Commercial Off-the-Shelf

Definition

Commercial off-the-shelf items are products sold in the commercial marketplace and offered to the Government without modification. A contract or subcontract solely for COTS items is exempt from CMMC.

If your only work for the Government is selling standard commercial products off the shelf, CMMC does not apply to that work. The exemption is narrow. It covers COTS-only contracts, not a contract where you also receive or generate Federal Contract Information.

Term identity

Term

Commercial Off-the-Shelf (COTS)

Framework

CMMC · Level 1

Authority

32 CFR § 170.3