Is SAM.gov Free? Yes — Every Part of It
Registering on SAM.gov is free. Renewing is free. Your UEI is free. Searching opportunities is free. If someone is charging you for any of those, you're paying a third party for something the government gives away — and this page exists because an entire industry hopes you won't find that out.
What's actually free (everything)
- check_circleEntity registration and annual renewal — done at sam.gov, no fee, ever.
- check_circleThe UEI — assigned automatically during registration. It replaced the DUNS number in 2022, so there's nothing separate to buy from anyone.
- check_circleSearching and saved-search email alerts — free on SAM.gov (and free here, rewritten in plain English).
- check_circleHelp when you're stuck — the Federal Service Desk (fsd.gov) and your local APEX Accelerator assist with registration at no charge.
The "renewal invoice" playbook, so you recognize it
Register on SAM.gov and within weeks you'll get emails, letters, and phone calls that look startlingly official: your registration is "expiring," a "processing fee" is due, a "case manager" has been assigned. The sender is a private company that pulled your contact info from public SAM data. The fee — often $500 or more — buys you nothing you can't do yourself in an afternoon, for free.
- errorCheck the sender. Official SAM.gov mail comes from .gov addresses. "sam.gov" appearing in a company's name, subject line, or lookalike domain means nothing.
- errorThere is no fee to invoice. Any dollar amount attached to "registration," "renewal," "activation," or "processing" is the tell — the real thing costs $0.
- errorRenew in one place only. Sign in at sam.gov with your Login.gov account and renew there. Never hand your Login.gov credentials to a third party.
Where paid help is legitimate: paying a consultant for their time on a complex registration or your Reps & Certs. The difference is honesty about what you're buying — expertise and hours, not access.
Frequently asked questions
Does SAM.gov cost money?expand_more
No. Registering, renewing, getting your UEI, and searching opportunities on SAM.gov are all completely free. The federal government never charges for SAM registration.
Then why did I get an invoice or renewal notice?expand_more
Because third-party companies scrape SAM.gov data and send official-looking emails and letters offering to 'process' or 'renew' your registration for a fee — often hundreds of dollars. They are not the government. Official SAM.gov email comes from .gov addresses, and the only place to register or renew is sam.gov itself.
Is the UEI free? What about a DUNS number?expand_more
The UEI (Unique Entity ID) is free and assigned automatically by SAM.gov during registration. It replaced the DUNS number in April 2022 — you no longer need DUNS for federal registration at all, so anyone selling you one for SAM purposes is selling something obsolete.
How long does SAM.gov registration take?expand_more
Plan on days to a few weeks end-to-end. Entity validation — matching your legal name and address against official records — is the usual bottleneck, and mismatches with your IRS or bank records are the most common cause of delays. Start before you need to bid.
Is it ever worth paying someone to help with SAM.gov?expand_more
It can be legitimate to pay a consultant for their time — for example, to complete a complex registration or your Reps & Certs correctly. The scam pattern is different: charging you as if the registration itself costs money, or implying they're affiliated with the government. And free help exists: APEX Accelerators (formerly PTACs) assist with SAM registration at no charge.
Set-Aside Pro is an independent publication, not affiliated with SAM.gov, the GSA, or any federal agency. Register and renew only at sam.gov, and get free official help at fsd.gov or your local APEX Accelerator.