Published 18 February 2026 by eSourcingData
SAM.gov is the US government's System for Award Management, and an active registration there is a prerequisite for being awarded and paid on a federal contract. This guide walks through registration, the Unique Entity ID, and the ongoing renewal that keeps your record valid.
Registering an entity in SAM.gov creates the official record the government uses to identify your business, verify it, and pay it. Without an active registration, an agency generally cannot make an award to you, so it is the foundational step before pursuing any federal opportunity.
Registration also issues or confirms your Unique Entity ID, the twelve-character identifier that replaced the older DUNS number. The UEI is generated inside SAM.gov itself and follows your entity across the whole federal acquisition system.
Gather your core business details first: legal business name and physical address exactly as they appear on official records, your banking information for electronic payment, and a taxpayer identification number. Consistency matters, because mismatches against tax and validation records are the most common cause of delay.
You will also need to decide who your entity administrator is. This person manages the record, so choose someone who will remain with the business and can handle renewals. Set up a login through the government's single sign-on before starting the entity registration itself.
The UEI is obtained through an entity validation step inside SAM.gov, where the system matches your legal name and address against reference records. If your details validate cleanly, the identifier is issued quickly; if they do not, you may need to submit documentation to prove your entity's name and address.
You can request a UEI on its own if you only need to be identified, for example as a subrecipient, but suppliers intending to bid should complete a full registration. The UEI alone does not make you eligible for award; the active registration around it does.
The full registration walks you through core data, assertions such as the NAICS codes describing what you sell, representations and certifications required by the FAR, and points of contact. Answer the representations carefully, as they are legal statements the government relies on when evaluating and awarding.
Non-US entities follow the same broad path but may be issued a different tax identifier and can be asked for additional validation. Overseas suppliers should expect the validation step to take longer and should prepare official incorporation and address documents in advance.
A SAM.gov registration is not permanent. It must be renewed roughly once a year, and an expired record can make you ineligible for award and can interrupt payments on live contracts. Set a reminder well ahead of the expiry date so you are never caught out mid-bid.
Whenever your banking, address, ownership, or codes change, update the record promptly. Contracting officers check SAM.gov during evaluation, and an out-of-date entry can raise questions about the reliability of your business at exactly the wrong moment.
From registered to winning
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Search US federal contractsDo I still need a DUNS number?
No. The Unique Entity ID generated inside SAM.gov replaced the DUNS number. Registration now issues or confirms your UEI directly, and no separate third-party number is required.
How long does registration take?
It varies. A clean entity validation can be quick, but if your name or address does not match reference records you may need to submit documents, which extends the timeline, especially for overseas businesses.
Does registration cost anything?
No. Registering and renewing in SAM.gov is free. Some third parties offer to do it for a fee, but the process is designed to be completed by the business itself.
How often do I renew?
Roughly once a year. An expired registration can make you ineligible for award and can interrupt payments, so set a reminder ahead of the expiry date.
Can a non-US company register?
Yes. Overseas entities can register, though they may receive a different tax identifier and should expect a longer validation step, so have incorporation and address documents ready.
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