To get an E-Verify number for your business, enroll your company at e-verify.gov in a single online session, electronically sign the Memorandum of Understanding with the Department of Homeland Security and the Social Security Administration, and then read your Company ID number off the top of the signed MOU. The number is a four-to-seven-digit code, contains only digits, and is separate from your Employer Identification Number. Enrollment is free.
Gather Your Information Before You Start
E-Verify enrollment cannot be paused. You must complete it in one web session, so pull every piece of information together before you open the form.1E-Verify. Enrollment Checklist
- Your company’s legal name, as it appears on official registration.
- Your Employer Identification Number (EIN) from the IRS.
- Your NAICS code, which you can find on your tax returns, insurance paperwork, or through the U.S. Census Bureau’s lookup tool.2U.S. Census Bureau. North American Industry Classification System (NAICS)
- A list of every hiring site, organized by state, where the company will use E-Verify.
- Your total employee count across all locations.
- The name, phone number, and email address for the person who will sign the agreement and the person who will run the account day to day. These can be the same individual.
Pick the Right Access Type
Enrollment asks you to choose how your company will be structured inside E-Verify. Most businesses fit one of two options.
Single Employer Access
This is the standard setup. You enroll once, sign one MOU, and handle every case from a single account, even if you hire at several locations. The limitation is that you cannot separately track E-Verify activity by site.3E-Verify. Appendix A – Corporate Administrator Access
Corporate Administrator Access
If you need each location to have its own account with its own users and records, choose corporate administrator access. Every location enrolls separately and signs its own MOU, and a corporate administrator account links them for oversight. The administrator can supervise the linked accounts but cannot create E-Verify cases directly. This structure requires a web-based training session instead of the standard self-paced tutorial, so it only fits companies that genuinely need location-by-location separation.
A third option, E-Verify employer agent access, is meant for third parties that will create cases on behalf of other companies, not for a business enrolling itself.
Work Through the Enrollment Form
Once your information is ready, go to e-verify.gov and start the enrollment application. The system walks you through four stages:4E-Verify. The Enrollment Process
- Select your access method (single employer, corporate administrator, or employer agent).
- Enter your business details: company name, EIN, NAICS code, hiring sites, employee count, and contact information.
- Review and electronically sign the Memorandum of Understanding. This is a legally binding agreement between your company, DHS, and the Social Security Administration, and it must be signed by someone authorized to bind the company.5E-Verify.gov. What Is the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)?
- Submit the application. A confirmation screen appears when enrollment goes through.
Before anyone at your company can create a case, they must complete a required E-Verify tutorial. The system may also prompt existing users to take refresher tutorials after updates.6E-Verify. Does E-Verify Notify Users of Required Tutorials?
Where to Find Your Company ID Number
The Company ID number is printed at the top of every page of your signed MOU, directly below the E-Verify logo.7E-Verify. How Do I Find My Client’s Company ID Number? You can download the MOU as a PDF from the portal right after signing. The number is between four and seven digits long and contains only numbers.
You can also look it up inside the system. Log into your E-Verify account, open Edit Company Profile, and the Company ID appears on the Company Information page alongside your company name.8E-Verify. Appendix B – Glossary
If a third-party employer agent handles E-Verify for you, the agent can pull your Client Company ID by logging in, opening Manage Clients, and clicking View next to your company name. The format is identical to a directly enrolled Company ID.
If neither route works, call E-Verify at 1-888-464-4218 or email E-Verify@uscis.dhs.gov.9E-Verify. Contact Us
Who Has to Enroll
Most private employers can enroll voluntarily. Two categories must enroll. Federal contractors and subcontractors whose contracts exceed $150,000 and last at least 120 days are required to use E-Verify under the Federal Acquisition Regulation.10Acquisition.GOV. Subpart 22.18 – Employment Eligibility Verification Several states also require some or all private employers to use E-Verify, with rules that vary by employer size and industry. Ignoring a state mandate can trigger civil fines and, in some places, suspension of a business license.
What Happens After You Have the Number
Getting the Company ID is the start, not the finish. Once your account is active, you must create an E-Verify case for each new hire no later than the third business day after the employee starts work for pay.11E-Verify. 2.2 Create A Case The clock runs from the first day of paid work, not the date of the job offer. If E-Verify is down, the deadline pauses until service returns, provided you tried to submit in good faith during the outage.12E-Verify. E-Verify Memorandum of Understanding for Employers
Two boundaries matter from day one. You cannot run a case before you hire someone; E-Verify is not a screening tool for applicants, and a case can only be created after a firm job offer has been accepted and both sections of Form I-9 are complete. And you must run every new hire through the system, not a subset. Singling out workers by citizenship, national origin, or another protected characteristic is prohibited, and you cannot take adverse action against an employee whose case is pending or unresolved.13E-Verify. Employee Rights and Responsibilities
When E-Verify cannot immediately confirm a new hire, it issues a Tentative Nonconfirmation (a mismatch). A mismatch is not a finding that the employee is unauthorized. You give the worker the Further Action Notice generated by E-Verify, confirm the personal information on it is correct, and let them decide within 10 federal government working days whether to contest.14E-Verify. Tentative Nonconfirmations (Mismatches) Only after a Final Nonconfirmation may you close the case and, if you choose, end employment under the terms of the MOU.15E-Verify. 3.6 Final Nonconfirmation