Home DUNS numbers What a D-U-N-S Number Is and How to Get One
What a D-U-N-S Number Is and How to Get One
A plain answer for business owners on what a D-U-N-S Number is, what it costs and who can get one.
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Business owners meet the D-U-N-S Number at odd moments. Here is what the number actually is, and how to get it if you want one.
What a D-U-N-S Number is
D&B says the D-U-N-S Number is a unique nine-digit identifier used only for businesses. It is not a tax ID or an EIN. This one comes from Dun & Bradstreet.
A D-U-N-S Number establishes a business in the Dun & Bradstreet database. That lets others confirm it is an active business. D&B says organizations may use the number to evaluate a business credit profile.
D&B gives a business this number a single time, and that is the only one it gets. According to D&B, the number stays the same forever. A sale or a shutdown does not alter it. That is D&B's own description of it.
Does your business need one?
Nothing in the rules says a company must carry one. According to D&B, no company is under any obligation to hold a D-U-N-S Number.
It is also not required for U.S. federal government contracts. A D-U-N-S Number is not the ticket in.
So why do owners get one? D&B says organizations may use a D-U-N-S Number to evaluate a business credit profile. The number establishes a business in the Dun & Bradstreet database so others can confirm it is an active business.
How much it costs
Nothing. Per D&B, there is no charge to receive a D-U-N-S Number. The ID itself costs nothing. D&B also says there is never a requirement to purchase any product or service to obtain, use, or maintain one.
If a caller wants money to set one up, that package is something else. What you would pay for is not the number itself. Our page on the D-U-N-S Number free question goes deeper on this.
Who can get one
A wide range of business types are eligible for a D-U-N-S Number. S-Corps, partnerships and LLCs are some of the types D&B names. Running several sites? D&B's guidance is that each location gets its own application for a number.
The steps are on our page about how to get a D-U-N-S Number for my business.
Check whether you already have one
You may have a number without knowing it. D&B has a lookup tool, and you can look up your own number or another company's with it. Our guide to check D-U-N-S Number listings walks through it.
Once you find your listing, read it. U.S.-based non-public companies can view and request updates to their business information for free through the D-U-N-S Manager.
What the number looks like
A D-U-N-S Number is nine digits.
There are no rules about displaying it. D&B says there are no requirements around if or how a company displays its D-U-N-S Number. You can put it on invoices or leave it off.
Where to go next
Want to know what the number does once you have it? Our page on what D-U-N-S Number used for covers that. To get one, start with the how-to page above. To see if you have one, start with the lookup guide.