A CAGE code is not a certification. It's not something you apply for separately. It's not a license to do business with the government. It's a 5-character alphanumeric identifier assigned by the Defense Logistics Agency that follows your company across every federal contract, every past performance record, and every SAM.gov search — for as long as the entity exists.
If you've completed a SAM.gov registration, you already have one. You might just not know where to find it or what it's actually used for.
CAGE stands for Commercial and Government Entity. The code is administered by DLA CAGE, a program office within the Defense Logistics Agency. It originated in the defense supply chain — manufacturers supplying parts against military stock numbers needed a standard identifier — and it's since been adopted across the entire federal acquisition system.
The format is exactly 5 characters, alphanumeric, with the letters O and I excluded (they look too much like 0 and 1 in printed forms). Real examples: 6P5D1, 4RR30, 1B0U9. Not all numeric, not all alphabetic.
Your CAGE code appears on:
It's the government's way of saying: this contract, this performance rating, this subcontract, this security record — it all belongs to this legal entity. The CAGE code is the thread that connects all of it.
Three identifiers get conflated constantly. They're distinct systems.
| Identifier | Issued By | Format | Primary Purpose | Expires? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CAGE Code | DLA CAGE (Defense Logistics Agency) | 5 alphanumeric chars | Entity ID across federal acquisition and defense systems | No — permanent |
| UEI | SAM.gov (GSA) | 12 alphanumeric chars | SAM.gov registration and federal award reporting | Tied to annual SAM renewal |
| DUNS | Dun & Bradstreet | 9 digits | Retired — replaced by UEI in April 2022 | N/A |
The DUNS number is gone. SAM.gov completed the migration to Unique Entity Identifiers in April 2022. Any guide telling you to "get your DUNS number first" is at least four years out of date. The current workflow: register in SAM.gov, receive a UEI, receive a CAGE code. All from one registration.
For US domestic entities, there is no separate CAGE application. You register in SAM.gov, and DLA CAGE assigns the code during that process. Here's what the registration actually involves:
SAM.gov access runs through login.gov, the federal identity platform. Go to login.gov and create an account with a government-accepted email address. You'll need to set up two-factor authentication — phone number or an authenticator app both work. This step is separate from SAM.gov itself, but you can't access SAM without it.
Log into SAM.gov and navigate to Register Your Entity. SAM generates your UEI (Unique Entity Identifier) early in the process — before the full registration is complete. Your legal business name and physical address must match your IRS records exactly. Mismatches between SAM.gov data and IRS records are the most common reason registrations stall.
SAM.gov registration covers roughly a dozen sections: entity information, taxpayer identification (EIN), financial institution data for EFT payments, NAICS codes, size and socioeconomic designations, and representations and certifications. The reps and certs section alone is long — it covers dozens of FAR clauses. First-time registration takes 2-3 hours if you have all your information ready. Have your EIN, bank routing and account numbers, and primary NAICS code on hand before you start.
After you submit, DLA CAGE reviews the registration and assigns a CAGE code. For new entities with no prior federal business, this typically takes 5–7 business days. Once assigned, the code appears in your SAM.gov entity record. Full SAM activation — CAGE assigned, reps and certs accepted, status showing "Active" — usually runs 10–15 business days from initial submission.
If you're already registered in SAM.gov, your CAGE code is in your entity record. Log in, go to your entity, and look under the "Registration" section. It's also on any contract award document you've received — look for "Contractor CAGE Code" in the award data.
You can look up any company's CAGE code without logging in anywhere. SAM.gov has a public entity search that shows CAGE codes, registration status, NAICS codes, and certifications. It's publicly accessible and primes use it constantly to vet potential subs before reaching out.
SAM.gov registrations expire after 12 months. You have to renew every year. The renewal process is much lighter than initial registration — mostly confirming that your information is still accurate. Your CAGE code does not change when you renew. It's the same code for the life of the legal entity.
SAM.gov sends email reminders before expiration, but those go to the email address on file — which may be a former employee's inbox, a distribution list that's been cleaned up, or a domain that's since changed. Set an independent calendar reminder 60 days before your registration anniversary date. Don't rely on SAM.gov's emails as your only reminder.
Beyond being a bureaucratic requirement, the CAGE code is your traceability record. Here's where it shows up in ways that matter:
Contract awards. Every prime contract in FPDS-NG includes the awardee's CAGE code. USASpending.gov aggregates this data and makes it publicly searchable. When a contracting officer or prime pulls your award history, they're matching on CAGE.
Past performance. CPARS evaluations — the ratings contracting officers write on your performance after contract completion — are filed against your CAGE code. These ratings follow you into future source selections. A strong past performance record tied to a stable CAGE code is worth protecting.
Subcontracting reports. When a prime reports subcontractor spend under eSRS (Electronic Subcontracting Reporting System), they include your CAGE code. This creates a verifiable record that you actually performed as a sub — which matters when you're assembling past performance evidence for proposals.
Security clearances. DCSA uses CAGE codes to identify facilities in the NISP (National Industrial Security Program). If your company is working toward a facility clearance or already holds one, your CAGE code is in DCSA's Industrial Security Facilities Database (ISFD).
Defense logistics. If you manufacture or supply items with NSNs (National Stock Numbers) — military parts, equipment, hardware — your CAGE code is attached to those part records in DLA's cataloging systems. This is where CAGE codes originated, and it's still where they matter most for manufacturing and supply chain contractors.
Non-US entities doing business with US federal agencies — particularly DoD — use NATO CAGE codes, called NCACEs. These are issued through each country's national codification bureau and fed into the NATO codification system. US companies don't need NCACEs. Foreign vendors teaming on US defense contracts, or supplying items against US military contracts, typically do. The process runs through the vendor's national authority, not DLA CAGE directly.
CAGE codes are not complicated. Register in SAM.gov, wait 10–15 business days, and you have one. The part that trips people up is the timing — federal acquisition doesn't pause for late registrations, and SAM.gov processing windows are fixed. Start early, renew on time, and keep your entity information current.
The CAGE code itself is permanent and low-maintenance. What you build under it — the award history, the past performance ratings, the subcontracting records — is what actually matters. That record follows you for the life of the entity.