Every business that wants federal contracts needs a UEI — a Unique Entity Identifier. If you've heard of DUNS numbers, the UEI is its replacement. Here's everything you need to know, including how to get yours free in about five minutes.
What a UEI is
The UEI is a 12-character alphanumeric identifier (letters and numbers, no special characters) that the federal government uses to uniquely identify each entity that does business with it. It replaced the commercial DUNS number in April 2022, when the government moved entity identification to SAM.gov.
Your UEI belongs to your entity — your LLC, corporation, or registered business — not to you personally (unless you operate as a sole proprietor without a separate legal entity). It doesn't change if you move or change your bank, and it follows the entity for life.
Who needs one
- Any business that wants to bid on federal contracts or receive federal grants
- Subcontractors to federal prime contractors (primes must report UEIs for their subs)
- Businesses responding to certain state and local government opportunities that use the federal system
How to get your UEI (free, about five minutes)
- Go to SAM.gov and select Get Started → Get Unique Entity ID.
- Choose whether you're registering as a business entity or as an individual (sole proprietor without a separate entity).
- Enter your legal business name exactly as it appears on your formation and IRS documents.
- Enter your physical address — the real place of business, not a PO box.
- The system issues your UEI immediately. Download and save the confirmation.
There is no charge for a UEI. Third parties that "sell" UEI registration are selling you a free process.
UEI vs. CAGE code vs. SAM registration — what's the difference?
- UEI: identifies who you are (your entity).
- CAGE code: identifies where you are — a five-character code for your physical location, used heavily by defense agencies. It's assigned automatically during SAM registration.
- SAM registration: the full vendor record — identity, eligibility, and payment information. It's the requirement for actually receiving awards.
Think of it as: UEI is your social security number, SAM registration is your job application, and CAGE is your address on file.
Where you'll use your UEI
Every bid, every invoice, every subcontract reporting form, and every small-business certification application. Add it to your capability statement header alongside your CAGE code — buyers check for both.