How to Register on SAM.gov and Get a UEI (Free)

If you want to do business with the federal government, bid on contracts, receive grants, or report as a subawardee, you need a Unique Entity ID, or UEI. As of April 2022, the UEI replaced the DUNS number as the federal government's official way to identify entities, and unlike the old system, you now get it directly and for free at SAM.gov. This guide walks you through registering and claiming your UEI, and warns you away from the paid services that charge for something the government provides at no cost.

Why you need a UEI

The UEI is the federal government's authoritative identifier for your business. You need one to register in SAM.gov, which is the system of record for organizations that want to work with the federal government. Without it, you cannot bid on federal contracts, receive federal grants, or be paid as a federal awardee. Even if federal contracting is not your immediate goal, claiming your UEI establishes your business in the government's system and can open doors to a large market that many small businesses overlook. It also complements the private-sector identifiers, your EIN and your D-U-N-S number, that together make your business verifiable everywhere it matters.

UEI only, or full registration?

SAM.gov offers two paths, and it is worth knowing which you need before you start. If you only need to be identified, for example to report as a subawardee, you can request a Unique Entity ID only, without completing a full entity registration. If you intend to bid on contracts or receive federal awards directly, you complete a full SAM.gov entity registration, which includes your UEI plus additional business, banking, and representation details. Start with the path that matches your goal; you can always complete the fuller registration later.

How to register on SAM.gov and get your UEI, step by step

1. Create a Login.gov account. SAM.gov uses Login.gov for secure sign-in. Set this up first with an email you control.
2. Go to SAM.gov and sign in. Navigate to the official site, sam.gov, and sign in with your Login.gov credentials. Confirm you are on the .gov domain, not a look-alike.
3. Start the Unique Entity ID request or entity registration. Choose 'Get a Unique Entity ID' if you only need the identifier, or start a full registration if you plan to bid on awards.
4. Enter and validate your entity information. Provide your legal business name and physical address exactly as they appear on your official records. SAM.gov validates this information, so it must match.
5. Complete entity validation. SAM.gov confirms your business is unique and real. If your details do not match its records, you may be asked to provide documentation.
6. Receive your UEI. Once validated, SAM.gov issues your Unique Entity ID. If you are doing a full registration, continue through the business, banking, and representations sections to finish.
7. Save your UEI and note its status. Record your UEI with your other identifiers. A UEI, once issued, does not expire, though full registrations require periodic renewal to stay active.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Paying a third-party service. The UEI and SAM.gov registration are free at sam.gov. Paid 'registration' services are unnecessary.
• Name or address mismatches. SAM.gov validates your entity against official records. If your legal name or address does not match your formation documents and IRS records, validation stalls. Fix inconsistencies first.
• Requesting a UEI when you already have one. If your business is already registered in SAM.gov, you already have a UEI, view it there rather than creating confusion.
• Letting a full registration lapse. A UEI does not expire, but an active SAM.gov registration must be renewed periodically to keep bidding eligibility.
• Choosing the wrong path. If you only need to be identified, request the UEI only; do not start a full registration you do not need yet.

How this connects to building business credit

Your UEI sits alongside your EIN and D-U-N-S number as one of the identifiers that prove your business is real and verifiable, and the theme running through all of them is consistency. SAM.gov validates your legal name and address against official records, which means the same identity work that makes you fundable in the private market, one exact name and address everywhere, is what makes your federal registration go smoothly. Businesses that keep a clean, consistent identity breeze through these steps; businesses with mismatched records get stuck at validation. Company Base OS helps you lock down that consistent identity across every record, so whether a bank, a bureau, or the federal government is checking, the story matches. The free Fundability quiz is where to start.