What is an Acquisition Advice Code (AAC)?

An Acquisition Advice Code is a single alphabetic character assigned to each National Stock Number that tells a requisitioner how — and under what restrictions — the item is acquired: whether it is stocked and issued, obtained by local purchase, fabricated, restricted, terminal, or condemned. It advises on the method of acquisition, as distinguished from the source of supply.

Where do I find the AAC for a specific NSN?

The AAC is a Management Data segment field in the Federal Logistics Information System (FLIS). Look it up through WebFLIS or PUB LOG (FED LOG) by entering the NSN; the AAC appears in the management data alongside the Source of Supply Code, Controlled Inventory Item Code, and Shelf-Life Code.

What is the difference between AAC and Source of Supply Code?

The AAC describes how an item is acquired (the method and any restrictions — stocked, local purchase, fabricate, restricted, terminal). The Source of Supply Code (Routing Identifier / RIC) describes where the requisition is routed — which inventory control point or supply source manages the item. The two are read together when you process a requisition.

What is the difference between AAC "V" and AAC "Y"?

AAC "V" (Terminal Item) means the item is still in stock and can be requisitioned until wholesale stocks are exhausted, but future procurement is not authorized. AAC "Y" extends that definition to terminal items on which wholesale stocks have already been exhausted — there is no stock left and no future purchase is authorized.

What does AAC "T" (Condemned) mean for a requisition?

AAC "T" identifies an item that is no longer authorized to be purchased, issued, used, or requisitioned. A requisition for a "T"-coded NSN should not be submitted; the item has been condemned and you must identify the replacement or preferred NSN instead.

Which AACs mean I should buy the item locally instead of requisitioning?

AAC "L" (Local Purchase) is the primary local-purchase code: the item is not stocked in the wholesale system and local purchase is the main means of supply at the base, post, camp, or station level. AAC "K" (Centrally Stocked for Overseas Only) also designates local purchase as the main method for domestic activities, while keeping the item stocked for overseas users who cannot procure locally.

Are Acquisition Advice Codes the same across all the military services?

The AAC structure and the single-character code set are standardized under DLM 4000.25 (DLMS) and apply across DoD. Some service-specific supply manuals add their own procedural wording around individual codes (for example, Army references to "IMM/Army standard supply policy"), but the codes and their core meanings are common.

Is AAC the same as the Advice Code used on a requisition?

No. The Acquisition Advice Code is a permanent characteristic of the NSN that describes how the item is acquired. The "Advice Code" (a two-position MILSTRIP code, governed separately in DLM 4000.25 Volume 2, Appendix 7.15) is entered by the requisitioner on an individual transaction to give the supply source specific handling instructions. They are different fields with different purposes.

Reference

Acquisition Advice Codes (AAC) — Complete Reference

Acquisition Advice Codes (AAC) are single-character codes in the Federal Logistics Information System that tell a requisitioner how, and under what restrictions, an item of supply is acquired — stocked and issued, local purchase, terminal, condemned, or restricted. This is the complete A–Z reference, defined in the FLIS Procedures Manual (DoD 4100.39-M, Volume 10, Table 58) and used across DLMS/MILSTRIP requisitioning.

Regulatory authority: DoD 4100.39-M (Federal Logistics Information System (FLIS) Procedures Manual), Volume 10, Table 58 — Acquisition Advice Codes
Operator: Defense Logistics Agency (DLA Logistics Information Services); the AAC is carried as Management Data in the Federal Logistics Information System (FLIS)
Access type: public
Last verified: 2026-06-20

Acquisition Advice Codes (AAC) are single alphabetic characters assigned to every National Stock Number (NSN) in the Federal Logistics Information System. An AAC tells a requisitioner how an item is acquired and under what restrictions — not where it comes from. It reflects whether the item is stocked and issued from the wholesale system, obtained by local purchase, fabricated or assembled, restricted to specific users, or no longer procurable because it is terminal or condemned. Logisticians read the AAC together with the Source of Supply Code and Supply Condition Code before processing any requisition.

At a glance

What it is: A one-position alphabetic code in the FLIS Management Data segment describing the method of, and restrictions on, item acquisition.
Regulatory source: DoD 4100.39-M (FLIS Procedures Manual), Volume 10, Table 58 — Acquisition Advice Codes. The AAC is carried as FLIS Management Data and is used across DLMS/MILSTRIP requisitioning.
Maintained in: The Federal Logistics Information System (FLIS); looked up via WebFLIS and PUB LOG (FED LOG).
Scope: All DoD-managed and integrated-materiel-managed NSNs; standardized across the military services.
Where used: Requisition processing (MILSTRIP), provisioning, cataloging, and supportability decisions.

What these codes are

The Acquisition Advice Code is one of the core management-data characteristics carried on a National Stock Number. Its single purpose is to advise the requisitioner of the method of acquisition that applies to the item — distinguished deliberately from the source of supply, which is carried separately as the Source of Supply Code (Routing Identifier Code).

The method an AAC describes generally falls into one of three families:

Requisition — the item is stocked and issued from the wholesale supply system (for example, AAC D, E, G).
Fabrication or assembly — the item is built or assembled rather than bought from stock (AAC F).
Local purchase — the item is bought at the base, post, camp, or station level rather than requisitioned through the wholesale system (AAC L, and K for domestic activities).

Layered onto those families are restriction and lifecycle codes: items that are centrally regulated above the inventory control point (A, B), items restricted to particular programs or users (M, P, R, S, W), and items at the end of their lifecycle (V, Y terminal; T condemned; X semi-active; Z insurance item). Reading the AAC first tells a logistician immediately whether an item can even be requisitioned, before any quantity, fund, or routing decision is made.

How they're used

The AAC is one field a requisitioner checks during the supportability and requisition-routing decision. When you look up an NSN in WebFLIS or PUB LOG, the management data returns the AAC alongside the Source of Supply Code, Controlled Inventory Item Code, Shelf-Life Code, and Unit of Issue. The AAC answers the first question: can I requisition this, and how?

A stocked-and-issued code (D, E, G, H) means a normal MILSTRIP requisition routed to the managing source.
A local-purchase code (L, K) means do not requisition through the wholesale system — buy it locally.
A fabricate code (F) means support is by fabrication or assembly, often tied to a source-coded XB reparable.
A restricted code (M, N, P, R, S, W) means a requisition will be screened or rejected unless a specific authorization or advice code accompanies it.
A terminal or condemned code (V, Y, T) means future procurement is not authorized; V items can still be drawn down until stocks are exhausted, while T items must not be requisitioned at all.

Because the AAC governs whether a requisition is even valid, an out-of-date or misread AAC is a common root cause of MILSTRIP rejections — see Common errors and gotchas below.

Complete code table

The table below lists the complete single-character Acquisition Advice Codes (A–Z) and their meanings as defined in the FLIS Procedures Manual (DoD 4100.39-M), Volume 10, Table 58. Use the filter to narrow to a code or keyword (for example, "local purchase" or "terminal").

Acquisition Advice Codes (AAC) — complete A–Z reference

A	Service Regulated	Issue, transfer, or shipment of the item is controlled by authorities above the inventory control point (ICP) level. Use or stockage requires release authority based on approved reasons of need.
B	ICP Regulated	Issue, transfer, or shipment of the item is controlled by the inventory control point. Use or stockage of the item requires authority based on approved reasons of need.
C	Service Managed	No special controls other than individual service supply policy.
D	DoD Integrated Materiel Manager (IMM), Stocked and Issued	No special controls other than IMM standard supply policy. Requisitions must contain the fund citation required to obtain the item.
E	Other Service Managed, Stocked and Issued	No special controls other than standard requisitioning policy. A requisition may require a fund citation (see fund code and/or materiel category code).
F	Fabricate or Assemble	National Stock Numbered items fabricated or assembled from raw materials and finished products as the normal method of support. Procurement and stockage are not justified because of low usage or peculiar installation factors. Whether the fabricate/assemble capability is local or centralized is identified by the Source of Supply Modifier.
G	GSA Integrated Materiel Manager, Stocked and Issued	General Services Administration (GSA)-managed item, available from GSA supply sources.
H	Direct Delivery under a Central Contract	No special controls other than IMM/service standard supply policy. The item is issued by direct shipment from the vendor.
I	Direct Ordering from a Central Contract/Schedule	No special controls other than IMM/Service supply policy. The item is covered by a centrally issued contractual document or a multiple-award Federal Supply Schedule, which permits using activities to place orders directly on vendors for direct delivery to the user. (Non-stocked.)
J	Not Stocked, Centrally Procured	An IMM/Service centrally managed but not stocked item. Procurement is initiated only after receipt of a requisition.
K	Centrally Stocked for Overseas Only	Local purchase is the main method of supply. However, the item is stocked in the domestic supply system for overseas activities that are unable to procure locally.
L	Local Purchase	The item is not stocked in the wholesale system. Local purchase is the main means of supply at base, post, camp, or station level.
M	Restricted Requisitions — Major Overhaul	Do not requisition unless authorized to perform major overhaul; the item can only be used by major-overhaul activities.
N	Restricted Requisitioning — Disposal	Discontinued items no longer authorized for issue except on the specific approval of the Service inventory manager. Requisitions may be submitted per Service requisitioning procedures where valid requirements exist and replacing-item data has not been furnished.
O	Packaged Fuels — DLA Managed, Service Regulated	Centrally procured under DoD 4140.25-M (Management of Petroleum Products) but not stocked by the IMM; long lead-time required. Requirements are satisfied by direct shipment to the user from a vendor or from Service assets at the order of the ICP or IMM.
P	Restricted Requisition — Security Assistance Program (SAP)	Item is stocked or acquired only for Security Assistance Program requirements, or is non-stocked and ordered from the contractor for direct shipment to the foreign government. Base, post, camp, or station will not requisition.
Q	Bulk Petroleum Products — DLA Managed	May be centrally stocked or available by direct delivery under a central contract. Requirement submission and item supply are handled per the governing bulk-petroleum management policy.
R	Restricted Requisition — Government Furnished Material (GFM)	Item is centrally purchased from the manufacturer of military items as government-furnished material. Base, post, camp, or station will not requisition.
S	Restricted Requisitioning — Other Service Funded	The item is purchased by one service for the funding service. Issue, transfer, or shipment is subject to the specialized control of the funding service.
T	Condemned	No longer authorized to be purchased, issued, used, or requisitioned.
U	Lead Service-Managed	The lead Service, as a minimum, provides procurement, disposal, and single-submitter functions. Wholesale logistics responsibilities performed by the primary inventory control activity (PICA) in support of the secondary inventory control activity (SICA) are defined by the SICA Nonconsumable Item Materiel Support Code (NIMSC).
V	Terminal Item	The item is in stock, but future purchases are not authorized. It can be requisitioned until stocks are exhausted; the preferred NSN is identified by the phrase "when exhausted use."
W	Restricted Requisitioning — Special Instructions Apply	A stock number assigned to a generic item for use in bid invitations, allowance lists, etc., against which no stocks exist. The NSN can be used if and when a procurement source becomes available.
X	Semi-active Item — No Replacement	A potentially inactive stock number retained in the supply system because stocks are on hand or in use below the wholesale level. Central purchasing is authorized but not stockage; repeating demands may require an AAC change to permit stockage.
Y	Terminal Item	Future purchases are not authorized. Expands the definition of AAC "V" to terminal items on which wholesale stocks have already been exhausted.
Z	Insurance / Numeric Stockage Objective Item	An item required only occasionally. A very small quantity is stocked because of the essentiality or lead-time of the item; it is centrally managed, stocked, and issued.

26 of 26 codes shown

Worked example

A maintenance technician needs a replacement part and pulls the NSN in PUB LOG. The management data shows AAC L and a local-purchase Source of Supply Code.

Reading the AAC first, the technician knows immediately: this item is not stocked in the wholesale system and should not be submitted as a routine MILSTRIP requisition to a wholesale source. The correct action is a local purchase at the installation level, using the unit's local-purchase authority and funds.

Had the same NSN instead shown AAC V (Terminal Item), the technician would know the item is being phased out: it can still be requisitioned until wholesale stocks run out, and the record's "when exhausted use" phrase points to the preferred replacement NSN to transition to. An AAC T (Condemned) would stop the technician entirely — that NSN must not be requisitioned at all, and a current replacement must be identified before proceeding.

Common errors and gotchas

Confusing AAC with the MILSTRIP Advice Code. They are different fields. The AAC is a permanent NSN characteristic (how the item is acquired). The MILSTRIP Advice Code is a two-position code the requisitioner enters on a single transaction to give handling instructions. See Related codes below.
Requisitioning a local-purchase item. Submitting a wholesale MILSTRIP requisition against an AAC L (or K, domestically) item commonly results in rejection. Buy it locally.
Ignoring terminal/condemned codes. Requisitioning an AAC T item, or continuing to requisition an AAC V/Y item without transitioning to the preferred replacement NSN, leads to rejected or unfillable demands. Read the "when exhausted use" phrase on AAC V records.
Missing the fund citation. AAC D and E items require the appropriate fund citation on the requisition; omitting it is a frequent cause of MILSTRIP status rejections.
Reading the AAC in isolation. The AAC tells you the method of acquisition, but you still need the Source of Supply Code to route the requisition and the Supply Condition Code to judge the materiel's condition. Read them together.

Document Identifier Codes (DIC) — the MILSTRIP/MILSTRAP transaction codes that travel with a requisition.
Supply Condition Codes — the condition (serviceable, unserviceable, suspended) of the materiel being requisitioned.
Routing Identifier Codes (RIC) — the source-of-supply / routing identifiers that determine where the requisition is sent, read together with the AAC.

Authoritative references

DoD 4100.39-M, Federal Logistics Information System (FLIS) Procedures Manual, Volume 10 — Table 58, Acquisition Advice Codes. The authoritative definition of the AAC code set. AACs are carried as FLIS Management Data (maintained by DLA Logistics Information Services) and are used across DLMS/MILSTRIP requisitioning.
Federal Logistics Information System (FLIS). The system of record carrying the AAC as a Management Data characteristic on each NSN; queried via WebFLIS and PUB LOG / FED LOG.
DoD Manual 4140.01, Volume 6 — DoD Supply Chain Materiel Management Procedures: Materiel Returns, Retention, and Disposition. Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment, for the materiel-lifecycle context that terminal and condemned AACs reflect.

Frequently asked questions

What is an Acquisition Advice Code (AAC)?: An Acquisition Advice Code is a single alphabetic character assigned to each National Stock Number that tells a requisitioner how — and under what restrictions — the item is acquired: whether it is stocked and issued, obtained by local purchase, fabricated, restricted, terminal, or condemned. It advises on the method of acquisition, as distinguished from the source of supply.
Where do I find the AAC for a specific NSN?: The AAC is a Management Data segment field in the Federal Logistics Information System (FLIS). Look it up through WebFLIS or PUB LOG (FED LOG) by entering the NSN; the AAC appears in the management data alongside the Source of Supply Code, Controlled Inventory Item Code, and Shelf-Life Code.
What is the difference between AAC and Source of Supply Code?: The AAC describes how an item is acquired (the method and any restrictions — stocked, local purchase, fabricate, restricted, terminal). The Source of Supply Code (Routing Identifier / RIC) describes where the requisition is routed — which inventory control point or supply source manages the item. The two are read together when you process a requisition.
What is the difference between AAC "V" and AAC "Y"?: AAC "V" (Terminal Item) means the item is still in stock and can be requisitioned until wholesale stocks are exhausted, but future procurement is not authorized. AAC "Y" extends that definition to terminal items on which wholesale stocks have already been exhausted — there is no stock left and no future purchase is authorized.
What does AAC "T" (Condemned) mean for a requisition?: AAC "T" identifies an item that is no longer authorized to be purchased, issued, used, or requisitioned. A requisition for a "T"-coded NSN should not be submitted; the item has been condemned and you must identify the replacement or preferred NSN instead.
Which AACs mean I should buy the item locally instead of requisitioning?: AAC "L" (Local Purchase) is the primary local-purchase code: the item is not stocked in the wholesale system and local purchase is the main means of supply at the base, post, camp, or station level. AAC "K" (Centrally Stocked for Overseas Only) also designates local purchase as the main method for domestic activities, while keeping the item stocked for overseas users who cannot procure locally.
Are Acquisition Advice Codes the same across all the military services?: The AAC structure and the single-character code set are standardized under DLM 4000.25 (DLMS) and apply across DoD. Some service-specific supply manuals add their own procedural wording around individual codes (for example, Army references to "IMM/Army standard supply policy"), but the codes and their core meanings are common.
Is AAC the same as the Advice Code used on a requisition?: No. The Acquisition Advice Code is a permanent characteristic of the NSN that describes how the item is acquired. The "Advice Code" (a two-position MILSTRIP code, governed separately in DLM 4000.25 Volume 2, Appendix 7.15) is entered by the requisitioner on an individual transaction to give the supply source specific handling instructions. They are different fields with different purposes.