SAM.gov Registration Guide: 7 Steps From UEI to Active

By Aoba Works · Published October 22, 2026 · 17 min read

How this guide was made: drafted with AI assistance from the official sources linked below, then passed an automated editorial check before publishing. Our process

• Sam.gov
• Federal Contracting
• Small Business

To register in SAM.gov, sign in with Login.gov and choose Register Entity. Your entity is validated and gets its Unique Entity ID (UEI) during that process. Then you complete Core Data, Assertions, Representations and Certifications, and Points of Contact, and submit. Registration is free. Activation can take up to ten business days after submission, and you have to renew every 365 days to stay active. Most first-time registrants don't need a notarized letter. You need one only to appoint an Entity Administrator on an existing registration that has no administrator.

Which option is right for you?

Choose your path by what you plan to bid on and what state your registration is in now. The table below shows the first action and the first page to open for each case.

Here's why each pick fits:

• All Awards adds the assertions and contract representations that buyers check. A financial-assistance-only registration does not include them.
• UEI only is the fastest path. Per SAM.gov, it needs only your legal business name and physical address. You can't win a prime contract with it.
• Renew Entity at 60 days matches the first reminder email. SAM.gov sends reminders at 60, 30, and 15 days before expiration.
• APEX Accelerators cost nothing. They help with SAM registration as part of the DoD Office of Small Business Programs network.

What Is SAM.gov Registration?

SAM.gov registration is your entity's record in the System for Award Management. You need an active record to receive federal contracts and most federal assistance awards.

The FAR solicitation provision at 52.204-7 says it directly: "An Offeror is required to be registered in SAM when submitting an offer or quotation and at time of award." A companion clause, 52.204-13, covers keeping the registration current during performance and through final payment. In practice, a contracting officer checks SAM.gov before awarding. If your record isn't active, you can't receive the award, even if your price is best.

SAM.gov offers two levels of record (SAM.gov):

• Unique Entity ID only. You get a UEI without a full registration. Sub-awardees use this most often when a prime contractor or grantee has to report them.
• Full entity registration. This is the complete profile with financial details, codes, and certifications. Prime contractors and direct grant recipients need it.

The system has been reorganized several times recently. Between June and September 2025, GSA redesigned the registration screens in four waves. According to a USFCR summary, the data collected stayed the same and only the layout and help text changed. On March 24, 2026, SAM.gov released modernized FAR and DFARS Representations and Certifications. If you follow an older video or PDF, the screens may look different from what you see, but the required information is the same.

SAM.gov is also where set-aside opportunities are posted. Your registration is where you claim small business size and socioeconomic status. If you aren't sure how set-asides work, read Total vs Partial Small Business Set Aside: 2026 Checklist before you choose NAICS codes.

SAM.gov Registration Requirements

You need your exact IRS legal name, a physical address, your EIN (or SSN for sole proprietors), banking details for payments, and NAICS codes. Name mismatches cause the most delays.

Gather these before you sign in.

Identity and tax

1. Legal business name exactly as the IRS has it. Validation can fail over a single character difference, a period, or a comma (Funding Landscape guide). Copy it from your IRS EIN letter (CP 575 or 147C). Don't use your website or business card.
2. Physical address. A P.O. box can't replace the physical address.
3. Date and state of incorporation. The validation step may ask for these.
4. TIN. This is your EIN, or your SSN if you're a sole proprietor without an EIN. The IRS checks your name and TIN together.

Money

1. Bank routing and account number for electronic funds transfer, so the government can pay you.

What you sell

1. NAICS codes for the industries you work in, plus PSC codes if you know them. The NAICS code decides which size standard applies, so it determines whether you count as "small" for a given set-aside.

Account

1. A Login.gov account for the person registering. SAM.gov sign-in runs through Login.gov.

Optional, depending on your situation

1. Business documents for manual validation, if the system can't match your entity automatically. GSA accepts Articles of Organization or Incorporation, redacted tax filings, utility bills, bank statements, and similar records that show your legal name and address.
2. An Entity Administrator letter, only in the cases explained in the step-by-step section below.

Common mistakes and fixes:

• You use a DBA as the legal name. Enter the IRS legal name in the legal name field. Add the DBA in its own field.
• You registered for a new EIN days ago and the IRS match is rejected. Don't resubmit over and over. Check that the name and EIN match your CP 575 letter exactly, and if the rejection persists, open one Federal Service Desk ticket.
• Your bank account is in an owner's personal name. Use an account in the business's name so the payment record matches the entity.

How to Get a SAM.gov Registration Number (UEI)

SAM.gov assigns your UEI, the 12-character "registration number," during entity validation, at no cost. The UEI replaced the DUNS number on April 4, 2022.

Federal awards were once tied to Dun & Bradstreet's 9-digit DUNS number. Since April 4, 2022, SAM.gov issues its own identifier: a 12-character alphanumeric code. Registrations that already existed got a UEI automatically. Your UEI does not expire, but your registration does. A UEI on a lapsed registration won't qualify you for an award.

There are two ways to get one:

1. As part of full registration. Per SAM.gov, "your Unique Entity ID will be assigned during the registration process." This is the right route if you plan to bid as a prime.
2. UEI only. Choose the UEI-only option and enter your legal business name and physical address. This fits subcontractors, or businesses filling out a prime's supplier form.

For example, a two-person electrical subcontractor whose prime contractor needs a UEI for subcontract reporting can take the UEI-only path today. It can upgrade to a full registration later, when it wants to bid directly.

The UEI is separate from your CAGE code. If you don't have a CAGE code, U.S. entities answer "No" and get one assigned after submission. Non-U.S. entities need an NCAGE code before they start.

To find your UEI later, sign in, open your Workspace, and look at the entity record. It's also on the public entity record if you made it searchable.

Is SAM.gov Registration Free?

Yes. SAM.gov registration, updates, and renewals are free, and the government never asks you to pay for them.

GSA's own fraud bulletin (May 4, 2023) says: "The government will never ask you to pay to register, update your registration, or renew." The Social Security Administration repeated the warning in a January 30, 2026 bulletin: "There is no charge for creating or renewing a SAM account if you use the SAM website." EXIM likewise says getting a UEI, registering, and renewing every year is entirely free.

Official cost (as of October 2026; check the official page): $0 for a UEI, a full registration, updates, and renewals.

Warning signs that a message is not from the government:

• The sender's domain ends in .com. GSA notes that official emails and websites end in .gov or .mil.
• It asks for payment by gift card, cryptocurrency, or wire transfer. GSA names these methods as scam signals.
• It says "your registration expires, pay now." Real SAM.gov reminders tell you to sign in and renew. They never ask for payment.
• It has a login link that leads to a lookalike Login.gov page. Type sam.gov into your browser yourself. Don't click links in the email.

If you've already paid, or entered your credentials on a fake page, report it to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center or the FTC, as GSA advises. Then change your Login.gov password.

SAM.gov Registration Fee (Third-Party Services)

A "SAM.gov registration fee" is never a government fee. It's a private company charging to help with a free process, and you don't have to buy it.

Private firms sell registration and renewal help. The law allows it, but some firms use official-sounding names or wording that makes their fee look mandatory. The SSA bulletin warns that some companies contact entities "offering to register or renew SAM accounts for a significant fee," and that the services are not required. Since March 2023, an outside firm also can't be your Entity Administrator. It can only get a data-entry role. That means you keep control of your record even if you hire help.

Pitfall: a paid firm can't make IRS or CAGE validation go faster. All of these options go through the same government queues.

How to Renew Your SAM.gov Registration

Renew by signing in to SAM.gov and choosing Renew Entity from your Workspace before the expiration date. You confirm your entity information, review every section, and submit again.

Registration lasts 365 days. The renewal process has a few separate steps:

1. Go to sam.gov and sign in through Login.gov with the account that holds the Entity Administrator role.
2. Open your Workspace and find your entity under Entity Management.
3. Choose Renew Entity from the actions menu. Renewal is an action you take yourself; nothing renews automatically.
4. Confirm the legal business name and physical address. If they've changed, the system may send you through entity validation again.
5. Go through Core Data, Assertions, Representations and Certifications, and Points of Contact. Reps and certs got a new layout on March 24, 2026, with a separate Defense Response module that only entities bidding on or holding DoD-funded work need to complete.
6. Check banking details, NAICS codes, and points of contact. Fix contacts who have left the company.
7. Submit, and save the confirmation email.

Common renewal mistakes:

• Only the departed bookkeeper had admin access. You'll need an Entity Administrator letter, explained below. That takes extra time, so check admin access at least 90 days before expiration.
• Your NAICS codes are out of date. If you've added a service line, add its code during renewal so your size status shows up for the right set-asides.
• You sign the reps and certs without reading them. These are certifications to the government. Your size and status claims have to be true for every NAICS code you list.

SAM Gov Registration Renewal Guide: Timing and Deadlines

Start renewing 60 days before expiration, when SAM.gov sends its first reminder. Activation alone can take up to 10 business days.

Here's how the timeline works:

Why 60 days? Processing can take up to ten business days even when everything goes smoothly. Manual entity validation adds its own queue. GSA describes it as "at least several days," and an FSD ticket that gets no reply from you for five days is closed.

For example, say your registration expires December 15 and a proposal is due December 20. If you submit the renewal on December 10, you could miss that bid, because FAR 52.204-7 requires registration when you submit the offer and at award. If you submit around October 16 instead, you have weeks of slack.

Put your expiration date in a shared calendar with two owners, so a single unread inbox can't cause a lapse.

SAM.gov Entity Registration Guide: Step-by-Step Process

New registrations follow seven steps in order: sign in, validate the entity, get your UEI, sort out the administrator letter if needed, fill in the sections, submit, and wait for activation.

Step 1: Create your sign-in

1. Go to sam.gov. Under Register Your Entity, select Get Started (GSA quick-start steps).
2. Read the four Before You Get Started steps.
3. Select Accept for the federal terms. Then sign in with Login.gov, or choose Create An Account if you don't have one.
4. After sign-in you land in your Workspace.

Pitfall: register with a work email that more than one person can reach, or plan to add a second administrator later. A Login.gov account tied to one employee's personal email leads to access problems later.

Step 2: Start the registration and pick its purpose

1. In the Entity Management widget, select Get Started.
2. Select Register Entity.
3. Choose All Awards if you'll bid on contracts, or Financial Assistance Awards Only for grants and loans only. Select Next.

Choose All Awards if there's any chance you'll bid on contracts. The financial-assistance-only path leaves out the assertions and contract representations that contracting officers need.

Step 3: Validate your entity

Enter your legal business name and physical address exactly as the IRS has them, plus your date and state of incorporation if asked. If the system finds a match, select it and continue.

If there's no match, SAM.gov sends you to the Federal Service Desk. When you do:

• Open one incident only. GSA says duplicates "slow down the overall process."
• Attach documents when you create the ticket. Tickets without documents are closed.
• Use documents that show both your legal name and address, such as Articles of Incorporation, a utility bill, or a bank statement.
• Reply to FSD within five days, or the ticket may close.

Step 4: Get your UEI

Once validation succeeds, your UEI is assigned (SAM.gov). Write it down. You'll use it on bids, invoices, capability statements, and SBA certification applications.

Step 5: Check whether you need a notarized letter

Most first-time registrants can skip this step. Since June 29, 2018, new or updated registrations don't need an approved notarized Entity Administrator letter on file before activation. A letter is needed to give access to new Entity Administrators on existing registrations where no administrator exists to approve your role request. For example, you'd need one if the founder who registered has left the company.

If you do need one:

1. Make sure the new administrator already has their own SAM.gov account. The FSD can't process the letter without it.
2. Download the correct template from fsd.gov. Templates differ by entity type, such as domestic or international.
3. Name an employee, officer, or board member. Since March 2023, outside firms can't hold the role.
4. Have it signed by an authorized officer and notarized by a U.S. notary (international entities have different rules). Then upload it to FSD.
5. Add a backup administrator once you have access.

Step 6: Complete the four sections

• Core Data: business information, taxpayer information, banking for payments, business types, and CAGE. Answer "No" if you have no CAGE code.
• Assertions: NAICS and PSC codes, size information, and goods and services.
• Representations and Certifications: the modernized layout launched in March 2026. Questions use plain-language titles and display answers separately from the full provision text. Complete the Defense Response only if you'll work on DoD-funded contracts.
• Points of Contact: accountable people with current emails and phone numbers.

If you'll pursue veteran-owned work, read SDVOSB Set Aside Requirements: 2026 Eligibility Checklist before you finish your size and status answers. That way your SAM.gov entries match what you'll later claim with SBA.

Step 7: Submit and wait for "Active"

Submit and save the confirmation. Allow up to ten business days. Behind the scenes, IRS TIN matching and CAGE assignment run in sequence. When the status in your Workspace changes to Active, you can be awarded contracts.

Common mistakes across all steps, with fixes:

• The registration is "Submitted" for weeks. Check your email for IRS or CAGE rejection notices. Fix the flagged field and submit again. Don't start a second registration.
• IRS mismatch. Compare the name on your CP 575 or 147C letter character by character with what you entered.
• The public record is hidden. Opt into public display if you want contracting officers and primes to find you through search.

Next steps

You can finish two or three concrete actions today, even if you don't submit until next week.

Do it yourself today:

1. Find your IRS EIN letter (CP 575 or 147C) and copy your legal name and address into a text file exactly as printed.
2. Create or check your Login.gov account using a work email that someone else at the company can reach.
3. Go to sam.gov/entity-registration and read the Before You Get Started steps. If you're already registered, put your expiration date minus 60 days on a shared calendar.

If you'd rather not do it alone: Your local APEX Accelerator is free (as of October 2026; check the official page). A counselor can review your entries, and APEX offices also help with bidding and certifications. It suits first-time bidders who want a second pair of eyes. It's less suitable if you want someone else to do every step, because you still enter the data yourself. A paid registration firm is the other route. Fees vary by provider, so get a written quote. It can make sense if your records are complex and your time is expensive. Skip it if your IRS name and address are clean, since the government processing time is the same either way and the government part is free.

Related guides on this site:

• Capability Statement Example: 5 Sections Buyers Read First: put your new UEI and CAGE code where buyers will look for them.
• Sources Sought Notice: 5-Step Response Template (2026): your first low-effort way to get noticed once you're active.
• 8(a) Certification Requirements: 2026 Pass/Fail Checklist: an active SAM.gov registration comes before SBA certification.
• Total vs Partial Small Business Set Aside: 2026 Checklist

FAQ

Is there a SAM gov registration guide PDF?

Yes. GSA publishes quick-start PDFs on fsd.gov, such as the Quick Start Guide for Grants Registrations and a guide for updating entity registrations. Some were written before the 2025 screen redesign and the March 2026 reps-and-certs update, so the button layout may differ. The required data hasn't changed.

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

Plan on up to ten business days after you submit, per EXIM and SAM.gov. Manual entity validation through FSD, IRS mismatches, or CAGE issues can add weeks. Submit well before any proposal deadline.

What happens if my SAM.gov registration expires?

You can't receive new awards until it's active again. FAR 52.204-7 requires registration at the time of offer and award. Your UEI stays the same, but you'll need to complete the renewal and wait for processing again.

Do I need a notarized letter for SAM.gov registration?

Usually not, if it's a new registration. That requirement was dropped for activation on June 29, 2018. You need an Entity Administrator letter when an existing registration has no administrator who can approve a new one.

What is the SAM.gov registration number?

It's your Unique Entity ID: a 12-character alphanumeric code assigned by SAM.gov that replaced the DUNS number on April 4, 2022. It never expires. Your CAGE code is a separate identifier, assigned after you submit.

Sources

• SAM.gov – Entity Registration
• SAM.gov – Modernized Reps & Certs Coming March 24th, 2026
• Acquisition.gov – FAR 52.204-7 System for Award Management
• GSA bulletin – Don't Take the Bait: Misleading Marketing, Imposters, and Phishing (May 2023)
• GSA bulletin – Tips for SAM.gov Entity Validation Support (April 2022)
• SSA Ticket to Work – SAM Registration and Renewal Are Free (January 2026)
• EXIM – SAM.gov and Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) Requirements
• DOE – PF 2018-33 Updated Entity Registration Requirements in SAM
• FSD.gov – Quick Start Guide for Grants Registrations
• Cal OES – 2.4 Quick Start Guide for Updating Entity Registrations
• Virginia APEX Accelerator – Notarized Letter Requirement for SAM.gov Entity Administrators
• Thompson Grants – SAM.gov Changes Entity Administrator Requirement
• Wiley – Unique Entity ID Replaces DUNS Numbers in SAM.gov
• USFCR – SAM Changes You Might Have Missed: What's Different in 2026
• Funding Landscape – SAM.gov Registration Guide for Grants and Contracts (2026)
• FedReady – SAM Registration Renewal
• GrantReady KY – Dealing with Entity Validation Hurdles
• SupplierDiversity.com – APEX Accelerators: Free Government Contracting Help
• APEX Accelerators

Spotted something out of date or wrong? Tell us at shigoto.ai.note@gmail.com. Guides are re-checked against official sources on a rolling schedule.