FedRAMP Certification¶

Providers MUST identify a target FedRAMP Certification Profile and apply all relevant FedRAMP Practices to the cloud service offering.

Note: Information resources (including third-party information resources) MAY vary by security category as appropriate to the type of information handled by or impacted by the information resource.

Terms: Certification Profile, Cloud Service Offering, FedRAMP Practices, Handle, Information Resource, Security Category, Third-Party Information Resource

Terms: Certification Package, Initial Certification

Providers MUST supply machine-readable information in JSON documents that are valid against the corresponding JSON schema when a rule contains a FedRAMP JSON schema, UNLESS otherwise specified in the rule.

Note: FedRAMP JSON schemas are designed to be lightweight and flexible to establish a minimum set of structured information while allowing providers to improve on the format and structure of the information as needed to meet their needs and the needs of their customers.

Terms: Machine-Readable

Providers MUST maintain responsibility and accountability for the accuracy and completeness of all information in the FedRAMP Certification Package, especially when they engage a third party (such as an independent assessor, advisory service, or external tools) to supply information on their behalf.

Terms: Certification Package

Providers MUST NOT seek both FedRAMP Rev5 Program Certification and FedRAMP 20x Program Certification for the same cloud service offering; pick one type.

Note: This rule does not prevent a provider from seeking and maintaining a FedRAMP Rev5 Agency Certification and a FedRAMP 20x Program Certification for the same cloud service offering, however, doing so is strongly discouraged due to the increased complexity and risk of confusion for all parties.

Terms: Cloud Service Offering

Providers MUST be listed in the FedRAMP Marketplace before applying for FedRAMP Certification, including:

1. FedRAMP Marketplace: MKT-CSO-MLR (Marketplace Listing Requirements),
2. FedRAMP Marketplace: MKT-CSO-PML (Provider Marketplace Listing Requests)
3. FedRAMP Marketplace: MKT-IIP-AGU (Agency Use Cases)
4. FedRAMP Marketplace: MKT-IIP-DCP (Demonstrating Continuous Progress)

Providers MUST complete the FedRAMP Certification Application Form at https://fedramp.gov/forms/provider-listing-request/ in full to request an initial assessment by FedRAMP.

Reference: FedRAMP Certification Application Form

Providers MUST supply a fresh initial FedRAMP Certification Package that shows the current status of the cloud service offering as verified and validated by the provider within the previous 7 days.

Terms: Certification Package, Cloud Service Offering, Validation, Verification

Providers MUST supply a fresh initial FedRAMP independent assessment that was completed by a FedRAMP Recognized Independent Assessment Service within the previous 3 months.

Terms: FedRAMP Independent Assessment, FedRAMP Recognized

Providers MUST NOT use a third party to apply for a FedRAMP Certification on their behalf; this includes independent assessment services.

Notes:

• FedRAMP previously allowed independent assessment services to submit applications on behalf of providers, but this caused confusion about who was responsible for the application and the information in it. Providers should apply directly to ensure clear accountability.
• Providers may use third parties to help them prepare their application and assessment materials for submission.

Providers MAY freshen a stale initial independent verification and validation assessment by having a FedRAMP Recognized independent assessment service review any changes between the original assessment and the current status of the cloud service offering in place of a full re-assessment, UNLESS the stale assessment is more than 9 months old.

Terms: Cloud Service Offering, FedRAMP Recognized, Validation, Verification

Providers seeking a FedRAMP Rev5 Agency Certification MUST have completed the Authorization to Operate (ATO) process with their agency sponsor for the cloud service offering, concluding with a formal signed ATO letter that the agency has sent over official government channels to FedRAMP.

Terms: Cloud Service Offering

Providers MUST do things properly in order to change their FedRAMP Certification Class.

Note: This is a placeholder rule that must be updated!

Terms: Certification Class

Providers with FedRAMP Rev5 Ready status MUST convert to a FedRAMP Certification before the furthest date of the expiration of their most recently yearly assessment or November 17, 2026; the legacy FedRAMP Ready status will be entirely removed on December 31, 2027.

Notes:

• The simplest conversion in most cases would be to a FedRAMP Rev5 Class A Certification.
• Cloud services that do not wish to convert or do not meet conversion criteria will be renamed Legacy FedRAMP Ready and otherwise retired from FedRAMP Ready.