What is a CAGE code, and is a UEI public?
A CAGE (Commercial and Government Entity) code is "a five-character alphanumeric identifier" that the Defense Logistics Agency's CAGE Program assigns to identify a facility or location of an entity; for US entities it is assigned as part of SAM.gov registration. A UEI (Unique Entity ID) is the twelve-character identifier SAM.gov assigns to each registered entity, which replaced the DUNS number on 4 April 2022. Both are part of SAM.gov's public entity data, unless the entity has opted out of public display, in which case it is removed from SAM's public search but still released under FOIA.
By New Odyssey · Published · Markdown
CAGE code and UEI
| CAGE code | UEI | |
|---|---|---|
| Format | Five characters, alphanumeric | Twelve characters, alphanumeric |
| Assigned by | The Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) CAGE Program | SAM.gov |
| Identifies | A facility or location of a commercial or government entity | A registered entity |
| When | As part of SAM.gov registration (for US entities) | At SAM.gov registration; authoritative since 4 April 2022 |
FAR 52.204-16 says "the DLA Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) Branch will assign a CAGE code as a part of the SAM registration process." GSA's fact sheet: "On April 4, 2022, the D-U-N-S® Number will be removed and the Unique Entity ID (SAM) will be the authoritative identifier."
Is a UEI public?
SAM.gov sorts entity data into tiers. Its Entity API's public tier covers "publicly available entities and their unclassified data", including the UEI and CAGE code. Higher tiers, for authorised users, add entities that opted out of public display (For Official Use Only) and sensitive data such as banking details and taxpayer IDs.
Opting out has limits. The SAM data dictionary says: "Entities that have opted out will be removed only from the SAM public search but will still be visible to users with For Official Use Only (FOUO) data access and will be provided in accordance with Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests."
How to look one up
- Search entity registrations on SAM.gov.
- From code, GSA's Entity Management API at open.gsa.gov returns public entity records with an API key from your SAM.gov account.
Questions
Who assigns CAGE codes?
The Defense Logistics Agency's CAGE Program. For US entities the code is assigned as part of SAM.gov registration.
What replaced the DUNS number?
The Unique Entity ID (SAM), a twelve-character identifier, became the authoritative federal entity identifier on 4 April 2022.
Is a UEI public information?
Yes for entities in SAM.gov's public data. An entity can opt out of public display; it is then removed from SAM's public search but remains available to FOUO users and under FOIA.
Sources
- GSA: SAM Functional Data Dictionary
- Acquisition.gov: FAR 52.204-16 Commercial and Government Entity Code Reporting
- GSA: Unique Entity ID fact sheet
- GSA: GSA systems switch to Unique Entity ID (SAM) on April 4, 2022
- GSA: SAM.gov Entity Management API