SAM.gov Registration Guide for Grant Applicants

What Is SAM.gov and Why It Matters

SAM.gov — the System for Award Management — is the federal government's official registration database for any entity that receives federal awards. If your organization applies for, receives, or manages federal grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements, an active SAM.gov registration is mandatory. There are no exceptions. This requirement applies to nonprofits, tribal nations, state and local governments, universities, health systems, and every other entity type that touches federal dollars.

SAM.gov consolidates several legacy federal systems into a single platform. Before 2012, organizations needed separate registrations in the Central Contractor Registration (CCR), the Online Representations and Certifications Application (ORCA), and the Excluded Parties List System (EPLS). SAM.gov merged all of these. If you encounter old guidance that references CCR or ORCA, those processes now live within SAM.gov.

An active SAM.gov registration is a prerequisite for two critical activities:

• Submitting applications on Grants.gov. The federal application portal validates your organization against SAM.gov before allowing submissions. If your registration is inactive, Grants.gov will not let you apply — regardless of how strong your proposal is.
• Receiving any federal award. Federal agencies verify SAM.gov status before issuing grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements. They also verify status before processing payments on existing awards. A lapsed registration can freeze both new awards and current cash flow.

For healthcare organizations specifically, SAM.gov status feeds into downstream systems including the HRSA Electronic Handbooks (EHBs), state pass-through contracting portals, and prime-recipient monitoring systems under 2 CFR 200.332. A lapsed SAM.gov registration does not create one problem — it cascades across every federal system your organization touches.

Getting Your Unique Entity Identifier (UEI)

In April 2022, the federal government replaced the DUNS number (previously issued by Dun & Bradstreet) with the Unique Entity Identifier (UEI). Unlike the old DUNS system, you do not need a separate registration to obtain a UEI. Your UEI is assigned automatically through SAM.gov as part of the entity registration process.

The UEI is a 12-character alphanumeric identifier that becomes your organization's permanent federal ID. It appears on every award document, every payment, and every federal report. If your organization already had a DUNS number and was registered in SAM.gov before April 2022, your UEI was assigned automatically during the transition. You can find it by logging into SAM.gov and viewing your entity registration.

Entity Validation: What You Need

Before SAM.gov assigns your UEI, it validates your entity against authoritative federal and commercial databases. This is the entity validation process, and it is the step most likely to cause delays for first-time registrants. To pass validation, you will need:

• Legal business name — exactly as it appears on your IRS records (Letter 147C or CP 575 notice). Even minor discrepancies like a missing comma or “Inc” vs. “Inc.” can trigger validation failures.
• Physical address — your organization's primary physical address. P.O. boxes are not accepted as the physical address (though you can list one as a mailing address separately).
• Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN/EIN) — your Employer Identification Number as assigned by the IRS. SAM.gov validates this against IRS records.
• Date of incorporation or start date — when your organization was legally established.
• State of incorporation — the state where your organization is legally registered.

Entity validation typically takes 7–10 business days, but it can take longer if there are data mismatches. If validation fails, you will receive a notification through SAM.gov explaining the issue. The most common causes are name/address mismatches with IRS records and incomplete state registration data.

Step-by-Step Registration Process

The full SAM.gov registration process has seven distinct phases. Plan for each one and have your documentation assembled before you start.

Step 1: Create a Login.gov Account

SAM.gov uses Login.gov as its authentication layer. Before you can access SAM.gov, you need a personal Login.gov account. Go to login.gov and create an account using your work email address. You will need to set up multi-factor authentication (MFA) — Login.gov supports authentication apps, security keys, phone/SMS, and backup codes.

Important: use a work email address that will remain active even if you leave the organization. If possible, use a role-based email (e.g., grants@yourorg.org) rather than a personal work email. If the person who registered on Login.gov departs, recovering access can be difficult and time-consuming.

Step 2: Start Entity Registration in SAM.gov

Log into SAM.gov with your Login.gov credentials and select “Get Started” under Entity Registrations. You will first need to validate your entity (this is where your UEI is assigned). Enter your legal business name, physical address, and entity start date. The system will search for your entity and either match you to an existing record or begin the validation process for a new entity.

If your organization was previously registered (for example, under the old CCR system), SAM.gov may find an existing record. In that case, you will need to claim the entity and verify your authority to manage it.

Step 3: Core Data Section

Once your entity is validated and your UEI is assigned, you complete the Core Data section. This includes:

• Legal business name and DBA name — your legal name must match IRS records exactly. If you operate under a “doing business as” name, enter it separately.
• Physical and mailing addresses — your primary business address and, if different, a mailing address.
• Entity type — select the classification that matches your organization (e.g., nonprofit organization, tribal government, state government, local government). Healthcare nonprofits typically select “Nonprofit Organization” and then the appropriate sub-classification.
• Congressional district — this is auto-populated based on your address but should be verified.
• Organization structure and fiscal year end date — indicate your entity structure and the month/day your fiscal year ends.

Step 4: Assertions (NAICS Codes and Size Metrics)

The Assertions section captures information about your organization's goods, services, and size. You will need to select NAICS (North American Industry Classification System) codes that describe your organization's activities. For healthcare and nonprofit organizations, the most common NAICS codes include:

You will also enter size metrics including annual revenue, number of employees, and other relevant data. For nonprofits, these fields help the government understand your organization's capacity but do not affect registration approval. Select all NAICS codes that apply to your operations — you are not limited to one.

Step 5: Representations and Certifications

This section is legally significant. When you complete the Representations and Certifications (Reps & Certs), you are making formal legal attestations to the federal government. You are certifying that:

• Your organization has not been debarred, suspended, or declared ineligible for federal awards
• You are in compliance with federal tax obligations
• You comply with lobbying restrictions under 31 U.S.C. 1352
• You maintain a drug-free workplace in accordance with the Drug-Free Workplace Act of 1988
• You have not engaged in certain prohibited activities (e.g., trafficking in persons, use of certain telecommunications equipment)

These are not informational fields. Making false certifications can result in civil penalties, suspension, debarment, or criminal prosecution. Have your executive director or authorized official review each certification carefully before submitting. If you are unsure about any certification, consult legal counsel — do not guess.

Step 6: Points of Contact

SAM.gov requires at least two designated contacts:

• Government Business Point of Contact (POC) — the primary contact for all SAM.gov-related communications, including renewal notices. This person receives the 60-day, 30-day, and 15-day expiration warnings.
• Electronic Business POC (E-Business POC) — handles electronic transactions and certifications. This person also has administrative authority over the entity's SAM.gov registration.

You can also designate alternate POCs for both roles, and we strongly recommend it. These contacts must be real people with valid, monitored email addresses — generic department emails like info@yourorg.org are not accepted. The Government Business POC should be someone in grants administration or finance who will be responsive to SAM.gov communications. The most common cause of lapsed registrations is a departed POC whose email is no longer monitored.

Step 7: Financial Information (EFT/Banking)

Enter your Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) banking information — this is how the federal government sends payments to your organization. You will need:

• Bank name and routing number (ABA number)
• Account number and account type (checking or savings)
• Authorized account holder information (must match the entity name on the bank account)

Double-check every digit. Banking information errors are one of the most disruptive issues in SAM.gov because they can cause payment rejections on every active federal award. If your organization changes banks at any point during the year, update SAM.gov immediately — do not wait for annual renewal.

Final Step: Entity Validation and CAGE Code Assignment

After you submit your registration, SAM.gov performs two validation checks:

• IRS TIN validation — SAM.gov verifies your Taxpayer Identification Number against IRS records. Your legal name and TIN must match exactly. If there is a discrepancy, the system flags your registration for manual review, which can add days or weeks to the process.
• CAGE code assignment — the Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) code is a five-character identifier assigned by the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA). If your organization does not already have a CAGE code, one will be assigned automatically. This typically takes 1–2 business days after TIN validation completes.

You will receive email notifications as each validation step completes. Once both validations pass, your registration is active and you can begin using Grants.gov and other federal systems that depend on SAM.gov status.

Registration Timeline: How Long Does It Actually Take?

The honest answer: it varies significantly depending on your organization's circumstances. Here is what to expect:

Total process under ideal conditions: 2–4 weeks. With validation issues, particularly IRS TIN mismatches, the process can stretch to 8–12 weeks or longer.

Annual Renewal Requirements

SAM.gov registrations expire every 365 days from the date of your last successful registration or renewal. There is no automatic renewal and no grace period. When your registration expires, the consequences are immediate: you cannot receive new awards, existing payments can be suspended, and you cannot submit applications through Grants.gov.

When and How to Renew

SAM.gov sends email renewal reminders to your registered points of contact at 60, 30, and 15 days before expiration. However, relying solely on these emails is risky — if the registered contact has left or their email is unmonitored, you will never see the reminders.

Best practice: set your own calendar reminders at 60 days before expiration in a shared organizational calendar. Begin the renewal process at the 60-day mark. This gives you a two-month buffer to resolve any validation issues before expiration.

The renewal process is essentially the same as initial registration: you log in, review and update all entity information, re-certify representations, confirm banking details, and submit. A clean renewal — where all information is current and passes validation — takes 7–10 business days to process.

What Changes Require Immediate Updates

Do not wait for your annual renewal to update SAM.gov. The following changes should be reflected in your registration within 30 days:

• Change of physical or mailing address
• Change in banking information (new bank, new account, closed account)
• Departure of a registered point of contact
• Legal name change (merger, reorganization, DBA change)
• Change in organizational structure or entity type

Consequences of a Lapsed Registration

When a SAM.gov registration expires, three things happen simultaneously:

1. 1You cannot receive new awards. Federal agencies verify SAM.gov status before issuing any award. An inactive registration is automatically disqualifying.
2. 2Existing payments may be delayed or suspended. Agencies verify registration status before processing disbursements. A lapse can freeze cash flow on awards you have already received.
3. 3You cannot submit applications through Grants.gov. Grants.gov validates against SAM.gov. If your registration is inactive, the system will reject your submission.

For organizations managing federal programs like HRSA Section 330, CSBG, or ISDEAA 638 contracts, a lapsed registration does not just affect your application pipeline — it can disrupt active service delivery, payments to staff, and compliance with existing award terms.

Common Issues and Troubleshooting

Registration and renewal problems follow predictable patterns. Here are the most common issues and how to resolve them.

Entity Validation Failures

Symptom: Your entity validation is stuck in “Submitted” status for more than 10 business days, or you receive a notification that validation failed.

Common causes: Your legal business name in SAM.gov does not match what is on file with your state secretary of state or with commercial data sources. Your physical address cannot be verified. Your organization is too new to appear in reference databases.

Resolution: Verify your legal name exactly matches your state incorporation records. Confirm your physical address is a deliverable street address (not a P.O. box). If your organization was recently formed, you may need to contact the Federal Service Desk and provide supporting documentation such as your articles of incorporation and IRS determination letter.

IRS TIN Mismatch

Symptom: Your registration is flagged for TIN validation failure. You receive a message that your legal name and TIN do not match IRS records.

Common causes: Your organization's name in SAM.gov is slightly different from the name on file with the IRS. Common discrepancies include punctuation differences (“Inc” vs. “Inc.”), abbreviations (“Ctr” vs. “Center”), or a former legal name that is still in IRS records after a name change.

Resolution: Request an IRS Letter 147C to confirm the exact legal name and EIN on file with the IRS. You can request this by calling the IRS Business & Specialty Tax Line at (800) 829-4933. Once you have the letter, update your SAM.gov legal name to match exactly. If the IRS has an outdated name, you will need to file IRS Form 8822-B to update it, which can take 4–6 weeks to process.

Banking Information Errors

Symptom: Federal payments are being rejected or returned. Your EFT information cannot be validated.

Resolution: Verify your bank routing number and account number against a recent bank statement or voided check. Ensure the account is an active checking or savings account (not a money market or investment account). Confirm the account holder name on the bank account matches your SAM.gov entity name. If you recently changed banks, update SAM.gov immediately and notify your program officers at each awarding agency.

Login.gov Account Issues

Symptom: You cannot access SAM.gov because the Login.gov account is locked, the registered email is no longer accessible, or MFA cannot be completed.

Resolution: Login.gov account recovery is handled separately from SAM.gov. Visit the Login.gov help center for account recovery options. If the original Login.gov account used an email that is no longer accessible, a new Login.gov account can be created and then associated with your SAM.gov entity — but this requires verification through the existing entity administrator or through the Federal Service Desk.

Contacting the Federal Service Desk

For SAM.gov-specific issues that you cannot resolve through the system interface, contact the Federal Service Desk (FSD):

• Phone: (866) 606-8220 (domestic) or (334) 206-7828 (international)
• Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 AM–8:00 PM Eastern Time
• Online: Submit a service request through the FSD portal at fsd.gov

Expect response times of 2–5 business days for email/portal inquiries. Phone support is generally faster but wait times vary. Always note your incident number for follow-up.

SAM.gov for Specific Organization Types

Healthcare Nonprofits and FQHCs

Federally Qualified Health Centers and other healthcare nonprofits face particular urgency around SAM.gov maintenance. Your SAM.gov registration feeds directly into the HRSA Electronic Handbooks (EHBs), which is where you submit UDS reports, SF-425 financial reports, Non-Competing Continuation applications, and FTCA deeming applications. A lapsed SAM.gov registration can prevent access to EHBs entirely, which means you cannot meet your HRSA Section 330 reporting obligations. For a health center, this is not just an administrative inconvenience — it is a compliance emergency.

Healthcare organizations should also be aware that their entity type selection in SAM.gov matters for how they appear in federal databases. Select the entity type and sub-classification that accurately reflects your corporate structure. If you are a 501(c)(3) operating as a community health center, that should be reflected accurately — not as a “health care organization” generically.

Tribal Organizations

Tribal governments and tribal organizations have specific considerations in SAM.gov. Federally recognized tribes register as “Indian/Native American Tribal Government (Federally Recognized)” under entity type. Tribally designated organizations (such as tribal health departments or 501(c)(3) entities controlled by a tribal government) may register under a different entity type depending on their legal structure.

For organizations holding ISDEAA Title I (638) contracts or Self-Governance compacts, SAM.gov registration is required. The CAGE code assigned during registration is used in federal contracting systems and appears on your contract documents. Tribal organizations should verify that their SAM.gov entity name matches the name used in their 638 contract or compact agreement — discrepancies between SAM.gov and contract documents can create payment processing issues.

Community Action Agencies

Community action agencies (CAAs) that receive Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) funding and other federal pass-through awards need an active SAM.gov registration. Even though CSBG is administered through states as a block grant, the federal requirement for SAM.gov registration applies to subrecipients receiving $30,000 or more in federal subawards under 2 CFR 200. Many state CSBG administrators verify SAM.gov status as part of their monitoring process.

CAAs that also compete for direct federal grants (Head Start, LIHEAP add-ons, SAMHSA discretionary grants) need SAM.gov registration to submit applications through Grants.gov. If you are a CAA that currently receives only state pass-through funding but is considering competing for direct federal awards, start the SAM.gov registration process well in advance of any application deadline.

State and Local Government Entities

State agencies, county governments, municipal governments, and special purpose districts that receive federal awards must maintain SAM.gov registrations. These entities register under their government entity type (state government, county government, city or township government, or special district government). Each distinct legal entity needs its own registration — a county government and its separately incorporated public health district are two separate entities in SAM.gov even if they share leadership or facilities.

Government entities should pay particular attention to the points of contact fields. Government staff turnover, particularly in elected offices, can lead to POC information becoming outdated quickly. Assign SAM.gov responsibility to a position (e.g., grants administrator, finance director) rather than to a specific elected or appointed official.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does SAM.gov registration take?

Under ideal conditions — all documentation is ready, your legal name matches IRS records, and there are no validation issues — the full process takes approximately 2–4 weeks. Entity validation alone takes 7–10 business days, and IRS TIN validation adds another 3–5 business days. If there are discrepancies that require manual resolution, the process can extend to 8–12 weeks. We recommend starting at least 6–8 weeks before any grant deadline to account for potential delays.

Is SAM.gov registration free?

Yes. SAM.gov registration is completely free. There is no fee to register, renew, or update your entity information. The GSA, which operates SAM.gov, has issued official warnings about third-party services that charge fees for SAM.gov registration assistance. These services are unnecessary and, in some cases, fraudulent. The official website is sam.gov. If anyone contacts you demanding payment, report it to the Federal Service Desk and to your state attorney general's office.

What happens if my SAM.gov registration expires?

Your organization immediately loses the ability to receive new federal awards, submit applications through Grants.gov, and in some cases, receive payments on existing awards. There is no grace period. The consequences apply the moment the registration lapses. Renewing an expired registration follows the same process as initial registration and takes the same amount of time (2–4 weeks minimum). If your registration has been expired for an extended period, additional validation checks may be required.

What is the difference between SAM.gov and Grants.gov?

SAM.gov is the entity registration system — it establishes your organization's identity and eligibility to interact with the federal government. Grants.gov is the application portal — it is where you find and apply for specific grant opportunities. You must be registered in SAM.gov before you can create a Grants.gov account and submit applications. Think of SAM.gov as your organization's federal ID card, and Grants.gov as the door you walk through to apply for funding. Both are free, and both are required.

Do I need a new SAM.gov registration if my organization changes its legal name?

No. You update your existing registration rather than creating a new one. Your UEI stays the same. However, a legal name change triggers re-validation, which means your updated registration will go through the entity validation and IRS TIN verification process again. Before updating SAM.gov, make sure the name change has been processed by the IRS (File Form 8822-B) and by your state secretary of state. If SAM.gov, the IRS, and your state records all show different names, the validation process will stall. Coordinate the name change across all three systems before updating SAM.gov.

Can I save my SAM.gov registration and come back to it later?

Yes. SAM.gov allows you to save your work and return to it. Your incomplete registration will remain in “Work in Progress” status. However, the entity validation step must be completed before you can fill in the full registration form, so plan accordingly. There is no deadline to complete a work-in-progress registration, but keep in mind that the clock on your 365-day renewal cycle does not start until the registration is fully submitted and approved.

Pre-Registration Checklist

Before you start the SAM.gov registration process, gather all of the following. Having everything assembled before you begin will prevent delays and reduce the risk of validation failures.

• IRS Letter 147C or CP 575 confirming your legal business name and EIN exactly as they appear in IRS records
• Articles of incorporation or equivalent formation documents from your state
• Current physical address (street address, not a P.O. box)
• Banking information: bank name, routing number, account number, account type
• Names, titles, phone numbers, and email addresses for at least two points of contact (Government Business POC and E-Business POC)
• NAICS codes that apply to your organization's activities
• Fiscal year end date
• A Login.gov account created with a work email address
• Authorization from your executive director or board to make legal certifications on behalf of the organization

Maintaining Your Registration Year-Round

SAM.gov maintenance is not an annual event — it is an ongoing operational responsibility. Organizations that treat it as a once-a-year task are the ones who encounter lapsed registrations, validation failures, and payment disruptions. A functional maintenance protocol includes:

• Assign a primary and backup owner. SAM.gov responsibility should be in someone's job description, not delegated ad hoc. Assign a backup who knows the credentials and the process.
• Store credentials securely. Your Login.gov credentials, UEI, CAGE code, and POC information should be documented in a shared password manager or secure document that more than one person can access.
• Calendar 60-day renewal reminders. Use a shared organizational calendar, not a personal one. Set reminders at 60, 45, and 30 days before expiration.
• Update changes within 30 days. Do not wait for renewal. Address changes, banking changes, POC departures, and name changes should be updated promptly.
• Verify downstream systems after renewal. After your SAM.gov renewal processes, confirm that Grants.gov, HRSA EHBs, and any other connected systems reflect the updated status. Do not assume automatic propagation.

The organizations that never have SAM.gov emergencies are the ones that treat it as part of their compliance infrastructure rather than as a checkbox on a grant application to-do list. For a broader look at the registration and compliance maintenance obligations that come with managing federal awards, see our 2 CFR 200 compliance guide.