# Create an AWS account
<a name="create-account"></a>

The AMS program requires the provisioning of a new Amazon Web Services (AWS) account. Step by step instructions are available in the following video: [ How do I create and activate a new Amazon Web Services account?](https://aws.amazon.com/premiumsupport/knowledge-center/create-and-activate-aws-account/) The simple steps are:

## Sign up for an AWS account
<a name="sign-up-for-aws"></a>

To get started with AWS, you need an AWS account. For information about creating an AWS account, see [Getting started with an AWS account](https://docs.aws.amazon.com//accounts/latest/reference/getting-started.html) in the *AWS Account Management Reference Guide*.

**Note**  
If you already have an account, you can go to the [AWS Pricing](https://aws.amazon.com/pricing/) page and click **Create a Free Account**. *Be sure to sign up* for the **EC2 Service**, at least. Signing up for one service allows you access to all services in AWS. You are charged only for the services that you use.  
If you plan to link your new account to a payer account for the purposes of consolidated billing, you do not need to enter payment method information when prompted. Instead, once you reach the screen to enter credit card information, simply navigate away. You will need the email address associated with the payer account to send a consolidated billing/linked account request which is detailed in the next section. 

**Important**  
It is critical that you ensure that an email address and phone number are associated with the account so you receive responses to potential security incidents. The phone number and email address for the account cannot be changed without resetting the account password, which is a significant undertaking for an AMS root account. To ensure that these values are stable, it is critical to select contact information not associated with individuals, which can change. Choose an email alias that can point to a group. Follow this same best practice in selecting a phone number: choose a number that can point to a group or to a number owned by the company and not an individual.