To get a Unique Entity ID on SAM.gov, create a free Login.gov account, sign into SAM.gov, choose either “Get a Unique Entity ID” or “Register Entity,” and complete entity validation by submitting your legal business name, physical address, and formation details exactly as they appear on your state filing records. The 12-character identifier is free, replaced the old DUNS Number in April 2022, and is required before your organization can bid on federal contracts, apply for federal grants, or receive federal payments.1General Services Administration. Implementing the Unique Entity ID
Pick the Right Path Before You Start
SAM.gov offers two routes, and choosing the wrong one either wastes hours or leaves you unable to apply for what you actually want. Decide first.
The UEI-only path assigns you the 12-character code after you provide a legal business name and physical address. That is enough if you will only report as a sub-awardee under someone else’s federal grant or contract. Sub-recipients must have a UEI, but federal rules do not require them to complete a full SAM.gov registration to get one.2eCFR. 2 CFR Part 25 – Unique Entity Identifier and System for Award Management A UEI alone does not let you apply directly for federal awards.3SAM.gov. Entity Registration
Full entity registration is required if you want to bid on government contracts or apply for federal assistance as a prime recipient. It pulls in banking details, tax identifiers, industry codes, and a series of certifications, and can take up to 10 business days to become active.3SAM.gov. Entity Registration Under 2 CFR 25.200, any entity applying for federal financial assistance must be registered in SAM.gov before submitting an application, must include its UEI in the application, and must keep the registration active for as long as it has an award or an application under review.4eCFR. 2 CFR 25.200 – Requirements for Notice of Funding Opportunities, Regulations, and Application Instructions The Federal Acquisition Regulation applies the same rule on the procurement side: contractors submitting offers or quotes must be registered in SAM at the time of submission.5Acquisition.GOV. FAR 4.1102 – Policy
A small nonprofit that only draws federal money through a larger pass-through partner should stop at UEI-only and skip the banking, NAICS, and certification fields entirely.
Gather Your Documents Before You Log In
Both paths require entity validation, and this is where most first-time requesters get stuck. Validation confirms your organization legally exists and matches state records. Small mismatches trigger manual review and delay.
Have your legal business name exactly as it appears on your formation documents. The system matches that name against records held by your state’s Secretary of State or equivalent filing office, and punctuation or abbreviation differences can push your request into a manual queue. You also need a physical address where the business operates. SAM.gov does not accept P.O. boxes for validation.6SAM.gov. Entity Registration Checklist If the address on your formation documents differs from your current one, keep a utility bill, bank statement, or lease agreement within reach to confirm the current address.
Pull the exact date of incorporation and the jurisdiction where the entity was formed. These must match the articles of incorporation or certificate of formation on file with the state. A transposed day or wrong year often causes immediate rejection. If the automated match fails, a government analyst reviews your information manually and may request a stamped copy of your formation documents or a recent tax return. Upload those through the portal’s secure tool promptly, because a manual review left unanswered for too long can be discarded for inactivity.
Extra Fields for Full Registration
Full registration adds significantly more to collect: your Taxpayer Identification Number, banking details for electronic funds transfer, NAICS codes describing your industry, your fiscal year end date, and details about entity structure and ownership.6SAM.gov. Entity Registration Checklist You also need a CAGE code (or NCAGE code for international entities), executive compensation disclosures, and answers to representations and certifications on labor standards, debarment history, and related topics.
Have your TIN, routing number, account number, and NAICS codes in hand before you log in. Many full registrations stall because the applicant hits a field they cannot answer without calling their accountant or bank, and the partially completed form sits idle.
Step by Step Through SAM.gov
Create an account at Login.gov, which serves as the shared sign-in for federal systems. Sign into SAM.gov with those credentials and go to your workspace. Select “Get a Unique Entity ID” or “Register Entity,” depending on the path you chose.3SAM.gov. Entity Registration
The portal walks you through entering the data you gathered. After you submit, the system tries to match your information against existing business records. If it finds a match, you confirm the details and click through the final screens to request your 12-character code. If no automated match is possible, you upload the supporting documents for manual review.
A confirmation email with a reference number lands in your inbox after submission. Full registrations can take up to 10 business days to become active, and complex cases or high-volume periods stretch that further.3SAM.gov. Entity Registration Once validated, your Unique Entity ID appears in your SAM.gov dashboard, ready for use in applications, bids, and reporting.
If Validation Fails or Stalls
Contact the Federal Service Desk. Through FSD.gov you can open a help desk ticket, chat with an agent, or search the knowledge base for common validation errors.7SAM.gov. Help The service desk handles account and technical issues with the registration system. It does not handle questions about specific contracts, funding opportunities, or agency-level processes, so keep your inquiry focused on the registration problem itself.
Keep the Registration Active
SAM.gov registrations expire every 365 days. You must renew before the expiration date to continue receiving federal awards or direct payments.3SAM.gov. Entity Registration During renewal you verify that your legal name, physical address, points of contact, and other details remain current. The regulation requires an annual review and update of your SAM.gov information, including ownership details and any predecessor entities that received federal awards within the past three years.4eCFR. 2 CFR 25.200 – Requirements for Notice of Funding Opportunities, Regulations, and Application Instructions
Start the renewal at least 60 days before expiration. Renewals have their own processing window, and an expired registration means no new bids and no pending payments until it comes back online.
Do Not Pay Anyone for This
Getting a UEI and maintaining a SAM.gov registration is free.8SAM.gov. Home Third-party services routinely contact organizations by email or postal mail using official-looking branding and urgent language, pressuring them to pay for registration or renewal help. Some run websites designed to resemble SAM.gov.
The warning signs are simple. Anyone asking you to pay for SAM.gov registration is not the government. Anyone claiming your registration will lapse unless you send money immediately is not the government. Any website that is not on the .gov domain is not the government. If you need help, the Federal Service Desk provides it at no cost.