FAR 52.103—Identification of provisions and clauses.
Plain-English Summary
FAR 52.103 tells contracting officers and contractors how to identify every provision and clause that appears in a solicitation or contract. It covers four main categories: FAR provisions and clauses used without deviation, FAR provisions and clauses used with an authorized deviation, provisions and clauses that supplement the FAR, and certain agency- or suborganization-issued provisions and clauses described in FAR 52.101(b)(2)(i)(C). The section also explains what identifying information must appear with each item—such as number, title, date, and, when applicable, the name of the regulation or agency—and when the word “DEVIATION” must be inserted. It ties directly to the authorized-deviation notice provisions at 52.252-5 and 52.252-6, which tell offerors and contractors what the deviation notation means. In practice, this rule exists to make solicitation and contract language traceable, reduce ambiguity, and ensure vendors can tell exactly which clause applies and whether it has been changed from the standard FAR text.
Key Rules
FAR clauses need full identification
When a FAR provision or clause is used without deviation, it must be identified by number, title, and date whether it is incorporated by reference or printed in full text. This applies equally to solicitations and contracts.
Mark authorized deviations clearly
If a FAR provision or clause is used with an authorized deviation, the contracting officer must still identify it by number, title, and date, but must add “(DEVIATION)” after the date. The meaning of that notation is communicated through the prescribed authorized-deviation provisions or clauses at 52.252-5 and 52.252-6.
Supplemental clauses need source identification
Any provision or clause that supplements the FAR must be identified by number, title, date, and the name of the regulation that contains it. If that supplemental item is used with an authorized deviation, “(DEVIATION)” is inserted after the name of the regulation.
Agency-developed clauses use agency identification
A provision or clause of the type described in 52.101(b)(2)(i)(C) must be identified by title, date, and the name of the agency or suborganization that developed it. This rule distinguishes agency-originated text from FAR text and from supplemental regulatory text.
Examples show numbering format
The section provides examples showing how supplemental provisions and clauses are numbered and cited when issued by an agency regulation or a suborganization regulation. The examples illustrate that the citation must reflect the issuing regulation, the sequential clause number, and the title/date information.
Reference and full-text treatment is the same
The identification rules apply whether the provision or clause is incorporated by reference or included in full text. The method of incorporation does not change the required citation elements.
Responsibilities
Contracting Officer
Must ensure every provision and clause in the solicitation or contract is correctly identified according to its category, including number, title, date, and any required deviation notation. Must also use the prescribed authorized-deviation provisions or clauses so offerors and contractors understand the effect of the deviation.
Agency Acquisition Staff
Must prepare and insert provisions and clauses using the correct identification format, including the proper regulation name or agency/suborganization name when the text supplements the FAR or is agency-developed. Must maintain consistency with the applicable prescription and numbering structure.
Contractor / Offeror
Must read the identification carefully to determine whether the clause is a standard FAR clause, a deviated clause, a supplemental clause, or an agency-issued clause. Must pay attention to deviation markings because they signal that the standard text has been changed.
Regulation Drafters / Policy Officials
Must ensure that supplemental and agency-developed provisions and clauses are numbered and titled in a way that supports clear identification and traceability. Must align the clause format with the applicable regulatory framework and publication status.
Practical Implications
This section is mainly about traceability and clarity: if a clause is misidentified, parties may misunderstand whether they are seeing standard FAR language or a modified version.
The biggest day-to-day risk is inconsistent citation format, especially when a clause is used with a deviation and the “(DEVIATION)” marker is omitted or placed incorrectly.
Contracting officers should verify not only the clause text but also the citation elements—number, title, date, and source name—before release of the solicitation or award.
Contractors should treat the identification line as a warning flag: a deviation notation means the clause may not match the standard FAR wording they know from prior procurements.
When supplemental or agency-specific clauses are used, the regulation or agency name matters because it tells the reader where the authority comes from and helps determine applicability and precedence.
Official Regulatory Text
(a) Whenever any FAR provision or clause is used without deviation in a solicitation or contract, whether it is incorporated by reference or in full text, it shall be identified by number, title, and date. This identification shall also be used if the FAR provision or clause is used with an authorized deviation, except that the contracting officer shall then insert "(DEVIATION)" after the date. Solicited firms and contractors will be advised of the meaning of this insertion through the use of the (1) provision at 52.252-5 , Authorized Deviations in Provisions, or (2) clause at 52.252-6 , Authorized Deviations in Clauses. The above mentioned provision and clause are prescribed in 52.107 (e) and (f). (b) Any provision or clause that supplements the FAR whether it is incorporated by reference or in full text shall be clearly identified by number, title, date, and name of the regulation. When a supplemental provision or clause is used with an authorized deviation, insert "(DEVIATION)" after the name of the regulation. (c) A provision or clause of the type described in 52.101 (b)(2)(i)(C) shall be identified by the title, date, and the name of the agency or suborganization within the agency that developed it. (d) Except for provisions or clauses covered by 52.103 (c), the following hypothetical examples illustrate how a provision or clause that supplements the FAR shall be identified when it is incorporated in solicitations and/or contracts by reference or in full text: (1) If part 14 (Sealed Bidding) of the X Agency Acquisition Regulation, published in the Federal Register and codified as Chapter 99 in 48 CFR, prescribes the use of a provision entitled "Bid Envelopes," dated October 1983, and that provision is sequentially the first provision or clause appearing in Section 52.214 of the X Agency Acquisition Regulation, then the identification of that provision shall be "9952.214-70-Bid Envelopes (Oct 1983) ." (2) Assume that Y, a major organizational element of the X Agency, is authorized to issue the Y Acquisition Regulation, which is not published in the Federal Register and codified in 48 CFR. If part 36 (Construction and Architect-Engineer Contracts) of the Y Acquisition Regulation prescribes the use of a clause entitled "Refrigerated Display Cases," dated March 1983, pertaining to a specialized type of construction work, and that clause is sequentially the second provision or clause appearing in Section 52.236 of the Y Acquisition Regulation, then the identification of that clause shall be "52.236-71-Refrigerated Display Cases (Mar 1983) -Y Acquisition Regulation."