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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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56 sections with “contract file documentation”: 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 13.501 Special documentation requirements.
    …er simplified acquisition procedures are exempt from the requirements in part 6. However, contracting officers must— (i) Conduct sole source acquisitions, as defined in 2.101, (including brand name) under this subpart only if the need to d…
  • 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 9.105-2 Determinations and documentation.
    (a) Determinations. (1) The contracting officer's signing of a contract constitutes a determination that the prospective contractor is responsible with respect to that contract. When an offer on which an award would otherwise be made is rej…
  • 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 13.106-3 Award and documentation.
    (a) Basis for award. Before making award, the contracting officer must determine that the proposed price is fair and reasonable. (1) Whenever possible, base price reasonableness on competitive quotations or offers. (2) If only one respons…
  • 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 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 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 42.705-1 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…
  • 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 252.244-7001 Contractor Purchasing System Administration.
    Basic. As prescribed in 244.305-71 and 244.305-71(a), use the following clause: Contractor Purchasing System Administration—Basic (Jan 2025) (a) Definitions. As used in this clause— Acceptable purchasing system means a purchasing system …
  • FAR 4.1201 Policy.
    …tifications are effective until one year from date of submission or update to SAM. (2) A contractor that represented itself as a small business prior to award of a contract must update the representations and certifications in SAM in accor…
  • DFARS 204.604 Responsibilities.
    (1) The process for reporting contract actions to FPDS should, where possible, be automated by incorporating it into contract writing systems. (2) Data in FPDS is stored indefinitely and is electronically retrievable. Therefore, the contra…
  • FAR 2.101 Definitions.
    … or term when used in that part, subpart, or section. Acquisition means the acquiring by contract with appropriated funds of supplies or services (including construction) by and for the use of the Federal Government through purchase or lea…
  • FAR 4.801 General.
    (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…
  • FAR 5.102 Availability of solicitations.
    (a)(1) Except as provided in paragraph (a)(5) of this section, the contracting officer must make available through the GPE solicitations synopsized through the GPE, including specifications, technical data, and other pertinent information d…
  • FAR 8.405-3 Blanket purchase agreements (BPAs).
    (a) Establishment. (1) Ordering activities may establish BPAs under any schedule contract to fill repetitive needs for supplies or services. Ordering activities shall establish the BPA with the schedule contractor(s) that can provide the su…
  • FAR 8.405-6 Limiting sources.
    …(A) of this section, the justification shall be posted within 30 days after award. (iii) Contracting officers shall carefully screen all justifications for contractor proprietary data and remove all such data, and such references and citat…
  • FAR 14.408-7 Documentation of award.
    (a) The contracting officer shall document compliance with 14.103-2 in the contract file. (b) The documentation shall either state that the accepted bid was the lowest bid received, or list all lower bids with reasons for their rejection i…
  • FAR 15.406-3 Documenting the negotiation.
    (a) The contracting officer shall document in the contract file the principal elements of the negotiated agreement. The documentation (e.g., price negotiation memorandum (PNM)) shall include the following: (1) The purpose of the negotiatio…
  • FAR 16.505 Ordering.
    (a) General. (1) In general, the contracting officer does not synopsize orders under indefinite-delivery contracts; except see 16.505(a)(4) and (11), and 16.505(b)(2)(ii)(D). (2) Individual orders shall clearly describe all services to be …
  • FAR 17.205 Documentation.
    (a) The contracting officer shall justify in writing the quantities or the term under option, the notification period for exercising the option, and any limitation on option price under 17.203(g); and shall include the justification documen…
  • FAR 17.502-1 General.
    …nship between the parties, including roles and responsibilities for acquisition planning, contract execution, and administration and management of the contract(s) or order(s). The requesting agency shall provide to the servicing agency any …
  • FAR 17.804 Procedures.
    (a) When considering the use of a reverse auction service provider, the contracting officer shall— (1) Conduct market research for available sources of reverse auction services (e.g., existing agency contracts or agreements, commercial ser…
  • FAR 19.306 Protesting a firm's status as a HUBZone small business concern.
    …has the meaning given in 13 CFR 126.103. (b)(1) For sole-source procurements, SBA or the contracting officer may protest the prospective contractor's certified HUBZone status; for all other procurements, SBA, the contracting officer, or an…
  • FAR 19.307 Protesting a firm's status as a service-disabled veteran-owned small business concern.
    … meaning given in 13 CFR 134.1002(b). (b) General. (1) For sole source acquisitions, the contracting officer, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), or SBA may protest the apparently successful offeror's service-disabled veteran-owned sm…
  • FAR 19.602-2 Issuing or denying a Certificate of Competency (COC).
    Within 15 business days (or a longer period agreed to by the SBA and the contracting agency) after receiving a notice that a small business concern lacks certain elements of responsibility, the SBA Area Office will take the following action…
  • FAR 19.602-3 Resolving differences between the agency and the Small Business Administration.
    …0 and $25,000,000. (1) When disagreements arise about a concern's ability to perform, the contracting officer and the SBA shall make every effort to reach a resolution before the SBA takes final action on a COC. This shall be done through t…
  • FAR 32.006-4 Procedures.
    … case in which an agency's remedy coordination official finds substantial evidence that a contractor's request for advance, partial, or progress payments under a contract awarded by that agency is based on fraud, the remedy coordination off…
  • FAR 32.503-10 Establishing alternate liquidation rates.
    (a) The contracting officer must ensure that the liquidation rate is— (1) High enough to result in Government recoupment of the applicable progress payments on each billing; and (2) Supported by documentation included in the administratio…
  • FAR 33.104 Protests to GAO.
    … location designated in the solicitation or, in the absence of such a designation, to the contracting officer, so it is received no later than 1 day after the protest is filed with the GAO. The GAO may dismiss the protest if the protester f…
  • FAR 39.204 Exceptions.
    … as part of a national security system, as defined by 40 U.S.C. 11103(a); (2) Incidental contract items. ICT acquired by a contractor incidental to a contract, i.e., for in-house use by the contractor to perform the contract; or (3) Maint…
  • FAR 41.202 Procedures.
    (a) Prior to executing a utility service contract, the contracting officer shall comply with parts 6 and 7 and 41.201 (d) and (e). In accordance with parts 6 and 7, agencies shall conduct market surveys and perform acquisition planning in o…
  • FAR 42.1203 Processing agreements.
    (a) If a contractor wishes the Government to recognize a successor in interest to its contracts or a name change, the contractor must submit a written request to the responsible contracting officer (see 42.1202). If the contractor received …
  • FAR 52.222-27 Affirmative Action Compliance Requirements for Construction.
    … clause— Covered area means the geographical area described in the solicitation for this contract. Deputy Assistant Secretary means the Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs, U.S. Department of …
  • FAR 52.222-62 Paid Sick Leave Under Executive Order 13706.
    …. Employee—(1)(i) Means any person engaged in performing work on or in connection with a contract covered by Executive Order (E.O.) 13706; and (A) Whose wages under such contract are governed by the Service Contract Labor Standards statut…
  • FAR 52.227-14 Rights in Data—General.
    …technical data and computer software. The term does not include information incidental to contract administration, such as financial, administrative, cost or pricing, or management information. Form, fit, and function data means data relat…
  • FAR 52.245-1 Government Property.
    …parts from Government property for use or for installation on other Government property. Contractor-acquired property means property acquired, fabricated, or otherwise provided by the Contractor for performing a contract, and to which the …

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.