Unique Entity ID (UEI) Explained: What Replaced DUNS
What the Unique Entity ID (UEI) is, how it replaced DUNS in April 2022, how to find or get one, and how it interacts with your CAGE code, TIN, and SAM.gov registration.
If you last registered on SAM.gov before April 2022, your primary federal identifier was a DUNS number — a nine-digit code assigned by Dun & Bradstreet. That system is gone. Today every entity is identified by a 12-character Unique Entity ID (UEI) assigned directly by the government through SAM.gov.
This article explains what changed, how to find your UEI, how to get one if you do not have a SAM.gov record yet, and how the UEI fits together with the other identifiers every federal contractor carries.
What is a UEI?
The Unique Entity ID is a 12-character alphanumeric identifier that is:
- Unique to your legal entity
- Permanent — once assigned, it never changes
- Issued free by the government through SAM.gov
- Public information — UEIs are searchable on SAM.gov
Example format: ABC123DEF456. Twelve characters, mix of letters and digits, no hyphens, no leading zeros to worry about.
Why UEI replaced DUNS
DUNS was a private-sector identifier licensed from Dun & Bradstreet. The federal government paid D&B tens of millions of dollars annually for access. In 2018, Congress directed GSA to replace DUNS with a government-owned identifier; GSA completed the transition on April 4, 2022. The main drivers were:
- Cost — taxpayers were paying a private vendor for something the government could issue itself.
- Access — new registrants had to visit D&B's website separately, which added friction and occasional paid-upsell attempts.
- Control — federal data should live in federal systems.
The DUNS number does still exist as a commercial identifier. But it has no role in federal procurement anymore. Every federal system — SAM.gov, FPDS, USASpending, Grants.gov, eSRS, PPIRS/CPARS — now keys on UEI.
How to find your UEI
If you already have an active SAM.gov registration:
- Sign in at sam.gov
- Open your Workspace
- Under your entity, the UEI is displayed beneath the legal business name
You can also search publicly. Go to Entity Information on SAM.gov, enter your legal business name, and the UEI appears on your public record.
How to get a UEI if you do not have one
You cannot apply for a standalone UEI anymore. The UEI is a byproduct of SAM.gov registration, so the process is:
- Create a Login.gov account
- Start entity registration at SAM.gov
- Complete entity validation (name, address, start date)
- Upon successful validation, a UEI is auto-assigned
If you are registering only to apply for a federal grant and do not need a full all-awards record, SAM.gov offers an abbreviated "UEI-only" path that still runs entity validation but skips the procurement-specific sections.
For the full walk-through, see How to Register on SAM.gov.
UEI vs. CAGE vs. TIN vs. DUNS
Federal contractors juggle several identifiers. Here is what each means and when it matters:
| Identifier | Who issues it | What it identifies | When required |
|---|---|---|---|
| UEI | SAM.gov (GSA) | Your legal entity | Every federal award |
| CAGE code | DLA | Your commercial/government supplier facility | DoD awards and logistics |
| TIN/EIN | IRS | Your taxpayer identity | Payments, 1099s, W-9 |
| DUNS | D&B (private) | Your commercial identity | No longer required federally |
The CAGE code is issued automatically alongside your UEI during SAM.gov registration. You do not apply for it separately.
Does my UEI ever change?
Almost never. The UEI is tied to your legal entity, so it persists across:
- Change of physical address
- Change of business type (e.g., LLC to corporation — though this is usually a new entity anyway)
- Change of ownership
- Renewal of SAM.gov registration
It does change if you form a new legal entity (new EIN, new incorporation). If you restructure and receive a new EIN from the IRS, you will receive a new UEI to match.
UEI and grant applicants
Grant applicants using Grants.gov still need a UEI. The requirement applies equally to for-profit contractors, nonprofits, universities, and state and local governments. The UEI-only registration path on SAM.gov exists primarily for grant-only applicants who do not want to complete the procurement reps-and-certs section.
Common issues
"I have a DUNS but no UEI." Nothing to do — if your SAM.gov record was active on or after April 4, 2022, a UEI was generated and bound to your record automatically. Sign in and look it up.
"My UEI in SAM.gov differs from the UEI on my contract." This almost always means the government contracting system is referencing an older record. Contact the contracting officer; they can correct the contract record to your current UEI.
"I see the message 'UEI in progress.'" This appears during entity validation. Validation completes within 3–5 business days. You will receive an email when your UEI is assigned.
Placement on proposals and documents
Put your UEI prominently on:
- Capability statements (top band, with CAGE and NAICS)
- Proposal cover pages (SF-33 has a dedicated field)
- Invoices (required by most payment systems)
- Subcontract flow-downs (primes will ask for it)
Treat the UEI the way you treat your EIN: accurate, consistent, and present on everything that touches a federal transaction.
Key takeaways
- UEI is the 12-character government-issued identifier that replaced DUNS on April 4, 2022.
- It is free, permanent, and assigned automatically as part of SAM.gov registration.
- You cannot get a UEI outside of SAM.gov — there is no standalone application.
- UEI, CAGE, and TIN are three different identifiers with three different purposes. Know which belongs where.