GovEdge

Registration

Register with the government

You need a free government ID to win federal work. We walk you through it step by step — no extra fee.

Your ID is called a . Think of it as a social security number for your company.

How we check

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See how often we check the government’s job board — in plain English.

How we check

Checklist

0/11

Your inferred status

Work in Progress

Cannot bid contracts yet

Primary NAICS for SAM

238220

Plumbing, Heating, and Air-Conditioning Contractors

Which path

SAM offers Get UEI only versus a full entity registration. Only the full path with All Awards is awardable.

Purpose of registration

COs will not see you as eligible unless this is All Awards.

Entity status tracker

Official tracker is sam.gov/content/status-tracker. Enter a 12-character UEI or 5-character CAGE — sample records in this workspace respond instantly. Anything else uses your checklist.

Derived from checklist: Work in Progress

Not in the processing queue yet

  • No Login.gov identity on the administrator.
  • Entity validation (EVS) is not complete.
  • NAICS / size assertions are incomplete.
  • FAR representations are incomplete.
  • Registration has not been submitted.

Sample UEIs: CINDERPEAK01 · NORTHLINECYB · HARBORVALE00 · GRANTONLYLLC · LAPSEDTRADE1 · EXCLUDEDCO01

Clock

GSA publishes up to 10 business days after validation. CAGE from DLA is usually the critical path. Start 60 days before a 365-day renewal.

StepOfficialPlan for
Login.gov + MFASame daySame day
UEI after entity validationSame daySame day–2 days
Core data, assertions, FAR reps1–2 hours2–4 hours with documents
IRS TIN match2–3 business days3–7 business days
CAGE from DLA3–10 business days3–30 days (critical path)
Record goes ActiveUp to 10 business daysPlan a 2–4 week buffer

Core data

Legal name, physical address, mailing address, start year, FY end, entity structure, profit/nonprofit, and the UEI/CAGE themselves.

Assertions

NAICS (primary + additional), size, PSICs, disaster registry, and optional socio-economic flags that SBA systems later confirm.

Representations & certifications

FAR 52.204-7 annual reps: responsibility, size, integrity, tax, and DFARS items that apply. COs pull this instead of paper with every bid.

Points of contact

Government business, electronic business, and accounts receivable. Two people on the record.

Official sequence

Tick steps as you complete them on SAM.gov. Nothing is submitted from here.

  1. Login.gov identity

    SAM.gov does not issue its own passwords. You sign in with Login.gov.

    • Use the legal entity administrator’s work email.
    • Turn on a second factor. Entity administrators who leave the company are the most common lockout.
    • Registration itself is free. Anyone charging a “SAM filing fee” is not GSA.
    • Login.gov identity proofing wants a photo ID and a selfie match. SMS as a second factor works; an authenticator app is more durable.

  2. Choose a registration purpose

    To bid contracts you need All Awards — not Federal Assistance only.

    • All Awards: contracts, grants, and other assistance. Required to submit a federal offer.
    • Federal Assistance: grants/cooperative agreements only. Cannot receive a contract award.
    • Intragovernmental (IGT): federal agencies transferring funds among themselves.

  3. Unique Entity ID

    A 12-character UEI replaced DUNS. You can request a UEI without finishing a full registration.

    • Format: 12 letters/digits. SAM assigns it after entity validation of legal name and physical address.
    • You already have a UEI if the entity was ever registered. The UEI never expires; the registration does.
    • A UEI-only record is not Active and cannot receive an award. Subawardees often stop here; primes cannot.

  4. Entity validation

    Legal name, physical address, and start year must match IRS / public records (EVS).

    • Use the exact legal name on the EIN letter (CP 575 or 147C), not the DBA.
    • Physical address cannot be a P.O. box. Suite/unit mismatches fail validation.
    • Failed validation is the usual reason a record sits in Submitted for weeks. See FSD KB0058422.

  5. CAGE / NCAGE

    DLA issues a five-character CAGE after a U.S. record validates. Foreign entities need an NCAGE first.

    • CAGE codes issued after 26 Aug 2016 renew every five years — a different clock from the 365-day SAM renewal.
    • A lapsed CAGE can block DoD awards even when SAM is Active.
    • Do not invent a CAGE. It appears on the record after DLA processing.

  6. NAICS and size

    Enter a primary NAICS (largest share of receipts) plus every code you actually perform.

    • SAM pulls the SBA size standard for each six-digit code. Small/other-than-small is per NAICS, not one flag for the firm.
    • Set-asides (8(a), HUBZone, WOSB, SDVOSB) are certified in SBA systems and should then show on the SAM record.
    • A notice’s primary NAICS is what the CO uses for size. Extra codes on your record do not make you small for a code you omitted.

  7. Points of contact

    Accounts receivable, electronic business, and government business POCs. Keep two people on the record.

    • The government business POC is who COs email. A personal Gmail that nobody monitors will cost you RFIs.
    • Assign a backup Entity Administrator before someone leaves.

  8. Financial / EFT data

    Banking for payment. Name on the account must match the legal entity.

    • Have a voided check or bank letter ready. Routing/account typos delay first invoices, not activation.
    • SAM is not a credit check, but OFAC / exclusion screening still runs.

  9. Representations and certifications

    FAR 52.204-7 lets COs read your annual reps instead of collecting paper with every bid.

    • Complete the FAR and DFARS reps that apply. Integrity, size, and responsibility questions are here.
    • Lying on a size rep is a False Claims exposure. Use the SBA table, not a guess.

  10. Submit and wait for Active

    Typical processing is 10–15 business days after validation. Check the Entity Status Tracker.

    • Statuses you will see: Work in Progress, Submitted, Active, Expired, ID Assigned.
    • Tracker: sam.gov/content/status-tracker — UEI or CAGE. Only users with an entity role see the private tracker.
    • GSA’s published processing window is up to 10 business days after validation. Name/address mismatches stretch that.
    • You cannot bid until the purpose includes contracts and the status is Active.

  11. Renew every 365 days

    Active lapses on the anniversary. Updates can be made anytime; a lapse still requires a full renewal.

    • Calendar the 365-day SAM renewal and the 5-year CAGE renewal separately.
    • Start renewal at least 60 days before expiration. A lapse is a full renewal, not a small edit.
    • APEX Accelerators (formerly PTACs) help at no charge: apexaccelerators.us.

Documents to have on the desk

  • EIN confirmation

    IRS CP 575 or 147C. Legal name must match character-for-character.

  • Formation document

    Articles / certificate of organization as filed with the state.

  • Physical address proof

    Utility bill or lease. No P.O. box. Suite numbers must match EVS.

  • Banking letter or voided check

    Account title = legal entity. Needed for EFT, not for UEI issuance.

  • Notarized letter (if EVS fails)

    GSA’s entity validation path sometimes asks for a notarized letter plus supporting docs.

  • NCAGE (foreign entities)

    Request from the NSPA before a non-U.S. SAM registration can complete.

Why records stall

  • P.O. box as physical address

    Use the street address of the principal place of business.

  • DBA instead of legal name

    Enter the name on the EIN letter. Put the DBA in the doing-business-as field.

  • Suite / unit mismatch

    Match the USPS and IRS record, including STE vs Suite vs #.

  • Sole entity administrator left

    Assign a backup administrator before staff turnover.

  • Purpose = Federal Assistance

    Edit the registration and switch to All Awards before bidding contracts.

  • 365-day lapse

    A lapse is not a small update. Complete renewal before any new award.

  • CAGE past five years

    CAGE renewal is DLA’s clock. DoD awards can block even if SAM shows Active.

  • Active exclusion / debarment

    SAM exclusions search is public. An active exclusion makes the entity ineligible.

NAICS to enter on the SAM record

Primary should be the code with the largest share of receipts. Additional codes do not change size for a solicitation whose NAICS you did not list.

  • 238220 Primary

    Plumbing, Heating, and Air-Conditioning Contractors

    Sector 23 → Subsector 238 → Industry group 2382 → Industry 23822 → National industry 238220

    Size standard $19.0M receipts

    At or under $19.0M receipts — small for 238220.

  • 541512

    Computer Systems Design Services

    Sector 54 → Subsector 541 → Industry group 5415 → Industry 54151 → National industry 541512

    Size standard $34.0M receipts

    At or under $34.0M receipts — small for 541512.

Status meanings

  • Work in Progress

    Saved draft. Not visible to COs. Finish and submit.

  • Submitted

    In validation / CAGE processing. Not awardable yet.

  • Active

    Awardable if the purpose covers contracts (All Awards).

  • ID Assigned

    UEI exists. Registration is not complete.

  • Expired

    Passed the 365-day mark. Renew before any new award.

Official resources