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48 CFR · Federal Acquisition Regulation and Defense supplement

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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.

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292 sections with “contract file”: the first 40

  • FAR 4.802 Contract files.
    (a) A contract file should generally consist of— (1) The contracting office contract file, that documents the basis for the acquisition and the award, the assignment of contract administration (including payment responsibilities), and any …
  • FAR 4.803 Contents of contract files.
    The following are examples of the records normally contained, if applicable, in contract files: (a) Contracting office contract file. (1) Purchase request, acquisition planning information, and other presolicitation documents. (2) Justifi…
  • FAR 4.804-5 Procedures for closing out contract files.
    (a) The contract administration office is responsible for initiating (automated or manual) administrative closeout of the contract after receiving evidence of its physical completion. At the outset of this process, the contract administrati…
  • DFARS 204.802 Contract files.
    (a) Any document posted to the Electronic Data Access (EDA) system is part of the contract file and is accessible by multiple parties, including the contractor. Do not include in EDA contract documents that are classified, too sensitive for…
  • DFARS 204.805 Disposal of contract files.
    (1) The sources of the period for which contract files must be retained are General Records Schedule 3 (Procurement, Supply, and Grant Records) and General Records Schedule 6 (Accountable Officers' Accounts Records). Copies of the General R…
  • DFARS 204.804 Closeout of contract files.
    (1) Except as provided in paragraph (3) of this section, contracting officers shall close out contracts in accordance with the procedures at PGI 204.804. The closeout date for file purposes shall be determined and documented by the procurin…
  • FAR 4.804-3 Closeout of paying office contract files.
    The paying office shall close the contract file upon issuance of the final payment voucher.
  • FAR 4.805 Storage, handling, and contract files.
    (a) Agencies must prescribe procedures for the handling, storing, and disposing of contract files, in accordance with the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) General Records Schedule 1.1, Financial Management and Reporting R…
  • FAR 4.804 Closeout of contract files.
  • FAR 4.804-2 Closeout of the contracting office files if another office administers the contract.
    (a) Contract files for contracts using simplified acquisition procedures should be considered closed when the contracting officer receives evidence of receipt of property and final payment, unless otherwise specified by agency regulation. …
  • FAR 4.804-1 Closeout by the office administering the contract.
    (a) Except as provided in paragraph (c) of this section, time standards for closing out contract files are as follows: (1) Files for contracts using simplified acquisition procedures should be considered closed when the contracting officer…
  • FAR 9.504 Contracting officer responsibilities.
    (a) Using the general rules, procedures, and examples in this subpart, contracting officers shall analyze planned acquisitions in order to— (1) Identify and evaluate potential organizational conflicts of interest as early in the acquisitio…
  • FAR 9.702 Contracting with pools.
    …fied in this subpart, a pool shall be treated the same as any other prospective or actual contractor. (b) The contracting officer shall not award a contract to a pool unless the offer leading to the contract is submitted by the pool in its…
  • FAR 14.201-1 Uniform contract format.
    (a) Contracting officers shall prepare invitations for bids and contracts using the uniform contract format outlined in Table 14-1 to the maximum practicable extent. The use of the format facilitates preparation of the solicitation and cont…
  • FAR 14.201-9 Simplified contract format.
    … or fixed-price with economic price adjustment acquisitions of supplies and services, the contracting officer may use the simplified contract format in lieu of the uniform contract format (see 14.201-1). The contracting officer has flexibil…
  • FAR 15.204-1 Uniform contract format.
    (a) Contracting officers shall prepare solicitations and resulting contracts using the uniform contract format outlined in Table 15-1 of this subsection. (b) Solicitations using the uniform contract format shall include Parts I, II, III, a…
  • FAR 16.103 Negotiating contract type.
    (a) Selecting the contract type is generally a matter for negotiation and requires the exercise of sound judgment. Negotiating the contract type and negotiating prices are closely related and should be considered together. The objective is …
  • FAR 16.203-4 Contract clauses.
    (a) Adjustment based on established prices—standard supplies. (1) The contracting officer shall, when contracting by negotiation, insert the clause at 52.216-2, Economic Price Adjustment—Standard Supplies, or an agency-prescribed clause as …
  • FAR 16.504 Indefinite-quantity contracts.
    (a) Description. An indefinite-quantity contract provides for an indefinite quantity, within stated limits, of supplies or services during a fixed period. The Government places orders for individual requirements. Quantity limits may be stat…
  • FAR 19.705-2 Determining the need for a subcontracting plan.
    The contracting officer shall take the following actions to determine whether a proposed contractual action requires a subcontracting plan: (a)(1) Determine whether the proposed total contract-dollars will exceed the subcontracting plan th…
  • FAR 19.705-7 Compliance with the subcontracting plan.
    …all business, small disadvantaged business, and women-owned small business concerns as subcontractors in Government contracts is a matter of national interest with both social and economic benefits. When a contractor fails to make a good fa…
  • FAR 36.214 Special procedures for price negotiation in construction contracting.
    …the policies and procedures in part 15 when negotiating prices for construction. (b) The contracting officer shall evaluate proposals and associated certified cost or pricing data and data other than certified cost or pricing data and shal…
  • FAR 41.204 GSA areawide contracts.
    (a) Purpose. GSA enters into areawide contracts (see 41.101) for use by Federal agencies. Areawide contracts provide a pre-established contractual vehicle for ordering utility services under the conditions in paragraph (c)(1) of this sectio…
  • FAR 41.205 Separate contracts.
    (a) In the absence of an areawide contract or interagency agreement (see 41.206), agencies shall acquire utility services by separate contract subject to this part, and subject to agency contracting authority. (b) If an agency enters into …
  • DFARS 237.104 Personal services contracts.
    …sonal services of experts and consultants is included in 10 U.S.C. 129b. Personal service contracts for expert and consultant services must also be authorized by a determination and findings (D&F) in accordance with department/agency regula…
  • DFARS 237.172 Service contracts surveillance.
    …the preparation of the statement of work or statement of objectives for solicitations and contracts for services. These plans should be tailored to address the performance risks inherent in the specific contract type and the work effort add…
  • FAR 1.604 Contracting Officer's Representative (COR).
    A contracting officer's representative (COR) assists in the technical monitoring or administration of a contract (see 1.602-2(d)). The COR shall maintain a file for each assigned contract. The file must include, at a minimum— (a) A copy of…
  • FAR 12.207 Contract type.
    … Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this section, agencies shall use firm-fixed-price contracts or fixed-price contracts with economic price adjustment for the acquisition of commercial products or commercial services. (b)(1) A time-an…
  • FAR 16.601 Time-and-materials contracts.
    (a) Definitions for the purposes of Time-and-Materials Contracts. Direct materials means those materials that enter directly into the end product, or that are used or consumed directly in connection with the furnishing of the end product o…
  • FAR 19.103 Appealing the contracting officer's North American Industry Classification System code and size standard determination.
    (a) The contracting officer's determination is final unless appealed as follows: (1) An appeal of a contracting officer's NAICS code designation and the applicable size standard shall be served and filed within 10 calendar days after the i…
  • FAR 27.303 Contract clauses.
    (a)(1) Insert a patent rights clause in all solicitations and contracts for experimental, developmental, or research work as prescribed in this section. (2) This section also applies to solicitations or contracts for construction work or a…
  • FAR 33.211 Contracting officer's decision.
    (a) When a claim by or against a contractor cannot be satisfied or settled by mutual agreement and a decision on the claim is necessary, the contracting officer shall— (1) Review the facts pertinent to the claim; (2) Secure assistance fro…
  • FAR 37.103 Contracting officer responsibility.
    (a) The contracting officer is responsible for ensuring that a proposed contract for services is proper. For this purpose the contracting officer shall— (1) Determine whether the proposed service is for a personal or nonpersonal services c…
  • FAR 42.401 Contract correspondence.
    (a) The contracting officer (or other contracting agency personnel) normally shall (1) forward correspondence relating to assigned contract administration functions through the cognizant contract administration office (CAO) to the contracto…
  • FAR 42.705-1 Contracting officer determination procedure.
    (a) Applicability and responsibility. Contracting officer determination shall be used for the following, with the indicated cognizant contracting officer (or cognizant Federal agency official) responsible for establishing the final indirect…
  • FAR 42.1205 Agreement to recognize contractor's change of name.
    (a) If only a change of the contractor's name is involved and the Government's and contractor's rights and obligations remain unaffected, the parties shall execute an agreement to reflect the name change. The contractor shall forward to the…
  • FAR 49.107 Audit of prime contract settlement proposals and subcontract settlements.
    (a) The TCO shall refer each prime contractor settlement proposal valued at or above the threshold for obtaining certified cost or pricing data set forth in FAR 15.403-4(a)(1) to the appropriate audit agency for review and recommendations. …
  • FAR 49.402-5 Memorandum by the contracting officer.
    When a contract is terminated for default or a procedure authorized by 49.402-4 is followed, the contracting officer shall prepare a memorandum for the contract file explaining the reasons for the action taken.
  • FAR 52.204-10 Reporting Executive Compensation and First-Tier Subcontract Awards.
    …1403(a), insert the following clause: Reporting Executive Compensation and First-Tier Subcontract Awards (JUN 2020) (a) Definitions. As used in this clause: Executive means officers, managing partners, or any other employees in managemen…
  • FAR 52.204-21 Basic Safeguarding of Covered Contractor Information Systems.
    As prescribed in 4.1903, insert the following clause: Basic Safeguarding of Covered Contractor Information Systems (NOV 2021) (a) Definitions. As used in this clause— Covered contractor information system means an information system that…

FAR (chapter 1)

DFARS (chapter 2, Defense)

Source: eCFR, 48 CFR chapters 1 and 2 (GPO GovInfo bulk data) ↗. Rule changes in progress: FAR, DFARS. Terms: glossary.