FAR and DFARS › FAR Part 4: Administrative and Information Matters › Subpart 4.8
FAR 4.801 General.
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 requires the head of each office that performs contracting, contract administration, or paying functions to establish files containing records of all contractual actions. The documentation must be complete enough to serve as a full history of the transaction, supporting decisions, reviews, investigations, litigation, and congressional inquiries. It also specifies the types of files to be kept, including files for cancelled solicitations, each contract, and general contractor information.
Applies to: Heads of offices performing contracting, contract administration, or paying functions
What it requires
- Establish files containing the records of all contractual actions
- Ensure documentation is sufficient to constitute a complete history of the transaction
- Include a file for cancelled solicitations
- Include a file for each contract
Key terms: contracting · contract administration · paying functions · contractual actions · cancelled solicitations
Written by AI from this section's text. A guide, not legal advice: the text below rules.
The text
(a) The head of each office performing contracting, contract administration, or paying functions shall establish files containing the records of all contractual actions.
(b) The documentation in the files (see 4.803) shall be sufficient to constitute a complete history of the transaction for the purpose of—
(1) Providing a complete background as a basis for informed decisions at each step in the acquisition process;
(2) Supporting actions taken;
(3) Providing information for reviews and investigations; and
(4) Furnishing essential facts in the event of litigation or congressional inquiries.
(c) The files to be established include—
(1) A file for cancelled solicitations;
(2) A file for each contract; and
(3) A file such as a contractor general file, containing documents relating, for example, to—
(i) No specific contract;
(ii) More than one contract; or
(iii) The contractor in a general way (e.g., contractor's management systems, past performance, or capabilities).
Sections it refers to
- 4.803 Contents of contract files.
← 4.800 Scope of subpart. · 4.802 Contract files. →
Rule changes for FAR Part 4
- Federal Acquisition Regulation: Revolutionary Federal Acquisition Regulation Overhaul Parts 1, 2, 4, 33, 39, 40, and 53 ↗ · proposed 2026-06-23 · comments due 2026-07-23
- Federal Acquisition Regulation: Inflation Adjustment of Acquisition-Related Thresholds ↗ · final rule 2025-08-27 · effective 2025-10-01
- Federal Acquisition Regulation: Small Business Innovation Research and Technology Transfer Programs ↗ · proposed 2025-06-12
- Federal Acquisition Regulation: Controlled Unclassified Information ↗ · proposed 2025-01-15 · comments due 2025-03-17
- Federal Acquisition Regulation: Disclosure of Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Climate-Related Financial Risk ↗ · proposed 2025-01-13
- Federal Acquisition Regulation: Rerepresentation of Size and Socioeconomic Status ↗ · final rule 2025-01-03 · effective 2025-01-17
- Federal Acquisition Regulation: Prohibition on Unmanned Aircraft Systems From Covered Foreign Entities ↗ · final rule 2024-12-30
- Federal Acquisition Regulation: Inflation Adjustment of Acquisition-Related Thresholds ↗ · proposed 2024-11-29 · comments due 2025-01-28
Source: eCFR, 48 CFR chapters 1 and 2 (GPO GovInfo bulk data) ↗. Plain words for the terms: glossary.