Home DUNS numbers DUNS Number vs Unique Entity ID, Simply Put
DUNS Number vs Unique Entity ID, Simply Put
Business owners run into both numbers when setting up a company. One comes from Dun & Bradstreet, the other from the federal government, and they are not the same thing.
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Two numbers follow a new business around. One is the D-U-N-S Number from Dun & Bradstreet. The other is the Unique Entity ID from the federal government. They belong to two different systems, and one does not stand in for the other.
What each number is
The D-U-N-S Number is D&B's identifier for businesses. D&B's page describes it as a unique nine-digit identifier used only for businesses. No person gets one. An LLC can have one, and so can a partnership or an S-Corp.
The Unique Entity ID, or UEI, is the federal government's identifier. SAM.gov assigns it to you as part of registration. It stands for your business inside federal systems.
Who issues each one
A private company issues the first. The D-U-N-S Number comes out of the Dun & Bradstreet database. It puts your business on file there, so others can confirm it is an active business.
The federal government issues the second. SAM.gov hands out the UEI when you register.
What each is used for
The two numbers answer different questions.
A D-U-N-S Number is about business credit. D&B says organizations may use it to evaluate a business credit profile. It also establishes your business in the Dun & Bradstreet database, so others can confirm it is an active business. If you want to know more about what duns number used for, the short answer is credit visibility and being found as an active business.
The UEI is about federal awards. SAM.gov says a registration allows you to bid on government contracts and apply for federal assistance.
How to get each one
The paths differ.
For the d-u-n-s number for business, you request one from D&B. D&B says getting one is free, and it is issued just once. There is never a requirement to purchase any product or service to obtain, use, or maintain it. Many business types qualify, from S-Corps to partnerships and LLCs.
For the UEI, you go through SAM.gov. There are two paths. You can complete a full registration, which assigns the UEI as part of the process. Or you can request a UEI alone, and SAM.gov says you only need your legal business name and physical address to do that. The catch is that a UEI by itself does not open the door to awards. SAM.gov says if you only get the UEI, you cannot apply directly for federal awards.
Do you need both
It depends on what a business wants to do.
D&B is plain that there is no requirement for a company to have a D-U-N-S Number. D&B also says the number is not required for U.S. federal government contracts. So no rule forces a business to get one.
The choice comes down to what you want to do. A business that wants others to confirm in D&B's database that it is an active business has a use for the D-U-N-S Number. A business that wants to bid on government contracts or apply for federal assistance needs to register in SAM.gov, which brings the UEI with it. A business doing both may end up with both numbers.
D&B says getting a D-U-N-S Number is free, as our duns number free page explains.
How to check what you already have
You may already hold one or both.
For the D&B side, use the D-U-N-S Lookup tool. D&B says you can look up your own number or another company's with it. A quick check duns number search answers whether your business is already on file. The number never expires or changes, D&B says, even if the business closes or is purchased.
For the federal side, SAM.gov puts it simply. If you're already registered, you already have a Unique Entity ID.
The short version
Two systems, two numbers. The D-U-N-S Number lives in Dun & Bradstreet's private database and serves business credit. The UEI lives in SAM.gov and serves federal contracts and assistance. One does not replace the other, and D&B says there is no requirement for a company to have a D-U-N-S Number.