SAM.gov Verification

Muin’s SAM.gov Verification automates the process of checking vendor registration status in the federal System for Award Management. Essential for any organization doing business with the federal government or requiring vendor compliance verification.

What is SAM.gov?

Overview

SAM.gov (System for Award Management) is the official U.S. government system for:

Entity registration - All businesses must register to do federal work
Exclusions database - Parties barred from federal contracts
Contract opportunities - Federal procurement listings
Entity validation - Verify business legitimacy

Why SAM.gov Matters

Verification is required when:

Awarding federal contracts or subcontracts
Processing federal grants
Meeting compliance requirements
Conducting vendor due diligence

Key Identifiers

Identifier	Description
UEI	Unique Entity Identifier (new standard)
DUNS	D-U-N-S Number (legacy, being phased out)
CAGE Code	Commercial and Government Entity Code
TIN/EIN	Tax Identification Number

Verification Process

Running Verification

From the vendor detail page:

Navigate to Vendors → Directory
Open the vendor profile
Find SAM.gov Verification card
Enter UEI or DUNS number (if not on file)
Click Verify

What Gets Checked

The verification process checks:

Check	Description
Registration Status	Active, expired, or not registered
Exclusion Status	Any exclusions or debarments
CAGE Code	Valid code on file
Entity Status	Active in SAM system
Expiration Date	When registration expires

Verification Results

Results include:

Registration Information:

Legal business name
DBA (if applicable)
Physical address
NAICS codes
Entity type

Status Information:

Registration status
Last updated date
Expiration date
Any exclusions

Understanding Results

Status Indicators

Status	Meaning	Action
✅ Active	Registered and current	None needed
⚠️ Expiring Soon	Expires in 30 days	Alert vendor
❌ Expired	Registration lapsed	Cannot award contracts
🚫 Excluded	On exclusion list	Do not do business
❓ Not Found	Not in SAM.gov	May need registration

Active Registration

When status is Active:

Safe for federal contracting
Note expiration date for future
Record verification date
Set reminder for re-verification

Exclusion Flags

If exclusion found:

CRITICAL: Do not award contracts
Review exclusion details
Check if exclusion applies to your work
Consult legal if needed

Expiring Soon

When registration expiring:

Notify the vendor
Set follow-up reminder
Re-verify after renewal
Document communication

UEI vs DUNS

The Transition

SAM.gov transitioned from DUNS to UEI:

System	Format	Status
DUNS	9 digits	Legacy, still accepted
UEI	12 alphanumeric	Current standard

Using UEI

For new verifications:

Ask vendors for their UEI
Enter in SAM verification field
Format: 12 characters (letters and numbers)
Example: ABCD1234EFGH

Using DUNS (Legacy)

For existing vendor records:

DUNS still works for verification
System returns UEI in results
Update vendor record with UEI
Format: 9 digits (e.g., 123456789)

Verification History

Tracking Verifications

All verifications are logged:

Go to vendor profile
Click Verification History
See all past verifications
Compare status over time

History Details

Each verification record shows:

Date and time
Who initiated
Status at time of check
Key data captured

Monitoring Changes

Track when status changes:

Active → Expiring
Active → Expired
Clean → Excluded
Status change alerts

Automatic Verification

Scheduled Verification

Set up automatic re-verification:

Go to Settings → Vendors → SAM Verification
Enable automatic verification
Set frequency:
- Monthly
- Quarterly
- Before expiration
Configure notifications

Trigger-Based Verification

Verify on specific events:

Before issuing a contract
Before payment release
On vendor profile update
On schedule (annually)

Batch Verification

Verify multiple vendors at once:

Go to Vendors → SAM Verification → Batch
Select vendors to verify
Click Verify Selected
Review results

Compliance Workflows

Pre-Award Verification

Before awarding contracts:

Contract Draft → SAM Check → Clear? → Award
      │              │         │         │
   Contract     Automatic    Yes: Go   No: Block
   created      verification ahead     and alert

Continuous Monitoring

For ongoing compliance:

Schedule regular checks
Alert on status changes
Track expiration dates
Document all verifications

Federal Contractor Requirements

If you’re a federal contractor:

Verify all subcontractors
Maintain verification records
Report exclusions
Document due diligence

Integration with Vendor Management

Vendor Profile Updates

SAM verification updates vendor profiles:

Verifies legal name
Confirms address
Updates CAGE code
Records NAICS codes

Compliance Dashboard

See SAM status across all vendors:

Vendor	SAM Status	Expires	Last Checked
Acme Corp	Active	2026-06-15	2026-01-15
Beta LLC	Expiring	2026-02-01	2026-01-15
Gamma Inc	Not Registered	N/A	2026-01-15

Risk Scoring

SAM status affects vendor risk:

Active registration: Lower risk
Expired registration: Higher risk
Exclusion: Critical risk flag

Exclusion Checking

What Are Exclusions?

Parties excluded from federal contracting:

Debarment - Formal exclusion
Suspension - Temporary exclusion
Ineligibility - Statutory restriction
Voluntary exclusion - Self-imposed

Exclusion Details

When exclusion found, details include:

Exclusion type
Cause (e.g., fraud, non-performance)
Effective date
Termination date (if temporary)
Excluding agency

What To Do If Excluded

If a vendor is excluded:

Stop: Do not award new contracts
Review: Check existing contracts
Consult: Contact legal/compliance
Document: Record your findings
Decide: Action based on circumstances

CAGE Code Verification

What is a CAGE Code?

Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) code:

5-character identifier
Assigned by DLA (Defense Logistics Agency)
Required for some federal contracts
International version: NCAGE

Verifying CAGE Codes

CAGE code checked during SAM verification:

Valid code confirmed
Status active or inactive
Associated with correct entity

CAGE Code Status

Status	Meaning
Active	Current and valid
Inactive	No longer current
Not Found	Invalid or wrong code

Troubleshooting

”Entity Not Found”

When SAM lookup fails:

Verify UEI/DUNS is correct
Check for typos
Try alternative identifier
Vendor may not be registered

”Verification Timeout”

If verification takes too long:

SAM.gov may be slow
Try again in a few minutes
Check SAM.gov status page
Contact support if persists

”Conflicting Information”

When SAM data doesn’t match vendor record:

SAM is authoritative for registration
Update vendor record as needed
Discuss discrepancies with vendor
Document resolution

”Multiple Entities Found”

If search returns multiple:

Narrow search with full legal name
Use exact UEI (most reliable)
Review each result carefully
Confirm correct entity with vendor

API Access

Programmatic Verification

For integrations:

POST /api/v1/vendors/{vendor_id}/verify-sam-gov
{
  "uei": "ABCD1234EFGH"
}

Response:

{
  "success": true,
  "sam_status": "active",
  "uei": "ABCD1234EFGH",
  "cage_code": "12345",
  "expiration_date": "2026-06-15",
  "exclusion_status": "none"
}

Webhook Notifications

Receive alerts on SAM status changes:

vendor.sam.status_changed
vendor.sam.expiring_soon
vendor.sam.exclusion_found

Best Practices

Verification Schedule

At onboarding - Verify before first contract
Annually - Re-verify all active vendors
Before major contracts - Re-check before award
On alert - When expiration approaches

Documentation

Record all verifications - Date, result, who checked
Save screenshots - Evidence of verification
Document decisions - Why you proceeded or stopped
Maintain history - Keep for audit purposes

Training

Know the rules - FAR requirements for federal work
Recognize risks - Understand exclusion implications
Escalate appropriately - When to involve legal
Stay current - SAM.gov policies change

Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Context

FAR Requirements

Federal contractors must:

Verify SAM registration before award
Check exclusions before contracting
Maintain documentation
Report violations

Subcontractor Verification

When subcontracting:

Verify subcontractor SAM status
Check exclusions for all tiers
Document verification chain
Include flowdown clauses

Next Steps

Vendor Verification - Complete vendor due diligence
1099 Compliance - Tax reporting
Contract Utilization - Track contract spend