SAM.gov registration guide for 2026.

What SAM.gov is and why it matters

SAM.gov is the federal government's central registration and award management system. It is operated by the General Services Administration. Every entity that wants to do business with the federal government as a prime contractor, grantee, or federal financial assistance recipient must have an active SAM registration. The registration is free. It is also the single point of failure for everything downstream: agency proposal portals (DSIP, Research.gov, eRA Commons, Grants.gov) all validate against SAM. An inactive SAM record means an inactive firm from every agency's perspective.

SAM.gov performs several distinct functions:

• Assigns and maintains Unique Entity Identifiers (UEI).
• Stores Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) codes.
• Collects and stores FAR-driven representations and certifications.
• Validates banking information for federal payment.
• Hosts the federal opportunities board (Contract Opportunities, formerly FBO).
• Holds the SAM Exclusions list (formerly EPLS) of debarred entities.

Information to gather before starting

Have every one of these in hand before starting the SAM.gov workflow. Session timeouts and restarts are painful.

1. Legal entity name. Must match the name on the IRS EIN assignment letter exactly. Extra punctuation, abbreviations, or capitalization differences cause validation failures.
2. EIN (Employer Identification Number). Issued by IRS.
3. Physical street address. Must match the address the IRS has on file. P.O. boxes are not acceptable as the physical address.
4. Business bank account details. Routing number, account number, and account in the legal entity's exact name. The account must be a business account; personal accounts will not validate.
5. Primary NAICS code. Your primary industry classification. For AI small businesses, 541512 (Computer Systems Design Services) is the most common primary code. Secondary NAICS codes can be added.
6. DUNS number, if you have one. Legacy; no longer required but sometimes asked for in secondary fields.
7. Points of contact. Electronic Business POC, Government Business POC, Past Performance POC, and Administrative POC. Can be the same person for small firms.
8. Login.gov account. Set up separately at login.gov with hardware or app-based multi-factor authentication.

Step-by-step registration flow

Step 1: Login.gov

SAM.gov uses Login.gov for identity authentication. Create a Login.gov account with a government-grade MFA method (Yubikey or authenticator app recommended; SMS is allowed but not recommended). Complete the Login.gov identity verification step; it will require photo ID and a selfie match.

Step 2: Log into SAM.gov

Navigate to sam.gov. Click "Sign In" and authenticate via Login.gov. Link your Login.gov identity to your SAM.gov profile.

Step 3: Start entity registration

From the SAM.gov dashboard, select "Register Entity." The workflow begins with entity type (business, government, nonprofit, individual). For a small business LLC or corporation, select "Business or Organization."

Step 4: Core data

Enter legal name, EIN, physical address, and NAICS codes. SAM validates legal name and EIN against the IRS. If validation fails, the most common cause is a name mismatch. Fix by editing your SAM input to exactly match IRS records or by updating IRS records via SS-4 amendment.

Step 5: UEI assignment

Once core data validates, SAM assigns a Unique Entity Identifier. This is a 12-character alphanumeric string. The UEI is visible immediately and can be used for subaward registrations even before full SAM activation.

Step 6: Banking

Enter business bank account routing and account numbers. SAM validates against the bank's records. Common failures:

• Account in personal name rather than legal entity name.
• Account type not recognized (some neobanks require checking specifically).
• Routing number incorrect.

Resolve banking failures by confirming with the bank that the account name exactly matches the legal entity name on file with the IRS.

Step 7: Representations and certifications

Dozens of FAR-driven reps and certs covering ownership structure, size standards, business type, small business designations, place of performance, federal debt, and compliance with various federal laws. Read each one. The reps and certs form the legal basis for many contract clauses; clicking through without reading creates material risk.

Key reps to watch:

• Small business size certification against your primary NAICS.
• Socioeconomic designations (8(a), HUBZone, WOSB, SDVOSB, veteran-owned).
• Place of performance.
• Federal delinquent debt certification.
• Conflict-of-interest disclosures.
• Foreign ownership disclosure.

Step 8: Points of contact

Designate the four POC roles. Government evaluators may call these numbers during procurement evaluation.

Step 9: Submit for review

Once all sections are complete, submit. Status moves from "Work in Progress" to "Submitted."

Step 10: IRS and DLA validation

SAM forwards the record to the IRS for tax validation and to the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) for CAGE assignment. IRS validation is typically automatic and fast. CAGE assignment involves a queue and can take anywhere from a few days to several weeks.

Step 11: CAGE assignment

Once DLA assigns a CAGE, the registration moves to "Active" status. This is the terminal state for a new registration. Only at "Active" can you be found by agency portals and federal contracting officers.

Typical timeline

Starting SAM.gov registration 8-12 weeks before a target proposal deadline is standard practice. Trying to compress this window is where firms miss deadlines.

Common blockers and how to fix them

• Name mismatch with IRS. The single most common blocker. Fix by making the SAM entry match the IRS record exactly, character for character. If the IRS record is wrong, file Form SS-4 to correct.
• Physical address mismatch. Address on IRS record is outdated. Fix by filing Form 8822-B with the IRS to update, then waiting for the update to propagate (2-4 weeks).
• Banking validation failure. Business account is in wrong name or is a personal account. Fix by opening a properly-named business account at a bank that validates cleanly (Mercury, Relay, and the major banks all work for most applicants).
• Multiple EINs. Firm has two EINs from prior filings. Fix by consolidating or filing SS-4 to consolidate.
• CAGE code stuck in queue. No expediting. Start early.
• Expired Login.gov identity verification. Redo identity verification.
• Exclusions list hit. Entity or owner appears on the Exclusions list. Fix by contacting the excluding agency directly.

Maintaining active status

SAM registration must be renewed every 365 days. The SAM system sends renewal reminders 60, 30, and 10 days before expiration. Lapse procedure:

• At expiration, status drops to "Expired."
• Expired entities cannot receive new federal awards.
• Existing contracts and awards in progress are generally not affected, but no modifications can be processed.
• Agency portals may show the entity as unregistered, blocking new proposal submissions.
• Reactivation requires re-submission through SAM; if nothing material has changed, this can take 1-2 weeks.

The practical discipline is to renew 60 days before expiration. Calendar it. Delegate it. Do not let SAM renewal lapse during an active pursuit.

Annual reps and certs refresh

Reps and certs must be reviewed annually. Many provisions require updated answers if business facts change (size, ownership, debt, exclusions). Material changes trigger re-execution of affected reps. The SAM renewal workflow surfaces each rep for re-confirmation.

Updates for material changes

Certain changes require immediate SAM update:

• Legal name change.
• Physical address change.
• Banking change.
• Ownership change affecting size standard or socioeconomic status.
• Addition or removal of NAICS codes.
• Change of any POC.

Failing to update in a timely way causes downstream validation failures.

Third-party registration scams

SAM registration is free at sam.gov. Private companies often solicit new firms with claims of "required" registration assistance for fees ranging from a few hundred to several thousand dollars. Most are not useful. Legitimate assistance services exist and can help firms with unusual complications, but:

• No third party is required.
• No third party can expedite CAGE assignment.
• No third party can shortcut the IRS validation.
• If you see "samgov.us" or similar look-alike domains, they are not the official SAM.gov.

SAM.gov and other portals

Once SAM is active, register with every agency portal you plan to use. SAM registration is the prerequisite. See the SBIR-Ready Checklist for the downstream portal set. Each uses SAM UEI as the key identifier:

• DSIP (DoD SBIR/STTR): uses UEI.
• Research.gov (NSF): uses UEI.
• eRA Commons (NIH): uses UEI.
• Grants.gov: uses UEI.
• sbir.gov: uses UEI.
• DOE PAMS: uses UEI.
• NSPIRES (NASA): uses UEI.

Security and account hygiene

SAM.gov contains the firm's complete federal identity. Protect it:

• Use hardware MFA (Yubikey) on Login.gov where possible.
• Never share Login.gov credentials. Add additional users under SAM's user management rather than sharing a single login.
• Set up SAM alert emails for status changes.
• Review POC information every renewal cycle.
• Do not respond to emails claiming to be from SAM asking for credentials. SAM never asks for passwords by email.

FAQ

How long does SAM.gov registration take?

3 to 6 weeks typical for a new entity. UEI is assigned early in the workflow; CAGE assignment by DLA is the critical path. Start 8-12 weeks before a target proposal deadline.

What is a UEI?

Unique Entity Identifier. A 12-character alphanumeric identifier assigned by SAM.gov. Replaced DUNS in April 2022. Required for federal contracting, grants, and subawards.

What is a CAGE code?

Commercial and Government Entity code. A five-character identifier assigned by Defense Logistics Agency. Required for federal award eligibility. Assigned automatically during SAM.gov registration for U.S. entities.

Does SAM.gov registration cost money?

No. SAM.gov registration is free. The official SAM.gov is a direct authoritative source. Third-party services offering paid registration are not required.

How often do I need to renew SAM.gov registration?

Every 365 days. Reminders at 60, 30, and 10 days before expiration. Lapse makes the entity ineligible for new awards.

What are the most common SAM.gov registration blockers?

Name or address mismatch with IRS, banking validation failure due to account in wrong legal name, incomplete reps and certs, and CAGE queue delays.

Can I submit proposals before CAGE is assigned?

Not typically. Most federal proposal submissions require an active SAM registration, which means CAGE must be assigned. Some agencies accept "registration in progress" status for certain grants; verify per solicitation.

Can I register a foreign entity on SAM.gov?

Yes, but foreign entities follow a different workflow (Non-Federal Entity with NCAGE code instead of CAGE). U.S. small businesses use the standard U.S. Business flow.

Related resources

• SBIR-Ready Checklist
• SBIR Phase I Guide
• Federal Past Performance Guide
• 8(a) Certification Guide
• HUBZone Certification Guide