FAR 1.1—Subpart 1.1

Purpose.

FAR 1.101 explains the purpose and scope of the Federal Acquisition Regulations System. It states that the system exists to codify and publish uniform acquisition policies and procedures for all executive agencies, so the government can buy goods and services under a common framework rather than a patchwork of inconsistent rules. It also defines what the system includes: the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) as the primary document, plus agency acquisition regulations that implement or supplement the FAR. Just as important, it clarifies what the system does not include: internal agency guidance of the type described in FAR 1.301(a)(2). In practice, this section tells users where the controlling acquisition rules live, how the FAR relates to agency supplements, and why internal guidance is not part of the formal regulatory system. That matters because contractors and contracting officials must know which documents are binding, which are supplemental, and which are merely internal management guidance.

Statement of guiding principles for the Federal Acquisition System.

FAR 1.102 states the guiding principles for the Federal Acquisition System and explains the system’s overall vision, operating values, and decision-making approach. It covers the goal of delivering the best value product or service on time, while maintaining the public’s trust and meeting public policy objectives. It also identifies the core system priorities: satisfying the customer in terms of cost, quality, and timeliness; maximizing the use of commercial products and commercial services; relying on contractors with strong past performance or demonstrated current capability; promoting competition; minimizing administrative operating costs; conducting business with integrity, fairness, and openness; and fulfilling public policy objectives. The section defines the Acquisition Team broadly to include government technical, supply, and procurement personnel, the customer, and contractors, and it emphasizes teamwork and empowerment. In practice, this section is the policy foundation for acquisition decisions: it tells contracting personnel to use sound business judgment, act in the Government’s best interest, and, when the FAR is silent, treat a strategy or practice as permissible if it is not prohibited by law, executive order, or other regulation.

Authority.

FAR 1.103 explains the legal authority behind the Federal Acquisition Regulation System and identifies who has the power to develop, issue, maintain, and prescribe it. It ties the FAR System to the statutory framework in 41 U.S.C. chapter 13, which establishes the Acquisition Councils, and confirms that the FAR is not a single-agency rulebook but a jointly managed governmentwide regulation. In practice, this section tells readers where the FAR’s authority comes from and why the regulation has binding force across executive agencies. It also makes clear that the Department of Defense, the General Services Administration, and NASA share responsibility for the FAR under their respective statutory authorities. For contracting officers, contractors, and acquisition personnel, this section matters because it establishes the legitimacy of the FAR as the controlling baseline for federal procurement policy and helps explain why changes to the FAR are coordinated through a formal interagency process.

Applicability.

FAR 1.104 states the basic reach of the Federal Acquisition Regulation: it applies to all "acquisitions" as that term is defined in FAR part 2, unless a specific exclusion says otherwise. In practice, this section answers the threshold question of whether the FAR governs a particular buying action before anyone starts applying its procedures, clauses, competition rules, or documentation requirements. It ties the FAR’s coverage to the part 2 definition of acquisition, which is broad and includes the government’s obtaining of supplies or services by contract, with or without appropriated funds, and by various methods such as purchase, lease, or barter, but only to the extent the action fits that definition. It also makes clear that the FAR is not universal in every government transaction; if another law, regulation, or an express FAR exclusion removes the action from coverage, the FAR does not apply. For contracting officers, program offices, and contractors, this section is important because it determines whether FAR-based procedures, solicitation provisions, contract clauses, and oversight requirements are in play at all. It is the starting point for compliance analysis and for deciding whether a transaction should be handled under the FAR, another procurement framework, or a non-FAR authority.

Issuance.

OMB approval under the Paperwork Reduction Act.

FAR 1.106 explains how the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) applies to the FAR and its associated solicitation provisions, contract clauses, and forms. Its core purpose is to show that the government has obtained Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approval before requiring contractors or other members of the public to provide information or maintain records in response to FAR requirements. In practice, this section is a compliance checkpoint: if a FAR provision, clause, or form triggers a reporting, disclosure, certification, or recordkeeping burden, it must have a valid OMB control number unless an exception applies. The section also serves as the official list of OMB control numbers tied to specific FAR segments and standard forms, which helps contracting officers know what authority supports a collection and helps contractors identify whether a requested response is properly approved. For contractors, the practical significance is that they should not be asked to comply with unapproved information collections; for agencies, it is a reminder to use only approved collections and to display the correct control number. The long list of control numbers is not substantive procurement policy by itself, but it is essential administrative authority for many FAR requirements involving representations, certifications, reports, notices, payment data, labor and employment information, socioeconomic data, and other recurring submissions.

Certifications.

FAR 1.107 implements the statutory control on adding new certification requirements to the FAR. It addresses when a contractor or offeror may be required to certify something in connection with a federal procurement, and it ties that authority to 41 U.S.C. 1304. In practical terms, the section limits agencies and the FAR Council from creating new certifications on their own initiative unless Congress has specifically required the certification by statute or the FAR Council prepares a written justification and obtains written approval from the Administrator for Federal Procurement Policy. The purpose is to prevent unnecessary, duplicative, or burdensome certifications from being added to federal solicitations and contracts without high-level review. For contracting officers and acquisition personnel, this means any proposed new certification must be checked against statutory authority or the formal approval process before it is used. For contractors and offerors, it provides a safeguard against being asked to certify matters that have not gone through the required legal and policy review.

FAR conventions.

FAR 1.108 provides the basic interpretive conventions used to read and apply the FAR. It covers six core topics: how to interpret words and terms, when authority is delegable, how to calculate dollar thresholds for applicability, how FAR changes apply to solicitations and contracts, how citations to outside authorities should be read, and who is responsible when the FAR uses imperative language. In practice, this section tells contracting personnel how to resolve ambiguity, determine whether a rule applies, and decide whether a regulatory change affects an existing procurement action. It is especially important for drafting solicitations, evaluating thresholds, managing amendments, and deciding whether a contract modification or incorporation of a new FAR requirement is appropriate. The section is designed to promote consistent interpretation across the acquisition system and to avoid disputes caused by narrow or outdated readings of the FAR.

Statutory acquisition–related dollar thresholds-adjustment for inflation.

FAR 1.109 explains how statutory acquisition-related dollar thresholds are adjusted for inflation and how those adjusted thresholds are applied in federal procurement. It covers the FAR Council’s duty to periodically revise covered statutory thresholds every five years using the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), the legal definition of an acquisition-related dollar threshold, and the important exceptions for certain labor, bond, and trade-related thresholds that are not escalated under this rule. It also addresses a key practical issue: once a threshold is adjusted, the new amount applies to existing contracts and subcontracts for the remainder of their term, regardless of award date, unless a later adjustment occurs. Finally, it points users to the current escalation matrix available through Regulations.gov, which is the reference source for the most recent adjusted amounts. In practice, this section matters because it determines which statutory requirements, restrictions, and procedures apply at a given dollar value, and those values can change over time in ways that affect competition, compliance, reporting, and contract administration.

Positive law codification.

FAR 1.110 explains the effect of positive law codification on federal procurement statutes and gives users a roadmap for finding the current statutory location of older, historically named acts. It states that Public Law 107-217 revised, codified, and enacted certain general and permanent laws as title 40 of the U.S. Code, and that Public Law 111-350 did the same for certain general and permanent laws as title 41 of the U.S. Code. The section then provides a cross-reference table showing where major procurement-related statutes now appear in title 40 or title 41, including the Anti-Kickback Act, Brooks Architect-Engineer Act, Buy American Act, Contract Disputes Act, Contract Work Hours and Safety Standards Act, Davis-Bacon Act, Drug-Free Workplace Act, Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949, Javits-Wagner-O'Day Act, Miller Act, Office of Federal Procurement Policy Act, Procurement Integrity Act, Service Contract Act, Truth in Negotiations Act, and Walsh-Healey Public Contracts Act. In practice, this section matters because many procurement rules are cited by their historical act names, but the controlling codified text is now found in title 40 or 41. Contracting officers, contractors, and counsel use this table to locate the current statutory authority, avoid citing obsolete references, and understand which title governs a particular requirement. The footnotes also remind readers that some sections of the broader acts were not included in the positive-law codification and remain outside the listed title references.