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FAR and DFARS › DFARS Part 246: Quality Assurance › Subpart 246.4

DFARS 246.402 Government contract quality assurance at source.

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 DFARS section tells contracting officers not to require Government contract quality assurance at source for contracts or delivery orders under $400,000, unless certain exceptions apply. For contractors, this means that for lower-value contracts, the Government generally will not perform quality assurance at your facility unless one of the listed conditions is met.

Applies to: Contracts or delivery orders valued below $400,000

Key terms: Government contract quality assurance at source · contracts · delivery orders · contracting officer · critical characteristics

Written by AI from this section's text. A guide, not legal advice: the text below rules.

The text

Do not require Government contract quality assurance at source for contracts or delivery orders valued below $400,000, unless—

(1) Mandated by DoD regulation;

(2) Required by a memorandum of agreement between the acquiring department or agency and the contract administration agency; or

(3) The contracting officer determines that—

(i) Contract technical requirements are significant (e.g., the technical requirements include drawings, test procedures, or performance requirements);

(ii) The product being acquired—

(A) Has critical characteristics;

(B) Has specific features identified that make Government contract quality assurance at source necessary; or

(C) Has specific acquisition concerns identified that make Government contract quality assurance at source necessary; and

(iii) The contract is being awarded to—

(A) A manufacturer or producer; or

(B) A non-manufacturer or non-producer and specific Government verifications have been identified as necessary and feasible to perform.

Sections that refer to it

  • 246.404 Government contract quality assurance for acquisitions at or below the simplified acquisition threshold.

← 246.401 General. · 246.404 Government contract quality assurance for acquisitions at or below the simplified acquisition threshold. →

Rule changes for DFARS Part 246

Source: eCFR, 48 CFR chapters 1 and 2 (GPO GovInfo bulk data) ↗. Plain words for the terms: glossary.

DFARS 246.402 Government contract quality assurance at source · SpendQuery