Independent · not SAM.gov
Do you need a DUNS number, or just a UEI?
Updated 13 November 2026
Many pages that mention DUNS numbers and SAM.gov together still describe a two-step process: get a DUNS number, then register. That ended in 2022. If a guide tells you to find a DUNS number before you touch SAM.gov, it was written for a system that no longer exists. ZeroGov is a privately run, independent site, not SAM.gov and not a federal agency, so treat this as background and confirm on sam.gov.
The short answer
You do not need a DUNS number for federal awards. The Unique Entity ID, or UEI, replaced it on 4 April 2022, and the identifier and validation services moved into SAM.gov (SAM.gov entity registration checklist). GSA says you get a UEI when you start an entity registration and your legal business name and physical address are validated, and that you can get one without finishing the registration. A renewal keeps your existing UEI. There is no charge for a UEI or for registering.
What changed
Before April 2022 the federal government used a number issued by a private company, Dun & Bradstreet, as the identifier tied to your SAM.gov record. The government moved identifier assignment into SAM.gov, and the UEI is now the authoritative identifier across federal award systems (GSA stakeholder forum, August 2022).
Why DUNS is still mentioned
Many guides, blog posts and old PDFs were written before the switch and never updated, and search engines do not know a page is out of date. If a company offers to get you a UEI for a fee, it is charging for something SAM.gov provides at no cost.
UEI versus CAGE code
The other identifier you will meet is the CAGE code. It is a separate identifier, and it is assigned at a different point.
| Identifier | Status | How you get it |
|---|---|---|
| DUNS number | No longer the federal identifier since 4 April 2022 | Not needed for SAM.gov |
| UEI (Unique Entity ID) | Current, required | Created in SAM.gov when your legal business name and physical address are validated |
| CAGE code | Current, required for registration | For U.S. entities, the DLA CAGE Branch assigns one after you submit your registration if you do not already have one. Entities outside the U.S. need an NCAGE code first. |
If you already have a CAGE code, enter it in the registration so a duplicate is not created. More on the CAGE code page.
What actually causes delays
Two checks cause most delays. Entity validation confirms your legal business name and physical address, sometimes with a document you upload. A separate IRS check, which runs after you submit, validates your TIN with the IRS (FAR 52.204-7 lists TIN validation as part of being registered). The taxpayer name the IRS holds can differ from your legal business name. Representations and certifications, where you state your business size and status, are the other place to spend attention. The registration checklist walks through the sequence and saves your progress in your browser only.
The FAR overhaul and funding lapses
The FAR overhaul is still moving through formal rulemaking, with first proposed rules published in June 2026 (White House release). We found nothing in it that changes how SAM.gov issues a UEI. Check acquisition.gov for current status, and see the overhaul explainer. A funding lapse is a separate concern, covered in what a shutdown does to your contract.
Independent information, not legal advice. Confirm status and rules on sam.gov and the current FAR text.
Quick answers
- Do I buy a UEI?
- No. It is created in SAM.gov when your legal name and physical address are validated, at no charge.
- Is DUNS still used for federal contracts?
- Not as the federal identifier since 4 April 2022. Old guides that start with DUNS are out of date.
- Is a UEI the same as a CAGE code?
- No. They are different identifiers. A U.S. entity gets a UEI during validation and a CAGE code after it submits the registration, unless it already has one.