FAR and DFARS › FAR Part 13: Simplified Acquisition Procedures › Subpart 13.2
FAR 13.202 Unenforceability of unauthorized obligations in micro-purchases.
The codified text (eCFR, as of 2026-10-02). Under the Revolutionary FAR Overhaul ↗, agencies follow class deviations with new text for many parts while the formal rules go through the Federal Register: check the solicitation and your contract's clauses, which rule.
In plain English
This section explains that many supplies and services, especially in information technology, come with supplier license agreements that may include indemnification clauses conflicting with Federal law. Such clauses are unenforceable and could lead to Anti-Deficiency Act violations if accepted by the Government. The clause at 52.232-39 automatically applies to micro-purchases, including those made with the Governmentwide purchase card, to prevent these violations.
Applies to: Micro-purchases, including those made with the Governmentwide purchase card
Key terms: micro-purchase · supplier license agreements · End User License Agreement (EULA) · Terms of Service (TOS) · Anti-Deficiency Act
Written by AI from this section's text. A guide, not legal advice: the text below rules.
The text
Many supplies or services are acquired subject to supplier license agreements. These are particularly common in information technology acquisitions, but they may apply to any supply or service. For example, computer software and services delivered through the internet (web services) are often subject to license agreements, referred to as End User License Agreements (EULA), Terms of Service (TOS), or other similar legal instruments or agreements. Many of these agreements contain indemnification clauses that are inconsistent with Federal law and unenforceable, but which could create a violation of the Anti-Deficiency Act (31 U.S.C. 1341) if agreed to by the Government. The clause at 52.232-39, Unenforceability of Unauthorized Obligations, automatically applies to any micro-purchase, including those made with the Governmentwide purchase card. This clause prevents such violations of the Anti-Deficiency Act.
Sections it refers to
- 52.232-39 Unenforceability of Unauthorized Obligations.
Sections that refer to it
- 13.201 General.
← 13.201 General. · 13.203 Purchase guidelines. →
Rule changes for FAR Part 13
- Federal Acquisition Regulation: Revolutionary FAR Overhaul Parts 8, 12, 13, 15, 38, 44, and 51 ↗ · proposed 2026-09-18 · comments due 2026-10-19
- Federal Acquisition Regulation: Prohibition on Certain Semiconductor Products and Services ↗ · proposed 2026-02-17 · comments due 2026-04-20
- Federal Acquisition Regulation: Inflation Adjustment of Acquisition-Related Thresholds ↗ · final rule 2025-08-27 · effective 2025-10-01
- Federal Acquisition Regulation: Preventing Organizational Conflicts of Interest in Federal Acquisition ↗ · proposed 2025-01-15 · comments due 2025-03-17
- Federal Acquisition Regulation: Prohibition on Unmanned Aircraft Systems From Covered Foreign Entities ↗ · final rule 2024-12-30
- Federal Acquisition Regulation; Technical Amendments ↗ · final rule 2024-12-16 · effective 2025-01-03
- Federal Acquisition Regulation: Inflation Adjustment of Acquisition-Related Thresholds ↗ · proposed 2024-11-29 · comments due 2025-01-28
- Federal Acquisition Regulation: Prohibition on Unmanned Aircraft Systems From Covered Foreign Entities ↗ · final rule 2024-11-12 · effective 2024-11-12
Source: eCFR, 48 CFR chapters 1 and 2 (GPO GovInfo bulk data) ↗. Plain words for the terms: glossary.