Register in SAM.gov and get your Unique Entity ID

The federal government's free registration for companies that want federal contracts: the Unique Entity ID, the CAGE code and the yearly renewal.

Register in SAM.gov and get your Unique Entity ID

Who it is for. Drone and robotics companies, in the U.S. or abroad, that want to bid on U.S. federal contracts as a prime contractor or apply directly for federal assistance. SAM.gov says a full registration is required to bid on government contracts and apply for federal assistance as a prime awardee. A company that only reports as a subawardee may need only a Unique Entity ID.

SAM.gov (the System for Award Management) is the U.S. government's free registration system for companies that want federal contracts or federal assistance. You sign in with Login.gov, confirm your company's legal name and address to get a 12-character Unique Entity ID (UEI), then complete the full registration: Core Data, Assertions, Representations and Certifications, and Points of Contact. After you submit, the IRS checks your tax ID and the Defense Logistics Agency checks or assigns your CAGE code. The registration must be renewed every 365 days.

Steps

Pick the right path: full registration or UEI onlySAM.gov offers two paths. A full registration lets you bid on government contracts and apply for federal assistance, and SAM.gov assigns your Unique Entity ID (UEI) during it. "Get a Unique Entity ID Only" checks only your legal business name and physical address. It is not a registration. SAM.gov says that with only a UEI, you cannot apply directly for federal awards. GSA's Quick Start Guide adds that with only a UEI you cannot bid directly on federal contracts as a prime contractor. A UEI is a 12-character code of letters and numbers that SAM.gov and other federal systems use to identify your company.SAM.gov: Get Started with Registration
Outside the U.S.? Get an NCAGE code firstCompanies located outside the United States and its territories use an NCAGE code, the NATO version of the CAGE (Commercial and Government Entity) code. The Federal Service Desk (FSD) says you need one if you register for "All Awards" (contracts and grants) or seek financial assistance from the Department of Defense (DoD). Go to the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) NCAGE Request Tool. Search it first for your company: NSPA says each entity can have only one active NCAGE code. If you find none, select "Request New" and follow the steps. NSPA says NCAGE create and update requests are free of charge. If you cannot use the online form, the FSD says to contact the National Codification Bureau in your country. The legal name and physical address you give for the NCAGE code must match what you later enter in SAM.gov.NSPA NCAGE Request Tool
U.S. companies: have your EIN, and wait if it is newYour Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) is usually your Employer Identification Number (EIN) from the IRS. The IRS says: "You never have to pay a fee for an EIN." Its online application issues the number right away if approved. The IRS says the online application is for businesses whose principal place of business is in the U.S. or U.S. territories. The FSD says the IRS takes 5 weeks to fully process a new or changed TIN or taxpayer name. It says not to register or update in SAM.gov with a new TIN until at least 5 weeks after you receive the IRS letter. For foreign companies, the FSD says a TIN is not required if the company has no income effectively connected with a U.S. trade or business and no office, place of business or fiscal paying agent in the U.S.IRS: Get an EIN (free)
Download the checklist and gather your informationDownload the Entity Registration Checklist from SAM.gov. It lists the questions in the registration. The version SAM.gov links is dated November 2024, before the March 2026 screen update. Gather your legal name and physical address, start date, state (or country) of incorporation, TIN, CAGE or NCAGE code, bank details for payments, NAICS codes (North American Industry Classification System codes for what you sell), size figures (annual receipts and number of employees), and your points of contact. See "Documents needed" below.Entity Registration Checklist (PDF)
Create a Login.gov account and sign in to SAM.govLogin.gov manages SAM.gov usernames and passwords. On SAM.gov, select "Sign In" and accept the terms. SAM.gov sends you to Login.gov. There, enter your email address, confirm it from the message Login.gov sends, create a password of at least 12 characters, and set up an authentication method (for example a security key, face or touch unlock, an authentication app, or text message). You then return to your SAM.gov Workspace.Login.gov: Create an account
Start a new registrationIn the Entities section of your Workspace, select "Get Started," then "Create New Entity." Answer "What is your goal?" and "Who required your entity to be in SAM.gov?" To bid on contracts, choose the "All Awards" purpose of registration. "Financial Assistance Awards Only" is for grants and loans only. Answer "No" to "Are you registering a government entity?" if you are a business. When asked "Do you already have a CAGE code?", enter it if you have one. If not, choose the option to receive one through registration.SAM.gov: Get Started
Validate your company and receive your UEIEnter your legal business name, any "doing business as" name, and your physical address. SAM.gov's Entity Validation Service (EVS) looks for an exact match. The FSD says most companies match right away. If yours does not, upload documents that prove your legal name, physical address, start year and state of incorporation (plus your national identifier if you are outside the U.S.). You get a reference ID number and an email from fsdsupport@gsa.gov when you can return and finish. Next, choose whether your record appears in public search, certify that you are authorized to act for the company, and select "Receive Unique Entity ID."FSD: Can I use this document for entity validation?
Complete Core DataSelect "Continue Registration." Core Data asks for your business information (start date, fiscal year end date, optional website, mailing address), your TIN, and consent for the IRS to confirm your taxpayer name and TIN. You also create a Marketing Partner Identification Number (MPIN). Core Data also covers your CAGE or NCAGE code, ownership (whether another company owns or controls you, and its CAGE or NCAGE code), any predecessor company that held a federal contract or grant in the last three years, and general information (entity structure, profit structure, socioeconomic categories). It ends with financial information (bank account for Electronic Funds Transfer, EFT, and a remittance address), executive compensation questions, and legal proceedings questions.Checklist: Core Data section
Complete AssertionsAssertions are required for companies that want to bid on contracts. Enter your NAICS codes and, optionally, your Product and Service Codes (PSCs). Enter your size figures: worldwide annual receipts and number of employees, as defined in 13 CFR 121 (the SBA size rules). You also answer whether you use Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) and whether you want to join the Disaster Response Registry.FSD: What information do I need to register?
Complete Representations and CertificationsRepresentations and Certifications ("reps and certs") are your formal answers to standard Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) provisions. If you answer yes to bidding on or holding DoD contracts, you also answer Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) questions. Contracting officers can then pull these answers into your contracts. SAM.gov released redesigned reps and certs screens on March 24, 2026, with DFARS questions in their own module. The FSD warns that intentionally misrepresenting your company to get a contract can lead to criminal prosecution under 18 U.S.C. 1001, suspension or debarment, and civil liability under the False Claims Act. The FSD does not interpret FAR questions. It points you to the contracting officer or an APEX Accelerator.FSD: What are representations and certifications?
Add Points of ContactEnter the name, email, phone and address for three required points of contact (POCs): Accounts Receivable (billing), Electronic Business (approves access to government e-business systems), and Government Business (your main contact for federal sales). Optional POCs include Past Performance and alternates. If you picked at least one small-business NAICS code, SAM.gov gives you a link to the Small Business Administration (SBA) supplemental page. The checklist says to use it to add information for market research or to apply for SBA's HUBZone or 8(a) programs. It opens in a new window. Go back to the SAM.gov window to submit your registration.FSD: Points of Contact explained
Submit, then watch email while outside checks runReview everything and select "Submit." If you do not see the "Registration Submitted" confirmation message, your registration was not submitted. Unsubmitted drafts are deleted after 90 days. The IRS then checks your TIN, and the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) assigns or checks your CAGE code. Both contact your Government Business POC by email. SAM.gov emails you when the registration is active or needs corrections. To track progress, sign in and use "Check Entity Status" on SAM.gov. SAM.gov says you must be signed in, and you can check only entities linked to your account. If the registration still shows "Submitted" after 15 business days, the FSD says to compare your Workspace with Check Entity Status. If both show "Submitted," contact DLA's CAGE team at 877-352-2255. If they differ, contact the FSD.SAM.gov: Check Entity Status
Add a second Entity AdministratorWhoever registers the company becomes its Entity Administrator. GSA's Quick Start Guide says to give the same role to at least one other person. Otherwise, if that person leaves, you must send an Entity Administrator Appointment Letter to the Federal Service Desk. For U.S. companies, and for any company that uses a U.S. bank account in SAM.gov, the letter must be signed in front of a notary in person. The FSD does not accept digital, remote or online notarizations. A single international company uses a template that needs no notarization. GSA says the letter process can delay your renewal.FSD: Becoming an Entity Administrator
Renew every 365 daysSign in, go to your Workspace, find your company in the Entities widget, select "Update," and choose to update or renew the whole registration. Renewal includes validating your company again and reviewing each section. SAM.gov emails the Entity Administrator 60, 30 and 15 days before expiration and on the expiration date. GSA's Quick Start Guide advises starting 45 to 60 days before expiration.FSD: How to update or renew

What to have ready

Legal business name and physical street address, exactly as they appear on your official documents (SAM.gov does not accept a P.O. box or mailbox-service address as a physical address)
Mailing address, if it is different from the physical address
Date the company started, and its state of incorporation (non-U.S. companies: country of incorporation and national identifier)
Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN), usually your EIN, plus the taxpayer name and address tied to it (U.S. companies, or foreign companies that pay U.S. taxes)
CAGE code if you already have one (U.S.); NCAGE code before you start (non-U.S. companies registering for All Awards)
U.S. bank account details for Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT): account type, routing number, account number, and the bank's phone number (required for U.S. companies; optional for non-U.S. companies, and it must be a U.S. bank)
Remittance name and address
Fiscal year end date
NAICS codes for what you sell; Product and Service Codes (optional)
Size figures: worldwide annual receipts and number of employees
Ownership details: the CAGE or NCAGE code of your immediate and highest-level owner, if another company owns or controls you
Predecessor details, if your company took over one that held a federal contract or grant in the last three years
Name and title of the person responsible for pricing in bids and proposals, and addresses of any other plants or facilities used on contracts
Names, titles and pay of your top five executives, only if the executive compensation thresholds in the checklist apply
Contact details for the Accounts Receivable, Electronic Business and Government Business points of contact
Only if validation asks for them: an official document with your exact legal name and current physical address (for example articles of incorporation stamped as filed, the IRS letter assigning your EIN, a Secretary of State certificate of filing, or a bank statement or utility bill 5 years old or less), plus a certified English translation of any non-English document

Time, cost, renewal and where to send

TimeSAM.gov says a registration can take up to 10 business days to become active after you submit it. SAM.gov's Check Entity Status page says the average overall processing time is up to three business days, and outside reviews can take up to ten business days. The FSD says the outside checks (IRS TIN and DLA CAGE) take 10 to 15 business days, and longer if either agency flags your record for manual review. The IRS TIN check alone takes 2 to 5 business days. If validation needs documents, the FSD says simple cases can finish in as few as five days and others can take several weeks. Active records can take another 24 to 48 hours to reach other government systems. A brand-new EIN needs about 5 weeks at the IRS before SAM.gov can match it.

CostFree. The Entity Registration Checklist says: "There is no charge to get a Unique Entity ID, register your entity, and maintain your entity registration at SAM.gov." Some private companies sell paid registration services. Paying one is not required. The FSD warns that any email or website asking for money, "no matter how official it looks, is not a government message or site," and that a source suggesting you must pay to register in SAM.gov could be a fraudulent site. The IRS says you never have to pay a fee for an EIN, and NSPA says NCAGE code requests are free of charge.

RenewalEvery 365 days. SAM.gov's Check Entity Status page says a registration stays active for 365 days from the date it was submitted for processing. SAM.gov emails the Entity Administrator 60, 30 and 15 days before the expiration date and again on the day it expires. A registration that is not renewed shows as "Inactive Registration." The FSD warns that some payments may stop if your registration expires while you hold a contract. The FSD says OMB (the Office of Management and Budget) has authorized no renewal extensions for non-federal companies.

Where to sendYou enter everything online at SAM.gov (sam.gov, Workspace > Entities > Get Started) and do not mail anything. Validation documents are uploaded inside SAM.gov when it asks for them. NCAGE requests go to the NSPA NCAGE Request Tool. CAGE code questions go to DLA's CAGE program (cage.dla.mil, 877-352-2255). An Entity Administrator Appointment Letter goes to the Federal Service Desk: sign in at FSD.gov, create an incident, pick System "SAM," Issue Type "Role Management," then "Entity Administrator Appointment Letter," and attach the scanned letter.

Where to get help

Federal Service Desk (FSD)GSA's free help desk for SAM.gov: knowledge articles, live chat and web tickets. Phone 866-606-8220 (U.S.) or +1 202-205-5260 (international), Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern.
APEX Accelerators (formerly PTACs)SAM.gov describes them as an official government contracting help resource for small businesses, with free help completing SAM.gov registration. The APEX Accelerators site says they offer no-cost guidance and support services. The FSD points U.S.-based companies to them and says they also help with other registrations and with selling to federal, state and local agencies.
DLA Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) ProgramAnswers questions about CAGE codes and DLA's checks during SAM.gov registration. DLA Customer Interaction Center: 877-352-2255.
IRS EIN online applicationThe IRS issues EINs for free ("You never have to pay a fee for an EIN"). The online application issues the number right away if approved, for businesses whose principal place of business is in the U.S. or U.S. territories.

Watch out

Your taxpayer name and TIN must exactly match the IRS records for your most recent tax year, or the registration cannot become active (FSD).
SAM.gov and DLA do not accept P.O. boxes or mailbox-store addresses (such as a UPS Store) as a physical address (FSD).
Format your name and address the same way in SAM.gov and for your CAGE code, including ZIP+4, which DLA requires. Different formats can delay CAGE verification at the end of registration (FSD).
IRS and DLA send questions to the Government Business POC by email. The FSD says that person needs to watch email, including spam and junk folders, once the registration is submitted.
Paying a registration service is not required. The FSD says GSA security policy prohibits using another person's email and password to sign in to SAM.gov, and a company that manages registrations as a service can hold only the Data Entry role, not Entity Administrator.
Validation documents are rejected when they are too old (statements and bills must be less than 5 years old), show a P.O. box or mail-service address, are screenshots of federal websites or Dun & Bradstreet, are unfiled applications, or use machine translation (FSD).
Once you submit a registration or update, you cannot make more changes until the reviews finish (FSD).
A registration left as a "Work in Progress" is deleted after 90 days. A deactivated registration cannot be recovered (FSD).
If you opt out of public search, your record is still available under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and in SAM.gov data extracts and APIs (GSA Quick Start Guide).
The November 2024 Entity Registration Checklist (question 33) asks whether your company provides or uses "covered telecommunications equipment or services." Other questions ask about foreign end products and, for DoD contracts, foreign-government ownership. The FSD warns that intentionally misrepresenting your company to get a contract can lead to criminal prosecution.
On March 24, 2026, SAM.gov released the last phase of a refreshed registration workflow, with a new look and navigation for some data entry screens, including reps and certs. SAM.gov's release notes say the requirements, validations and processing times stayed the same. The downloadable checklist (November 2024) may not match the new screen order.
A SAM.gov system alert (published August 15, 2025) says the Revolutionary FAR Overhaul (RFO) will change Federal Acquisition Regulation provisions, clauses, and representations and certifications, and that these changes will affect SAM.gov. The November 2024 checklist predates it.

Official sources

Last checked September 25, 2026. Rules, fees and programs change; the official sources are where to confirm them before applying or spending money.

Autonomy Runway is not a law firm, an accounting firm or a financial adviser, and nothing we publish is legal, tax or financial advice. The guides are general information with links to the official sources, and the tools organize your own facts and decisions. For advice about your situation, talk to a lawyer, an accountant or a financial adviser. See all our disclaimers.

SAM.gov registration