Overview
This section prescribes the official publication formats, the systematic numbering structure, and the standardized citation methods for the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) and its agency-specific supplements. It establishes the FAR as Chapter 1 of Title 48 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR).
Key Rules
- Publication Locations: The FAR is officially published in the daily Federal Register, the CFR, and online at acquisition.gov.
- Codification: The FAR occupies Chapter 1 of Title 48 CFR; agency-specific regulations (which implement or supplement the FAR) are assigned subsequent chapter numbers (e.g., Chapter 2 for DFARS).
- Numbering System:
- Digits to the left of the decimal represent the Part.
- Digits to the right of the decimal (before the dash) represent the Subpart and Section.
- Digits to the right of the dash represent the Subsection.
- Subdivisions follow a strict alpha-numeric sequence: (a)(1)(i)(A)(1)(i).
- Citation Format: References change depending on context; for example, a subsection is cited as "FAR 9.106-4" when referenced in external documents, but simply "9.106-4" when referenced within the FAR itself.
Practical Implications
- Contractors must use these precise citation formats in legal protests, claims, and compliance documentation to ensure clear identification of the specific regulatory requirements at issue.
- The numbering system allows practitioners to quickly distinguish between government-wide FAR rules and agency-unique requirements by identifying the CFR chapter or the digits preceding the decimal point.