UEI Number: What It Is and How to Get One (2026 Guide)
If you want to do business with the federal government, you need a UEI number. It is the official identifier the government uses to track your business across every contract, grant, and payment system it operates. Without one, you cannot register on SAM.gov, you cannot bid on federal contracts, and you cannot receive federal grant funds.
This guide covers what a UEI number is, how to get one for free, how to look one up, and how it relates to other identifiers like CAGE codes and EINs. For the full SAM.gov registration walkthrough that the UEI is part of, see our complete SAM.gov registration guide.
Quick Answer: What Is a UEI Number?
A UEI (Unique Entity Identifier) is a 12-character alphanumeric code assigned by SAM.gov to identify entities doing business with the U.S. federal government. It replaced the DUNS number on April 4, 2022, is issued free through SAM.gov via login.gov, and is required for federal contracts and grants. Entity validation produces a UEI in minutes to hours; full SAM.gov registration takes 7–10 business days.
UEI vs DUNS Number (What Changed in 2022)
For decades, the federal government used the DUNS number, a 9-digit identifier issued by the private company Dun and Bradstreet (D&B), to track contractors and grant recipients. Businesses had to request a DUNS number from D&B before they could do anything else in the federal procurement system.
That changed on April 4, 2022. On that date, the federal government officially transitioned from DUNS to the Unique Entity Identifier (UEI), which is now issued directly by SAM.gov at no cost. The transition was driven by a desire to bring identifier issuance in-house, eliminate dependency on a single private vendor, and reduce friction for new entities entering the federal marketplace.
Three things to know about the transition:
Existing DUNS holders auto-transitioned. If your entity had an active DUNS number on April 4, 2022, the government automatically generated a UEI for you and linked it to your existing SAM.gov record. You did not need to do anything. Your old DUNS number remains visible on your record for historical purposes but is no longer used for federal awards.
D&B no longer issues DUNS numbers for federal use. Dun and Bradstreet still operates DUNS for commercial credit purposes, but federal contracting and grants moved entirely to UEI. If a vendor or partner asks for your "DUNS number" in a federal context, they mean your UEI.
Entity validation moved to a new contractor. Under DUNS, D&B handled the validation of business names and addresses. After the transition, the federal government contracted Ernst & Young (EY) to provide the entity validation service. This is the step where SAM.gov verifies that your business is a real, distinct legal entity before issuing a UEI.
How to Get a UEI Number (Step-by-Step)
Getting a UEI number is free and happens entirely through SAM.gov. The process below covers entity validation, which produces a UEI but does not by itself make you eligible for federal contracts. To bid on contracts or receive grants, you also need a complete Entity Registration, covered in our step-by-step SAM.gov registration guide.
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Create a login.gov account. SAM.gov uses login.gov for authentication. If you already have a login.gov account, you can use it. If not, go to login.gov and sign up using an email address you control long-term and a phone number for two-factor authentication. This account is personal: it identifies you, the human, not the business.
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Sign in to SAM.gov and start a new entity. Go to SAM.gov, click "Sign In," and authenticate through login.gov. Open your Workspace, find the Entities widget, and select "Get Started" to begin a new entity registration.
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Choose "Get UEI Only" or "Register Entity." SAM.gov offers two paths. "Get UEI Only" produces a UEI through entity validation but does not register you for federal awards, useful if a grant application requires a UEI but you are not yet ready to register fully. "Register Entity" gets you a UEI and walks you through the full Entity Registration so you can receive contracts and grants. For most businesses pursuing government contracting, choose "Register Entity."
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Enter your legal business information. Provide your legal business name exactly as it appears on IRS records, your physical business address (no P.O. boxes, USPS-validated format), and your business start date. Single-character mismatches between your SAM.gov entry and IRS records are the most common cause of validation failure, a stray period or extra space will block validation.
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Complete entity validation. SAM.gov sends your information to its validation service (operated by Ernst & Young) to confirm you are a real, distinct legal entity. If your information matches public business records, validation completes in minutes to a few hours and your UEI is issued. If the validator cannot confirm your business automatically, it will request supporting documents, articles of organization, IRS CP 575 letter, utility bills, bank statements, or a business license.
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Receive your UEI. Once entity validation passes, SAM.gov assigns your 12-character UEI and displays it on your entity record. You will also receive a confirmation email at the address tied to your login.gov account.
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(If pursuing contracts) Continue to full Entity Registration. If you chose "Register Entity," SAM.gov will continue you through the rest of the registration flow, banking information, NAICS codes, Representations and Certifications, and points of contact. Full registration typically takes 7–10 business days from submission, longer if there are validation or IRS verification issues.
How to Look Up a UEI Number
UEI numbers are public information. Anyone can search SAM.gov to find an entity's UEI, business name, address, NAICS codes, and registration status, that public visibility is part of why federal contracting officers can verify vendors before awarding work.
To look up a UEI:
- Go to SAM.gov, no login required for public entity search.
- Click "Search."
- Filter by "Entity Information" and enter the business name, UEI, or CAGE code you want to look up.
- Open the entity record to see the UEI, registration status, expiration date, NAICS codes, and address.
What is public: Legal business name, UEI, CAGE code, physical address, NAICS codes, registration status, and expiration date.
What is private: Banking information, EIN/TIN, points of contact email and phone numbers (these are visible only to the entity itself and to authenticated federal users), and detailed Representations and Certifications responses.
If your entity record is set to "private" in SAM.gov, the public search will not return any results for your business. Most contractors leave their records public so federal contracting officers can find them, visibility to government buyers is part of the value of being registered.
UEI vs CAGE Code vs TIN/EIN (Comparison Table)
It is easy to confuse the four identifiers a federal contractor uses. Here is what each one is, who issues it, and when you need it.
| Identifier | What It Is | Who Issues It | When You Need It | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UEI | 12-character alphanumeric ID for federal awards | SAM.gov (entity validation by Ernst & Young) | Required for any federal contract or grant | Free |
| CAGE Code | 5-character alphanumeric facility identifier | Defense Logistics Agency (DLA), assigned via SAM.gov | Required for DoD contracts; assigned automatically during full SAM registration | Free |
| TIN / EIN | 9-digit federal tax ID | Internal Revenue Service (IRS) | Required for any U.S. business with employees or that files federal taxes | Free |
| DUNS (legacy) | 9-digit business credit identifier | Dun and Bradstreet (commercial only) | No longer used for federal awards (replaced by UEI in April 2022) | Free for federal use; D&B charges for commercial services |
Key relationships: Your UEI and CAGE code are both stored on your SAM.gov entity record. Your EIN is what the IRS uses to verify your business during SAM.gov registration, if your EIN does not match the IRS database (including a name mismatch), SAM.gov registration will fail at the validation step.
Common UEI Number Issues
Most UEI problems trace back to the entity validation step. These are the issues that come up most often.
Entity validation rejection. The validation service cannot find a public record matching your business. This often happens for very new entities (less than a few months old), entities with name changes that have not propagated to public records, or entities whose state filing was registered under a slightly different name. Resolution: upload supporting documents, articles of organization, IRS CP 575 letter, business license, or utility bill, that clearly show the business name, physical address, and start date.
Name mismatch with IRS records. Your SAM.gov legal business name must match what the IRS has on file character-for-character. Common failure cases: missing or extra "LLC," "Inc.," "Corp.," differences in punctuation (commas, periods), and minor spelling variations. Resolution: check your original IRS EIN confirmation letter (IRS Form CP 575) and use that exact name string. If the IRS record itself is wrong, you will need to correct it with the IRS before SAM.gov will validate.
Duplicate UEI requests. Submitting multiple entity validation requests for the same business creates duplicate records that block registration until SAM.gov support resolves them. If your first attempt is processing, wait, do not start a second registration. Resolution: contact the Federal Service Desk to merge or remove the duplicates.
Expired SAM.gov registration. Your UEI itself does not expire, but your SAM.gov Entity Registration expires every 365 days. An expired registration means you cannot receive federal contract awards or grants, even though your UEI is still technically valid. Resolution: log into SAM.gov and renew. Start renewal at least 60 days before expiration to allow for validation processing.
Address validation failure. SAM.gov validates physical addresses against USPS standards. Non-standard formatting, suite number placement, P.O. boxes (not allowed for the physical address), and addresses that USPS cannot confirm cause validation failure. Resolution: use the USPS ZIP Code Lookup to confirm your address format before entering it in SAM.gov.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a UEI number free?
Yes. SAM.gov issues UEIs at no cost. The federal government does not charge for entity validation, UEI issuance, or SAM.gov registration. Third-party services that offer to "register your UEI" for a fee are selling something the government provides for free, they may save you time, but they are never required.
How long does it take to get a UEI?
If your business information matches public records, entity validation completes in minutes to a few hours and your UEI is issued the same day. If the validator needs supporting documents, expect a few additional business days for review. Full SAM.gov Entity Registration (which is required to bid on contracts) takes 7–10 business days on top of UEI issuance, longer if IRS verification or banking validation hits any issues.
Do I need a UEI for state or local contracts?
No. UEI is a federal identifier only. State agencies, cities, counties, and school districts have their own vendor registration systems and do not require a UEI. The exception: state and local procurements that pass through federal funds (federal grants, FEMA reimbursement, federal-aid highway projects) do require the receiving entity to have an active SAM.gov registration with a UEI. For more on the non-federal side, see what is SLED.
Can a business have multiple UEIs?
No. Each legal entity gets exactly one UEI. If your company has multiple physical locations, all of them share the parent entity's UEI (though they may each have their own CAGE code). If you operate multiple legal entities, for example, a parent corporation and a separate LLC subsidiary, each legal entity gets its own UEI tied to its own EIN.
What if I had a DUNS number before April 2022?
Your record was automatically transitioned. SAM.gov generated a UEI for you and linked it to your existing entity record on April 4, 2022. You did not need to take action, and your old DUNS number is still visible on your record for historical reference. Use your UEI for any federal work going forward.
Does my UEI expire?
No. The UEI itself does not expire. However, your SAM.gov Entity Registration expires every 365 days and must be renewed annually to remain eligible for federal awards. An active UEI on an expired registration is not enough, both must be current. Start renewal 60–90 days before your registration expiration date.
How is a UEI different from an EIN?
An EIN (Employer Identification Number) is your federal tax ID, issued by the IRS for tax filing purposes. A UEI is your federal contracting identifier, issued by SAM.gov for the procurement and grant systems. You need both to do business with the federal government, the EIN to file taxes and to verify your identity during SAM.gov registration, and the UEI to actually appear in the federal awards system. They are not interchangeable.
Can I use my UEI to apply for grants?
Yes. Federal grant systems including Grants.gov require an active UEI tied to either a "Get UEI Only" record or a full SAM.gov Entity Registration. For most grants, the awarding agency requires full Entity Registration. Check the specific grant announcement for its registration requirement.
What to Do Next
Your UEI is the gateway to federal contracting, not the destination. After you have it, the next steps depend on what you are pursuing.
If you are pursuing federal contracts: Continue through full SAM.gov Entity Registration, our step-by-step SAM.gov registration guide walks you through every section, including the parts that slow people down. Once you are active in SAM.gov, you can start searching opportunities. The easiest government contracts to win covers low-barrier entry points for first-time federal contractors.
If you are new to government contracting entirely: Read what is government contracting for a plain-language overview of how the federal procurement market works, what kinds of contracts exist, and how vendors typically find their way in.
If you would rather skip the administrative learning curve: Working with a government contracting partner like SLED.AI means UEI issuance, SAM.gov registration, annual renewals, and ongoing compliance happen quietly in the background while you focus on delivering the work.
For the complete walkthrough of every SAM.gov section, including UEI, CAGE code, NAICS selection, banking, Reps and Certs, and renewal, see the full SAM.gov registration guide.
