Code of Federal Regulations Title 41. Public Contracts and Property Management § 41.101–30.202 Policies

(1) Each civil agency shall ensure that each of its items authorized for cataloging is included and maintained in the Federal Catalog System as prescribed in the Federal Catalog System Policy Manual.

(2) Each item of supply shall have applicable to it one, and only one, Federal item identification;  each Federal item identification shall be applicable to one, and only one, item of supply.

(1) The Federal Supply Classification shall be used in supply management within the civil agencies.

(2) Each item included in the Federal Catalog System shall be classified under the Federal Supply Classification and shall be assigned only one 4–digit class in accordance with the rules prescribed in the Federal Catalog System Policy Manual.

(1) Each item of supply identified in the Federal Catalog System shall be assigned a national stock number which shall consist of the applicable 4–digit FSC class code and a 9–digit national item identification number.

(2) The national stock number shall be the only stock number used in supply operations for items within the scope of the Federal Catalog System. The integrity of the national stock number shall always be maintained whenever it is employed in any operation or document. Supply management codes, or other management symbols, may be associated with, but never included as a part of the national stock number. These management codes or symbols shall always be separated from the national stock number in such a manner that the national stock number is clearly distinguishable.