FAR and DFARS › FAR Part 4: Administrative and Information Matters › Subpart 4.6

FAR 4.604 Responsibilities.

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 assigns responsibilities for reporting contract actions to the Federal Procurement Data System (FPDS). It requires contracting officers to ensure that contract action reports (CARs) are accurate and completed within specific timeframes, and it mandates annual agency certification of data completeness and accuracy. For contractors, this means that the government will publicly report information about their contracts, including size status changes, which can affect eligibility for small business programs.

Applies to: Contracting officers, Senior Procurement Executives, and chief acquisition officers

What it requires

  • Contracting officer must confirm CAR accuracy before contract award release.
  • Contracting officer must complete CAR in FPDS within three business days after contract award (or 30 days for certain authorities).
  • Contracting officer must update FPDS size status within 30 days after receiving contractor's rerepresentation notification.
  • Contracting officer must update FPDS to reflect SBA's final size protest decision.

Key terms: FPDS · contract action report (CAR) · contracting officer · size status · rerepresentation

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

The text

(a) The Senior Procurement Executive in coordination with the head of the contracting activity is responsible for developing and monitoring a process to ensure timely and accurate reporting of contractual actions to FPDS.

(b)(1) The responsibility for the completion and accuracy of the individual contract action report (CAR) resides with the contracting officer who awarded the contract action. CARs in a draft or error status in FPDS are not considered complete.

(2) The CAR must be confirmed for accuracy by the contracting officer prior to release of the contract award. The CAR must then be completed in FPDS within three business days after contract award.

(3) For any action awarded in accordance with 6.302-2 or pursuant to any of the authorities listed at subpart 18.2, the CAR must be completed in FPDS within 30 days after contract award.

(4) When the contracting officer receives written notification that a contractor has changed its size status in accordance with the clause at 52.219-28, Postaward Small Business Program Rerepresentation, the contracting officer shall update the size status in FPDS within 30 days after receipt of contractor's notification of rerepresentation.

(5) If after award of a contract, the contracting officer receives written notification of SBA's final decision on a protest concerning a size determination, the contracting officer shall update FPDS to reflect the final decision.

(c) The chief acquisition officer of each agency required to report its contract actions must submit to the General Services Administration (GSA), in accordance with FPDS guidance, within 120 days after the end of each fiscal year, an annual certification of whether, and to what degree, agency CAR data for the preceding fiscal year is complete and accurate.

Sections it refers to

  • 6.302-2 Unusual and compelling urgency.
  • 52.219-28 Postaward Small Business Program Rerepresentation.

Sections that refer to it

← 4.603 Policy. · 4.605 Procedures. →

Rule changes for FAR Part 4

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

FAR 4.604 Responsibilities · SpendQuery