Do You Need a UEI Before SAM.gov?
Short answer: no. Your UEI is created inside SAM.gov, not before it, and not from anyone else. Here's why so many guides get this wrong.
You do not apply for a UEI as a separate step before SAM.gov. Your UEI (Unique Entity Identifier) is assigned automatically as part of registering your business in SAM.gov, and it is free.
What is a UEI?
A UEI is a 12-character alphanumeric code the federal government uses to identify your business across every contract and grant. It replaced the old DUNS number in April 2022. You cannot bid on federal contracts without one, but you get it from SAM.gov itself, not from a separate application beforehand.
Where the confusion comes from
The DUNS-era myth
Before April 2022, you really did get a separate identifier first: you requested a DUNS number from a private company (Dun & Bradstreet), then used it to register. A lot of older guides and articles still describe that separate pre-step. It no longer exists. The government retired DUNS and now issues the UEI itself, from inside SAM.gov.
How you actually get your UEI
It happens during SAM.gov registration, in this order:
- 1
Create a free login.gov account
SAM.gov sign-in runs through login.gov, the free federal single sign-on. Expect to set up two-factor (a phone or authenticator app).
- 2
Sign in to SAM.gov and start a registration
Go to sam.gov and begin a new entity registration.
- 3
Choose Register Entity (not ID-only)
SAM.gov offers a “Get a Unique Entity ID only” option, but an ID-only entity cannot receive federal awards. If you plan to bid, pick Register Entity for the full registration.
- 4
SAM.gov validates your business
Your legal business name and physical address must match your official records exactly. If SAM.gov can't confirm them automatically, you submit documents for a manual review that averages about 4 business days. Being asked for a document is normal; it does not mean you did anything wrong.
- 5
Your UEI is issued once your entity is validated
Right away if your details match, or after the review if documents were needed. It is 12 characters. Write it down; you will see it throughout SAM.gov and on everything you bid on.
Do you ever pay for a UEI?
No. The UEI is free, and so is SAM.gov registration itself. If a website offers to “get your UEI” for a fee, you don't need it. You can do the whole thing yourself for nothing. See Do you have to pay to register on SAM.gov?
Not sure where to start?
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