What is SAM.gov?
The System for Award Management (SAM.gov) brings together federal entity registrations, exclusions, and other award-related information. An entity registration lookup and an exclusion search serve different purposes: select Exclusions when checking for exclusion records.
SAM records can affect eligibility for federal procurement or covered nonprocurement transactions. The effect depends on the action and program. Read the exclusion type, agency comments, and scope instead of treating every record as the same restriction.
SAM.gov: Entity InformationSAM.gov: Exclusion TypesHow SAM differs from OIG’s LEIE
GSA administers SAM, which contains actions from multiple federal agencies, including OIG exclusions. HHS OIG maintains the List of Excluded Individuals and Entities (LEIE) for its own exclusions. OIG recommends the LEIE as the primary source for OIG exclusion information because it contains more healthcare-specific detail.
OIG exclusions generally prevent federal healthcare program payment for items or services furnished, ordered, or prescribed by excluded parties. A SAM debarment or restriction must be assessed under its own terms. Include SAM where your program, award, payer, or contract requires it, and check applicable state sources separately.
OIG recommends monthly LEIE screening to minimize liability; that recommendation does not establish a universal monthly SAM screening mandate for healthcare employers. Set your SAM cadence from the requirements that apply to your organization.
HHS OIG: Exclusions FAQsHHS OIG: Effect of Exclusion Special Advisory BulletinRead the healthcare exclusion screening overviewPractical SAM.gov search workflow
GSA’s current instructions describe the following search controls. Check the linked instructions if the interface changes. The recordkeeping steps are a suggested operational practice.
- Prepare the individual’s name or entity’s legal name, known aliases, and available identifiers.
- Open SAM.gov Search, choose Entity Information, then select Exclusions.
- Use Excluded Individual for a person or Excluded Entity for a business. Entity filters can use a legal name, Unique Entity ID, or CAGE/NCAGE code.
- Check the filters applied. Avoid narrowing by geography or agency before reviewing potential matches; repeat relevant name variants and record each query.
- Open each plausible record. Review status, dates, agency, exclusion type, and comments. GSA states that only active exclusions are publicly searchable.
- Verify potential matches, record the outcome, and complete separate LEIE and applicable state checks.
Verify identity and the effect of the record
A name match is a potential match. Compare the available identifying details with your records, then contact the federal agency that entered the exclusion to verify identity or request more information. SAM’s Exclusions Resources provide agency points of contact. Record the agency’s response and keep unresolved cases open for compliance review.
SAM uses exclusion types, including ineligibility, prohibition/restriction, and voluntary exclusion. Current types replace legacy Cause and Treatment (CT) codes. Review the record’s effect and Additional Comments for limits or conditions, and ask the responsible agency about unclear scope. Escalate a confirmed match to your compliance owner to assess the specific employment, award, contracting, or payment implications.
GSA Federal Service Desk: Confirming the identity of an excluded partySAM.gov: Exclusion TypesDocument the search and resolution
Use a consistent record for every screening run, including searches with no results. The following is a practical evidence checklist, rather than a prescribed SAM retention rule:
- Subject, names and identifiers searched, source, date and time, and filters used.
- Search evidence, such as a saved result or screenshot, and the relevant record details.
- Verification steps, agency correspondence, reviewer, and reasons for clearing or confirming a match.
- Unresolved questions, escalation owner, final decision, and next screening date.
Restrict access to sensitive identifiers and retain evidence under your applicable contracts, laws, and records policy. If a service searches on your behalf, confirm its coverage and data retrieval timing and retain its results and your review decisions.
Get the screening checklist and worksheetFrequently asked questions
Do I need an account to search SAM.gov exclusions?
No. GSA’s active-exclusions search instructions say you do not need to sign in. Entity registration and exclusion searching are separate tasks.
GSA Federal Service Desk: How to search for active exclusionsDoes SAM replace OIG LEIE screening?
No. SAM includes actions from multiple federal agencies, including OIG. The LEIE covers OIG exclusions specifically, and OIG recommends it as the primary source for those actions. Check both when your applicable requirements call for both.
HHS OIG: Effect of Exclusion Special Advisory BulletinIs a matching name enough to confirm an exclusion?
No. GSA warns that similar names can identify different parties. Contact the excluding agency to verify a potential match or obtain additional information before resolving the result.
GSA Federal Service Desk: Confirming the identity of an excluded partyDoes a SAM termination date prove OIG reinstatement?
No. Resolve the SAM record with the responsible agency and check OIG status separately. OIG reinstatement is not automatic when an exclusion period ends; the party must apply and receive written notice of reinstatement.
HHS OIG: Exclusions FAQsDoes a search with no results prove eligibility for all healthcare programs?
No. Record it as no result for the names and filters searched at that time. Review your search inputs and check the LEIE and relevant state sources separately; a SAM search alone does not determine every program’s eligibility requirements.
GSA Federal Service Desk: How to search for active exclusionsOfficial sources and review scope
Prepared and checked against the following agency pages on October 2, 2026. This is an editorial and source review, not a recorded counsel approval. Search and verification instructions come from GSA; the evidence checklist is Exclia’s suggested workflow. Confirm the rules governing your programs and contracts before making an eligibility decision.
Put your source checks into practice
Review Exclia’s current coverage and use the free checker for an individual lookup.
Review source coverageTry the free exclusion checker