CAGE Code: What It Is, How to Register, and Keeping It Active

To get a CAGE code, register your organization on SAM.gov with your exact legal business name, taxpayer identification number, and a real physical address. The Defense Logistics Agency assigns the five-character code as part of that registration at no cost, and the official processing window is 10 to 15 business days once your information passes validation.¹ Most of the work is preparing your documents so the validation doesn’t bounce.

What to Gather Before You Start

Registration itself is straightforward. The failures happen upstream, in the paperwork. Have these ready before you open SAM.gov:

Your legal business name, spelled exactly the way it appears on your IRS records. An ampersand instead of “and,” a stray comma, or a missing “Inc.” will fail the TIN match.
Your Taxpayer Identification Number or Employer Identification Number. SAM.gov cross-references this against IRS records; if the name and number don’t line up, the IRS is generally only willing to discuss the account with the person listed as the EIN creator.
Your physical street address (see the next section — this is where most applicants get stuck).
Banking information for Electronic Funds Transfer, so federal payments can route to you.
The name of the person who will serve as your Entity Administrator.

SAM.gov assigns your Unique Entity ID automatically during registration. The UEI replaced the DUNS number in April 2022, so you don’t need to obtain one separately.

Get the Address Right

The address is where most first-time applicants get rejected, and the rules are stricter than people expect. The DLA will not assign a CAGE code to a P.O. box, a commercial mailbox at a UPS Store or FedEx office, or a short-term virtual office. Mobile offices and some business incubator spaces also fail if your actual operations don’t happen there.²

A home office is fine. The DLA recognizes home addresses as valid principal places of business for sole proprietors, partnerships, and corporations, provided real work happens there — bookkeeping, client contact, records storage.² A mailbox where you pick up letters is not.

One more constraint to know up front: the DLA assigns one code per legal entity per physical address. You won’t get a second code for the same entity at the same location, even under a slightly different LLC name. The narrow exception is a SAM registration with multiple EFT addresses carrying different EFT indicators, where each indicator gets its own code so payments route correctly.²

The code itself is five characters, letters and numbers mixed. To prevent misreads, the system doesn’t use the letters I or O or the number 0.

Register on SAM.gov

Go directly to sam.gov — type it into the browser rather than following any link from an email — and start an entity registration. You’ll enter your legal name, TIN, physical address, business structure, points of contact, and banking details. When you submit, SAM.gov forwards the record to the DLA for CAGE assignment.¹

The Two Validations

Your registration runs through two checks in parallel:

An IRS TIN match, confirming your legal business name and tax ID agree with federal tax records. If they don’t, you’ll get an email; you’ll then need to call the IRS at 1-866-255-0654 to reconcile before resubmitting.
A DLA CAGE validation, which looks for duplicate addresses in the CAGE system so the same physical location doesn’t end up with multiple codes.

If either fails, SAM.gov emails you an explanation. Fix the underlying record and resubmit.

The Notarized Letter

SAM.gov also requires a notarized letter appointing your Entity Administrator. It must be on company letterhead, signed in front of a notary by someone with signatory authority for the entity, and mailed to the Federal Service Desk in London, Kentucky. The letter identifies the administrator, attests that your banking information is accurate, and states whether you’re self-administering or using a third-party agent.

Since 2018, the letter no longer has to be approved before your registration activates, but you must mail it within 30 days of activation or your registration risks deactivation.

Timeline and Common Delays

The official processing time is 10 to 15 business days when everything is accurate.¹ In practice, documentation errors and system flags routinely push it to three or four weeks. The usual culprits:

Legal name spelled differently on SAM.gov than in IRS records.
A registration address the DLA reads as a mailbox, virtual office, or incubator space where real operations don’t occur.
An address the DLA already has on file for another entity.
The notarized letter arriving late or with missing information.

Once both validations pass, the DLA assigns your code and SAM.gov attaches it to your entity registration. You can then look it up in your SAM.gov account.

Keeping the Code Active

Your SAM.gov registration is good for exactly one year from the date of submission, and your CAGE code’s active status rides on that registration. You have to renew annually to stay eligible for federal awards and direct payments. Start the renewal at least 60 days before your expiration date; the same validations apply, and waiting until the final week is a reliable way to lapse and miss contract opportunities.³

At each renewal, confirm your physical address, contacts, banking details, and business structure are still current. Changes in ownership, name, or organizational structure should be updated as they happen rather than saved for the annual cycle. If your company is being acquired and holds existing federal contracts, a novation agreement under FAR Subpart 42.12 formally transfers those obligations, and the acquiring company may need a new code or an update to existing records — a separate process worth pricing into any deal timeline.

If Your Entity Is Outside the United States

Organizations located outside the U.S. don’t get a standard CAGE code. They get a NATO CAGE, or NCAGE, through the NATO Support and Procurement Agency’s ePortal. The request is free. You search the portal for your organization first; if no existing code appears, an online wizard walks you through a new request, which NSPA either assigns directly or routes to your country’s National Codification Bureau.⁴ International entities planning to register in SAM.gov need the NCAGE first — SAM.gov lists the NCAGE request portal as a required external resource for international registrants.⁵

The Process Is Free — Ignore the Renewal Letters

There is no government fee for a CAGE code or a SAM.gov registration.¹ The scam industry around this is persistent and convincing. Fraudulent letters cite your actual CAGE code, use urgent language about an expiring registration, and list a real-looking phone number.

One test cuts through most of it: legitimate government communications come from .gov or .mil email domains. Any message from a .com, .net, or .org address asking for payment to renew or expedite is not from the government. Don’t click links in unsolicited emails about your SAM registration — go to sam.gov by typing it into your browser. Legitimate third-party consultants exist and will disclose that they aren’t a government agency, but no one needs to pay a middleman to complete a free process.⁶

1
DoD Procurement Toolbox. Contractor/Vendor Guide SAM.gov Finding My CAGE Code
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Defense Procurement and Acquisition Policy. PGI 204.18 – Commercial and Government Entity Code
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SAM.gov. Entity Registration
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NATO Support and Procurement Agency. NCAGE Code Request Tool
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SAM.gov. External Resources
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SAM.gov. About This Site