FAR and DFARS › FAR Part 9: Contractor Qualifications › Subpart 9.5
FAR 9.503 Waiver.
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 allows the agency head or a designee to waive any general rule or procedure in this subpart if applying it in a particular situation would not be in the Government's interest. A waiver request must be in writing, describe the extent of the conflict, and be approved by the agency head or a designee. Agency heads cannot delegate waiver authority below the head of a contracting activity.
Applies to: Agency heads, designees, and contractors involved in situations where a waiver of this subpart's rules is requested
What it requires
- Any request for waiver must be in writing
- The request shall set forth the extent of the conflict
- The request requires approval by the agency head or a designee
- Agency heads shall not delegate waiver authority below the level of head of a contracting activity
Key terms: waiver · agency head · designee · contracting activity · conflict
Written by AI from this section's text. A guide, not legal advice: the text below rules.
The text
The agency head or a designee may waive any general rule or procedure of this subpart by determining that its application in a particular situation would not be in the Government's interest. Any request for waiver must be in writing, shall set forth the extent of the conflict, and requires approval by the agency head or a designee. Agency heads shall not delegate waiver authority below the level of head of a contracting activity.
Sections that refer to it
- 9.504 Contracting officer responsibilities.
- 42.1204 Applicability of novation agreements.
- 209.503-70 Waiver.
- 209.571-4 Mitigation.
← 9.502 Applicability. · 9.504 Contracting officer responsibilities. →
Rule changes for FAR Part 9
- Federal Acquisition Regulation: Revolutionary Federal Acquisition Regulation Overhaul Parts 9, 27, and 47 ↗ · 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: 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: Improving Consistency Between Procurement and Nonprocurement Procedures on Suspension and Debarment ↗ · final rule 2025-01-03 · effective 2025-01-17
- Federal Acquisition Regulation: Certification of Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses ↗ · final rule 2024-12-16 · effective 2024-12-16
Source: eCFR, 48 CFR chapters 1 and 2 (GPO GovInfo bulk data) ↗. Plain words for the terms: glossary.