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FAR and DFARS › FAR Part 52: Solicitation Provisions and Contract Clauses › Subpart 52.1

FAR 52.104 Procedures for modifying and completing provisions and clauses.

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 tells contracting officers how they may modify or complete provisions and clauses in a contract. It restricts modifications to only those authorized by the FAR and specifies how to show changes or fill in blanks, depending on whether the clause is incorporated by reference or in full text. Contractors should be aware that any changes to clauses must follow these rules, which helps ensure clarity and consistency in the contract.

Applies to: Contracting officers

What it requires

  • Do not modify provisions and clauses unless the FAR authorizes their modification.
  • When modifying provisions or clauses incorporated by reference, insert the changed wording directly below the title, identifying to the lowest level necessary.
  • When modifying provisions or clauses incorporated in full text, modify the language directly by substituting the changed wording as permitted.
  • When completing blanks in provisions or clauses incorporated by reference, insert the fill-in information directly below the title, identifying to the lowest level necessary.

Key terms: provisions · clauses · incorporated by reference · incorporated in full text · contracting officer

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

The text

(a) The contracting officer must not modify provisions and clauses unless the FAR authorizes their modification. For example—

(1) “The contracting officer may use a period shorter than 60 days (but not less than 30 days) in paragraph (x) of the clause”; or

(2) “The contracting officer may substitute the words ‘task order’ for the word ‘Schedule’ wherever that word appears in the clause.”

(b) When modifying provisions or clauses incorporated by reference, insert the changed wording directly below the title of the provision or clause identifying to the lowest level necessary (e.g., paragraph, sentence, word), to clearly indicate what is being modified.

(c) When modifying provisions or clauses incorporated in full text, modify the language directly by substituting the changed wording as permitted.

(d) When completing blanks in provisions or clauses incorporated by reference, insert the fill-in information directly below the title of the provision or clause identifying to the lowest level necessary to clearly indicate the blanks being filled in.

(e) When completing blanks in provisions or clauses incorporated in full text, insert the fill-in information in the blanks of the provision or clause.

Sections that refer to it

  • 12.301 Solicitation provisions and contract clauses for the acquisition of commercial products and commercial services.
  • 52.101 Using part 52.
  • 52.102 Incorporating provisions and clauses.

← 52.103 Identification of provisions and clauses. · 52.105 Procedures for using alternates. →

Rule changes for FAR Part 52

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

FAR 52.104 Procedures for modifying and completing provisions and clauses · SpendQuery