Get registered
How to register to bid in Texas
- Where to register
- Centralized Master Bidders List (CMBL), Texas Comptroller Statewide Procurement Division
- Cost to register
- $70 per year (\"CMBL registration requires a $70 annual fee\")
- Where Texas posts bids
- www.txsmartbuy.gov
- Go to the Comptroller's vendor registration system (portal_url above). You can also call the CMBL help desk at 512-463-3459.
- Enter your tax ID and business information.
- Choose your NIGP class-item codes and the highway districts you serve.
- Choose how you want to get notices (email, fax, or mail are mentioned) and give a current email address.
- Pay the $70 annual fee online. Electronic payment activates faster than a mailed check, which can take up to 30 working days.
- Keep the User ID and password you set up. You'll need them to update or renew your profile.
The Comptroller's pages don't show the registration screens, so expect small differences from this outline.
What to have ready
- Federal Tax ID (EIN), or SSN for a sole proprietor. This becomes the basis of your Texas Vendor ID.
- An email address you check. Bid notices go there.
- Business contact and mailing address
- NIGP class-item codes for your goods and services (the Comptroller publishes a code lookup)
- The Texas highway districts you can serve (the state uses 25 districts)
- A credit card, debit card, or bank account for the $70 fee (paper checks are accepted but slower)
Read the full Texas registration guide →
Federal bids in Texas also need an active SAM.gov registration. How to register in SAM.gov
