FAR 52.204-13—System for Award Management Maintenance.
Plain-English Summary
FAR 52.204-13, System for Award Management Maintenance, tells contractors how to keep their SAM registration current after award and how that registration ties to payment, identity, and contract administration. It defines key terms such as Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) indicator, registered in SAM, SAM, and unique entity identifier, and it explains what counts as an active, valid registration. The clause also sets the timing rule for contractors that could not register before award under 52.204-7 Alternate I, requiring registration within 30 days after award or before the first invoice, whichever comes first. It requires contractors to maintain registration through final payment, update SAM annually, and keep the data accurate, complete, and current, because the Government relies on that information for award, payment, and exclusion screening. The clause further addresses name changes, doing-business-as changes, novation and change-of-name procedures, assignment of claims, EFT payment information, and the need to keep the unique entity identifier tied to the correct entity throughout contract performance. In practice, this clause is a compliance and payment-risk provision: if SAM data is wrong, stale, or inconsistent with the contract, the contractor can face delayed or suspended payments and administrative complications.
Key Rules
SAM registration must stay active
The contractor must maintain an active SAM registration during contract performance and through final payment for contracts, basic agreements, basic ordering agreements, and blanket purchasing agreements. Registration is not a one-time event; it must remain valid and active for the life of the contractual relationship.
Annual updates are required
The contractor must review and update SAM at least annually from the date of initial registration or the most recent update to keep the information current, accurate, and complete. Failing to refresh the record can cause the registration to lapse or become unreliable for payment and award purposes.
Data accuracy is the contractor’s responsibility
The contractor is responsible for the currency, accuracy, and completeness of all SAM data and may be liable for losses resulting from the Government’s reliance on inaccurate or incomplete information. This includes entity identity data, points of contact, representations and certifications, and payment-related information.
Late registration after award
If the solicitation used 52.204-7 with Alternate I and the contractor could not register before award, the contractor must register in SAM within 30 days after award or before three days before the first invoice, whichever occurs first. This creates a short post-award compliance window tied directly to payment eligibility.
Name changes require notice and documentation
If the contractor legally changes its business name or DBA name shown on the contract, or transfers assets used in performance, it must give the contracting officer at least one business day’s written notice and provide supporting documentation. The contractor must also state whether it will change SAM, comply with novation/change-of-name procedures, and agree to the contracting officer’s timeline and procedures.
Novation and change-of-name rules still apply
A SAM name change does not replace the requirements of FAR subpart 42.12. If the contractor has not completed the required novation or change-of-name agreement, inconsistent SAM information may be treated as incorrect information for purposes of the EFT clause and can affect payment.
Assignment of claims cannot be disguised in SAM
The contractor may not change the SAM payment name or address to reflect an assignee for purposes of assignment of claims. Assignees must be separately registered in SAM, and payment information that suggests payment to someone other than the contractor may be treated as incorrect information under the EFT clause.
UEI must stay tied to the right entity
The contractor must ensure the unique entity identifier remains associated with the correct entity at SAM throughout the life of the contract. Any UEI change must be reported to the contracting officer within 30 days so the contract can be modified as needed; a UEI change does not automatically require novation.
Responsibilities
Contractor
Maintain an active SAM registration through final payment; keep all SAM data current, accurate, and complete; update SAM annually; provide consent for TIN validation; register within the post-award deadline if pre-award registration was not completed; notify the contracting officer of legal name changes, DBA changes, asset transfers, and UEI changes; provide supporting documentation; and avoid using SAM to redirect payments to an assignee.
Contracting Officer
Monitor whether the contractor’s SAM information remains consistent with the contract; receive and act on written notice of name changes, asset transfers, and UEI changes; determine the timeline and procedures for name-change or novation-related actions; and issue contract modifications when needed to reflect updated entity information.
Government/SAM system
Validate mandatory registration data, including TIN validation with IRS consent; mark the record Active when registration is complete; and serve as the central repository for awardee information, representations and certifications, and exclusion data used for procurement and assistance processes.
Assignee (if any)
Register separately in SAM rather than relying on the contractor’s record; avoid using the contractor’s SAM payment information to receive assigned payments; and comply with assignment-of-claims requirements under FAR subpart 32.8.
Practical Implications
A stale SAM record can delay or stop payment, especially if EFT data, name, address, or UEI information does not match the contract file.
Contractors should calendar annual SAM reviews and also update the record immediately after any corporate event, banking change, or contact change that affects the registration.
A legal name change or asset transfer is not just a SAM edit; it often triggers novation or change-of-name procedures and requires coordination with the contracting officer.
If the contractor was awarded before completing SAM registration under the Alternate I scenario, the post-award deadline is short and tied to the first invoice, so missing it can jeopardize payment.
Trying to route payments to an assignee through SAM instead of following assignment-of-claims rules is a common compliance mistake and can be treated as incorrect payment information.
Official Regulatory Text
As prescribed in 4.1105 (b) , use the following clause: System for Award Management Maintenance. (Oct 2018) (a) Definitions. As used in this clause— Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) indicator means a four-character suffix to the unique entity identifier. The suffix is assigned at the discretion of the commercial, nonprofit, or Government entity to establish additional System for Award Management (SAM) records for identifying alternative EFT accounts (see subpart 32.11 ) for the same entity. Registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) means that– (1) The Contractor has entered all mandatory information, including the unique entity identifier and the EFT indicator (if applicable), the Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) code, as well as data required by the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006 (see subpart 4.14 ), into SAM; (2) The Contractor has completed the Core, Assertions, Representations and Certifications, and Points of Contact sections of the registration in SAM; (3) The Government has validated all mandatory data fields, to include validation of the Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). The Contractor will be required to provide consent for TIN validation to the Government as a part of the SAM registration process; and (4) The Government has marked the record "Active". System for Award Management (SAM) means the primary Government repository for prospective Federal awardee and Federal awardee information and the centralized Government system for certain contracting, grants, and other assistance-related processes. It includes– (1) Data collected from prospective Federal awardees required for the conduct of business with the Government; (2) Prospective contractor-submitted annual representations and certifications in accordance with FAR subpart 4.12 ; and (3) Identification of those parties excluded from receiving Federal contracts, certain subcontracts, and certain types of Federal financial and non-financial assistance and benefits. Unique entity identifier means a number or other identifier used to identify a specific commercial, nonprofit, or Government entity. See www.sam.gov for the designated entity for establishing unique entity identifiers. (b) If the solicitation for this contract contained the provision 52.204-7 with its Alternate I, and the Contractor was unable to register prior to award, the Contractor shall be registered in SAM within 30 days after award or before three days prior to submission of the first invoice, whichever occurs first. (c) The Contractor shall maintain registration in SAM during contract performance and through final payment of any contract, basic agreement, basic ordering agreement, or blanket purchasing agreement. The Contractor is responsible for the currency, accuracy and completeness of the data within SAM, and for any liability resulting from the Government's reliance on inaccurate or incomplete data. To remain registered in SAM after the initial registration, the Contractor is required to review and update on an annual basis, from the date of initial registration or subsequent updates, its information in SAM to ensure it is current, accurate and complete. Updating information in SAM does not alter the terms and conditions of this contract and is not a substitute for a properly executed contractual document. (d) (1) (i) If a Contractor has legally changed its business name or "doing business as" name (whichever is shown on the contract), or has transferred the assets used in performing the contract, but has not completed the necessary requirements regarding novation and change-of-name agreements in subpart 42.12 , the Contractor shall provide the responsible Contracting Officer a minimum of one business day's written notification of its intention to— (A) Change the name in SAM; (B) Comply with the requirements of subpart 42.12 of the FAR; and (C) Agree in writing to the timeline and procedures specified by the responsible Contracting Officer. The Contractor shall provide with the notification sufficient documentation to support the legally changed name. (ii) If the Contractor fails to comply with the requirements of paragraph (d)(1)(i) of this clause, or fails to perform the agreement at paragraph (d)(1)(i)(C) of this clause, and, in the absence of a properly executed novation or change-of-name agreement, the SAM information that shows the Contractor to be other than the Contractor indicated in the contract will be considered to be incorrect information within the meaning of the "Suspension of Payment" paragraph of the electronic funds transfer (EFT) clause of this contract. (2) The Contractor shall not change the name or address for EFT payments or manual payments, as appropriate, in SAM record to reflect an assignee for the purpose of assignment of claims (see FAR subpart 32.8 , Assignment of Claims). Assignees shall be separately registered in the SAM. Information provided to the Contractor’s SAM record that indicates payments, including those made by EFT, to an ultimate recipient other than that Contractor will be considered to be incorrect information within the meaning of the "Suspension of Payment" paragraph of the EFT clause of this contract. (3) The Contractor shall ensure that the unique entity identifier is maintained with the entity designated at www.sam.gov for establishment of the unique entity identifier throughout the life of the contract. The Contractor shall communicate any change to the unique entity identifier to the Contracting Officer within 30 days after the change, so an appropriate modification can be issued to update the data on the contract. A change in the unique entity identifier does not necessarily require a novation be accomplished. (e) Contractors may obtain additional information on registration and annual confirmation requirements at https://www.sam.gov . (End of clause)