by an officer or other authorized signatory (such as your President or CEO), include your entity's Unique Entity ID (UEI), and list the new administrator's name, email, and phone — the email must match that person's SAM.gov user account exactly. The Entity Administrator role can only be held by an employee, officer, or board member of the entity — not an outside consultant. This is a free government process; no 'registration help' firm has special access to it.

Still stuck? Free, official help is available from the Federal Service Desk and your local APEX Accelerator. Need an ID instead? You can look up any company's UEI or CAGE code free.