How do you register in SAM.gov?
You register at sam.gov by getting a Unique Entity ID, then completing an entity registration with your legal business name and address exactly as the IRS holds them, your banking details for payment, your NAICS codes and your representations and certifications. It is free, and it takes days to weeks.
What you need before you start
Your legal business name and physical address exactly as filed with the IRS. Your EIN. A bank account in the business name with routing and account numbers. Your NAICS codes. A notarised letter is no longer required for most entities, but the name-and-address match still is — and it is the single most common failure.
The Unique Entity ID replaced the DUNS number
Since 2022 the federal identifier is the UEI, issued through SAM.gov itself, not a DUNS number from a third party. If a form or a guide asks you for a DUNS number, it is out of date. Your CAGE code is separate and is assigned during registration.
Where registrations actually fail
A business name that does not match IRS records to the character. An address that does not match. A bank account not in the legal business name. An expired registration nobody noticed — registrations must be renewed annually, and an expired one makes you ineligible for award even if you submit a winning proposal. Nobody tells you it lapsed.
It is free, and nobody needs to charge you for it
Registration on SAM.gov costs nothing. Paid services will do it for you, and some are legitimate, but a great deal of what small contractors are sold in this space is a fee for filling in a free form.
How to register in SAM.gov
- Get your legal details exactly right — Confirm your legal business name and physical address character-for-character against IRS records before you start. A mismatch here is the most common cause of a failed entity validation.
- Request a Unique Entity ID — Create a login at sam.gov and request a UEI. This replaced the DUNS number for federal awards in 2022; a CAGE code is assigned during registration.
- Complete entity validation — Submit the name, address and EIN for validation. If it fails, the fix is almost always the IRS-exact name or address rather than a missing document.
- Add your banking details — Provide a bank account in the legal business name with routing and account numbers, so the government can pay you.
- Select your NAICS codes — Add every NAICS code that describes work you can perform, because these determine which solicitations and size standards apply to you.
- Complete representations and certifications — Answer the reps and certs truthfully. These are legal statements about your size, eligibility and set-aside status.
- Set a renewal reminder — Registration expires annually and an expired registration makes you ineligible for award. Nobody tells you it lapsed.
In the product
Where your UEI, CAGE and NAICS live in the product
GovDealAI is $350/month for 10 proposal generations, with a 7-day trial and no card.
Questions people ask about this
Stop reading about it and run it on a live solicitation.
$350/month, 10 proposal generations. The trial reads, scores and drafts everything — submitting and exporting are the paid part.