Home DUNS numbers What a D-U-N-S Number Is Used For

What a D-U-N-S Number Is Used For

A D-U-N-S Number is a free ID that puts a business in Dun & Bradstreet's database. Here is what that lets others do, and what it does not require.

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Business owners run into the D-U-N-S Number often. So what is a D-U-N-S Number used for? It is an ID for businesses, and its job is simpler than it sounds. It puts your company into a database where others can find it and check it out. Getting one costs nothing, and no rule forces a company to have one. Here is how it works, in plain terms, based on what Dun & Bradstreet says on its own pages. For a fuller walkthrough, see our guide to the d-u-n-s number for business.

What a D-U-N-S Number is

D&B describes the D-U-N-S Number as a unique nine-digit identifier used only for businesses. It is a label that belongs to one company, nothing more.

The number establishes a business in the Dun & Bradstreet database. That placement is the point. Once your company is in, others can confirm it is an active business.

D&B issues the number just once, at no cost. It never expires or changes, even if the business closes or is purchased. There is never a requirement to buy any product or service to obtain, use, or maintain one.

What the number is used for

So what does that placement actually do for you? A few things.

It lets other companies confirm your business exists and is active.

D&B also says organizations may use a D-U-N-S Number to evaluate a business credit profile. The number is the key that points to it.

Whether a D-U-N-S Number is required

D&B is direct on this point. There is no requirement for a company to have a D-U-N-S Number.

D-U-N-S Numbers and federal contracts: the Unique Entity ID

One confusion comes up again and again. People assume a D-U-N-S Number is required for U.S. federal government contracts. D&B says it is not.

Federal registration runs through SAM.gov. When you register there, SAM.gov assigns you a Unique Entity ID as part of the process. If you are already registered, you already have one. You can even request a Unique Entity ID without completing a full registration.

The two numbers are different things from different places. Our comparison of the duns number vs unique entity id breaks down which one each situation calls for.

Multiple locations and business types

Many kinds of business can get a D-U-N-S Number. D&B lists S-Corps, partnerships, and LLCs among them.

Run more than one location? D&B says a business with multiple locations should apply for a separate D-U-N-S Number for each one. Each site gets its own entry in the database.

Keeping your business information current

The number itself is just the start.

U.S.-based non-public companies can view and request updates to their business information for free through the D-U-N-S Manager. D&B says the tool lets a business submit updates for review, verification, and possible acceptance, also at no cost.

How to check whether you already have one

Before applying, check. Your business may already have a number. The number never expires, so it would still be there.

D&B offers a D-U-N-S Lookup tool. You can use it to look up your own number or another company's. Our page on how to check duns number walks through the steps.

If nothing turns up, the number can be requested from D&B at no cost. Our guide on how to get a duns number for my business covers that process.

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