How do I register in SAM.gov? Walk through entity registration step by step, including the UEI and common rejection causes.

Details / How it works

Registration in SAM.gov (System for Award Management) enables organizations to bid on government contracts and apply for federal assistance as prime awardees. The step-by-step process per SAM.gov is:

1. Create a Login.gov account – You must first create a username and password through Login.gov, which manages your credentials. After that, you access SAM.gov to complete your profile.
2. Prepare documentation – Gather the required entity information before starting. The Entity Registration Checklist available on SAM.gov helps you gather required information.
3. Choose your path – From the “Get Started” section, choose either “Register Entity” (full registration, required to bid on contracts) or “Get a Unique Entity ID” (identifier only).
4. Submit for entity validation – Your information is submitted for entity validation, which matches your legal business name and address against authoritative records.

The Unique Entity ID (UEI) is automatically assigned during registration. It can also be obtained independently of full registration and requires only the entity's legal business name and physical address. The UEI replaced the DUNS number as the federal government's entity identifier.

Registration must be renewed every 365 days to remain active. An expired registration makes an entity ineligible for new awards until renewed.

For help, the Federal Service Desk (fsd.gov) provides live chat and phone support Monday–Friday, 8 a.m.–8 p.m. ET, and APEX Accelerators provide free government-contracting assistance to small businesses.

Numbers & thresholds

Exceptions & edge cases

Common rejection causes: Entity validation is a common source of delay—mismatched or outdated legal name/address documentation is a frequent cause of validation problems. Entities should ensure their documentation exactly matches their legal name and physical address.

Partial registration: Entities that only need to conduct limited transactions (such as sub-awardee reporting) can obtain a UEI without completing a full registration. However, an organization with only a UEI cannot apply directly for federal awards; full registration is required to bid as a prime.

Cost: Registering in SAM.gov is free. SAM.gov is the official free U.S. government system; no fee is required to register or renew.