How to Get a UEI Number in SAM.gov (Step by Step)

A UEI is a free, 12-character Unique Entity ID issued by the federal government inside SAM.gov, and you request it by signing in with Login.gov and passing entity validation. If your legal business name and physical address match your official records, the number is often assigned in the same sitting — and you never pay a third party for it.

Check first: not sure whether you need just a UEI, a full SAM.gov registration, or a certification instead? Our free 60-second eligibility checker helps you confirm which registrations actually match your business before you start.

If you want to bid on federal contracts or apply for a federal grant, you need a Unique Entity ID (UEI) — and the only place to get one is SAM.gov, for free. This guide walks you through exactly how to get your UEI: what to prepare, how the process works step by step, and why "entity validation" is the part that trips most people up.

What a UEI is (and what it is not)

The Unique Entity ID is the government's official way of identifying your organization across every federal award system. Since April 4, 2022, SAM.gov has assigned the UEI directly, replacing the old nine-digit DUNS number that a third party used to issue. As FEMA explains, the UEI is 12 alphanumeric characters and is generated inside SAM.gov itself, so no outside vendor is involved and there is nothing to buy. The General Services Administration, which runs SAM.gov, is explicit that entities no longer rely on a third party to obtain an identifier.

A UEI is not the same thing as a full SAM.gov registration, and this distinction matters. Getting the identifier assigned is one step. A complete "All Awards" registration — the kind you need before you can actually receive a federal contract or grant payment — is a longer process that layers additional checks on top. Knowing which one you actually need can save you weeks.

It is also worth stating plainly: you should never pay a third party for a UEI. The number is free, and any service charging you specifically to "get your UEI" is charging for something the government provides at no cost. Legitimate consultants may charge to manage the whole registration for you, which is a different service — but the identifier itself is free.

Before you start: what you need

Two things determine whether your UEI request goes smoothly. First, a Login.gov account, because SAM.gov uses Login.gov for sign-in. If you have ever filed with another federal system through Login.gov, you can reuse that account. Second — and this is the one that matters — your official business records.

Entity validation compares what you type against authoritative records of your business. So before you begin, pull the exact legal name and physical street address as they appear on your incorporation or formation documents, your IRS paperwork, or your business license. "Exact" is not a figure of speech here. A suite number, an abbreviation like "St." versus "Street," a trailing "LLC," or a P.O. box where a street address belongs can all cause a mismatch. If you are not sure your details are consistent across your documents, reconcile that first. Our free eligibility checker can help you confirm you are targeting the right registrations before you invest the time.

Step 1: Sign in and start the entity process

Go to SAM.gov and choose to get started, then sign in through Login.gov. If you are creating a new Login.gov account, you will set a password and configure at least one second authentication method (an authenticator app, a phone number, or a security key). Keep those recovery details somewhere safe — losing access to the Login.gov account tied to your entity is a common and avoidable headache down the road.

Once you are signed in, go to your SAM.gov Workspace and choose to register a new entity. SAM.gov will ask whether you want to register for the ability to receive federal awards, or whether you only want to get a Unique Entity ID. This is the fork in the road:

• Choose "get a Unique Entity ID only" if a grant application, subcontract, or prime contractor simply asks for your number and you do not yet need to receive federal money directly.
• Choose the full registration path if you intend to bid on and be paid for federal contracts or grants yourself.

You do not have to complete a full Entity Registration to obtain your Unique Entity ID. Picking the lighter path when that is all you need gets you the number faster and lets you come back for full registration later.

Step 2: Enter your details and pass entity validation

Now you enter the information that validation will check: your legal business name, physical address, and business start date. Type these exactly as they appear on your official records. SAM.gov is deliberately strict here, because the whole point of validation is to confirm you are who you say you are.

A few practical notes. Use the physical location where your business operates, not a mailing-only P.O. box. Match punctuation and spelling to your formation documents. If your business is very new or recently changed its name or address, the authoritative records the system checks against may lag behind reality — which is exactly the situation that leads to the manual review described below.

Entity validation is where SAM.gov confirms your legal name and address against authoritative records. If the system finds a confident match, validation succeeds and your Unique Entity ID is assigned immediately — you check the box confirming you are authorized to represent the entity, select "Receive Unique Entity ID," and your 12-character number appears on the next screen, with an email confirmation to follow.

If the system cannot confirm a match, you will be prompted to submit an entity validation ticket to the Federal Service Desk, often with supporting documents such as your formation paperwork or a utility bill showing the physical address. This manual review is the single biggest source of delay in the whole process. During the original 2022 transition, validation tickets backed up so badly that the Federal Service Desk was working them in the order received with no promised timeline. Volumes are far more normal now, but the lesson stands: a clean match on the first try is worth the effort of getting your details exactly right beforehand.

After the UEI: do you also need full registration?

Getting the identifier is not the finish line for most contractors. If you plan to receive federal awards, you continue into full registration, where SAM.gov runs additional checks — including IRS taxpayer verification and, for the "All Awards" registration type, CAGE Code validation. A submitted full registration can take up to 10 business days to become active, and longer if any validation or correction is needed along the way.

That gap — a UEI assigned in minutes versus a full registration that can take a week and a half or more — is why it pays to know which one your opportunity actually requires. If a grant portal only needs your number to list you as an applicant, the UEI-only path may be all you need today. If you are chasing a solicitation you intend to win and invoice against, budget time for the full registration and do not start the week it is due. Once you are registered, keep it active: registrations must be renewed every year, and letting yours lapse pulls you out of award eligibility. Our guide on how to renew your SAM.gov registration covers that cycle, and our full SAM.gov registration walkthrough covers the complete path from start to active.

Common reasons a UEI request stalls

Most delays trace back to a handful of avoidable issues. A legal name that does not match your incorporation record — even by a word or an abbreviation — is the most frequent. A physical address that differs from your official records, or a mailing address entered where a street address belongs, is a close second. Brand-new entities sometimes get ahead of the records the validation system checks against, which forces a manual ticket. And occasionally applicants abandon the process at the Login.gov step because they cannot get past two-factor setup. None of these are hard to fix, but each one can add days if you discover it after you have already submitted.

If your details are consistent and you choose the right path for your situation, a UEI is genuinely a same-session task for many small businesses. The businesses that struggle are almost always the ones whose paperwork disagrees with itself.

Getting it right the first time

The UEI is free, it comes straight from SAM.gov, and for most small businesses with clean records it can be assigned in a single sitting. The two things that decide your experience are settling your Login.gov access up front and making your legal name and physical address match your official documents exactly. Get those right and validation tends to pass on the first try; get them wrong and you are waiting on a manual review.

If you would rather not navigate SAM.gov, entity validation, and annual renewals yourself, WedgeBid helps small and diverse businesses get registered and stay contract-ready. See what is involved on our SAM.gov registration service page or review our pricing to decide whether doing it yourself or getting help is the better use of your time.

Not legal advice — see our disclosures for full disclaimers.