If your SAM (System for Award Management) registration becomes inactive, it must be reactivated. An inactive status can affect your eligibility for federal funding, such as FEMA Public Assistance and some transportation and community development grants and loans.
Below are the steps you can take to reactivate the account.
Log In to your SAM account.
- If you are an authorized user, access your municipality’s SAM account using the email address and password associated with your login.gov account. If you’ve forgotten your login credentials:
- Email Address: If you don’t know what email is associated with your municipality’s SAM account, contact the Federal Service Desk (see Need Help? below) for free assistance.
- Password: If you don’t have your password, use the “Sign In” function on the SAM homepage then the “Forgot your password?” function on the Sign In page.
- If you are not an authorized user, you can request that the Entity Administrator for your municipality assign you a role. If the municipality’s Entity Administrator is no longer with the municipality, the municipality can request a new Entity Administrator be appointed.
Verify why your SAM account is inactive.
The first step to reactivating your SAM registration is to verify why it is inactive. Once you are logged in, SAM will provide information about the specific actions required to reactivate your registration. The most common reasons for inactive registrations are:
- The municipality did not renew its registration in the past year by validating information in SAM. SAM accounts must be renewed each year or they become inactive. There is no fee to renew SAM accounts. It is a free process provided by the federal government. It can be helpful to set a calendar reminder to renew the registration at least one month prior to expiration. This allows sufficient time to work out any challenges during the renewal process.
- The municipality renewed its registration, but something was missed during the update process. If this is the case and you login to your account, SAM will provide information about the specific actions required to reactivate your registration.
Complete required actions.
SAM will typically provide a list of actions you need to complete to reactivate your registration. These actions may include updating your registration information, renewing your registration, or resolving any outstanding issues.
- Submit Necessary Updates. If your municipality’s registration requires updates or changes to its information, complete the necessary fields and provide any required documentation. Ensure that all information is accurate and up to date. Inaccurate information may lead to delays in processing grant agreements.
- Follow the Renewal Process. If your registration has expired (was not renewed in the past year), you will need to go through the renewal process. This typically involves reviewing and updating your information, confirming your eligibility, and verifying your tax identification numbers (TINs). SAM may require you to submit specific documentation to verify your municipality’s identity. Ensure that you provide all requested documents in a timely manner. A common error is to miss using the Submit button after updates are completed and before exiting SAM. If you do not receive a confirmation email, login and check for additional missed items.
- Verify Your Status. After completing all required actions, log back into your SAM account after a few days to verify your SAM registration status has been reactivated. Ensure that there are no outstanding issues or alerts related to your registration.
Need Help?
Contact the Federal Service Desk through the following methods:
- Create an Incident (login required)
- Live Chat (login required)
- Phone: 866-606-8220 (toll-free)
You also can submit your question through VLCT’s Ask A Question webpage. We are happy to help you.
What if I have other SAM questions?
VLCT published a resource on our website that provides Answers to SAM.gov Frequently Asked Questions. These are the questions we receive most often from municipalities.