What Is a CAGE Code? How to Get One and Look One Up

A CAGE code (Commercial and Government Entity code) is a five-character ID, made of letters and numbers, that the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) assigns to identify a business at a specific physical address. U.S. businesses don't apply for one separately: DLA assigns it as part of a free SAM.gov registration for contracts. Along with your Unique Entity ID (UEI), it's one of the two IDs you'll list on bids and on your capability statement.

What is a CAGE code?

The Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) defines a CAGE code as an identifier that DLA's Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) Branch assigns to U.S. entities "to identify a commercial or government entity by unique location."

That word "location" is what separates a CAGE code from your UEI number. The UEI identifies your business as a legal entity. The CAGE code identifies that business at a particular physical address.

A 2021 Defense Department vendor guide says the code is "used extensively within the federal government" and that "There is no cost to obtain a CAGE Code." Agencies use it to:

• Identify you before award. Contracting officers need your CAGE code before awarding most contracts above the micro-purchase threshold, which is $15,000 for most purchases.
• See who owns you. CAGE codes identify a bidder's immediate owner, highest-level owner and any predecessor that held a federal contract or grant in the last three years.
• Pay you at the Defense Department. Vendor roles in Wide Area WorkFlow (WAWF), the Defense Department's invoicing system, are tied to a CAGE code.
• Track security. Defense cybersecurity assessments list the CAGE codes tied to your information systems, and a cleared facility needs its own code.

Who needs a CAGE code?

If you want federal contracts, you do. Here's how it works for different businesses:

Defense Department guidance tells contracting officers not to deny a potential offeror a solicitation package just because it doesn't have a CAGE code. You can read a solicitation and start preparing a bid while your registration is processing. But most solicitations require an active SAM.gov registration, with your CAGE code, when you submit your offer, so register early.

How to get a CAGE code

U.S. businesses: through SAM.gov registration

You don't need a CAGE code before you register. After you submit a full SAM.gov registration, SAM.gov sends your details to DLA, DLA assigns the code, and SAM.gov adds it to your registration. You don't have to do anything else unless DLA needs more information. If it does, DLA emails your Government Business point of contact, so make sure that person watches for it.

DLA's address rules trip up some registrations:

• One code per legal entity per physical address. The same business at the same address won't get two codes.
• No mailing addresses. P.O. boxes and addresses at commercial mail or shipping stores aren't accepted as physical addresses.
• No duplicates for sole proprietors. "John Smith" and "John Smith, LLC" at the same location can't get separate codes.

For the full registration process, see how to register on SAM.gov.

U.S. businesses not registering on SAM.gov

If your business doesn't need a SAM.gov registration, you can request a CAGE code directly from DLA at cage.dla.mil. The same 2021 Defense Department guide lists reasons to do this: a facility security clearance, a Defense Department activity address code, or so a parent company can be named as the owner of a business that bids.

Businesses outside the U.S.: NCAGE codes

Foreign businesses need a NATO CAGE (NCAGE) code before they register on SAM.gov for contracts. Businesses in NATO or sponsored nations get one from their country's National Codification Bureau. Others get one from NSPA, whose request portal SAM.gov links to. Allow time: most updates reach the shared database within a week, but some take up to a month, and the CAGE system holds a SAM.gov validation request for only three days before rejecting it. Wait until your NCAGE code is in the system before you submit.

How long does it take to get a CAGE code?

SAM.gov doesn't give a separate timeline you can count on for a CAGE code, because it's assigned during registration processing:

• SAM.gov says a registration can take up to 10 business days to become active.
• The Federal Service Desk (FSD) says the outside checks, including DLA's CAGE review, can take 10 to 15 business days, and longer if your registration is flagged for manual review.
• If your registration has shown "Submitted" for more than 15 business days and nobody from the IRS or DLA has contacted you, contact the Federal Service Desk. For CAGE-specific problems, DLA's Customer Interaction Center is at 1-877-352-2255.

CAGE code vs. UEI

The UEI didn't replace the CAGE code. It replaced the old DUNS number. The current FAR text calls the UEI "a different identifier" from the CAGE code, and you need both to win a contract. Once you have a contract, you must keep both current and tell the contracting officer about any change within 30 days.

How to do a CAGE code lookup

• Your own code. Sign in to SAM.gov and open your entity registration, where DLA's code is added once it's assigned. SAM.gov's "Check Entity Status" page also accepts a CAGE code, though you need a role with the entity to see its status.
• DLA's CAGE Search and Inquiry. The official CAGE database is at cage.dla.mil. It opens with a government-use consent banner and an "I Agree" button. The 2021 Defense Department guide suggests checking there that your own record is accurate and complete. If you can't find a record, call DLA's Customer Interaction Center at 1-877-352-2255.
• SAM.gov entity search. CAGE codes appear in entity records. Sign in with a free SAM.gov account to search by name, UEI or CAGE code.

Contracting officers use the CAGE search to check businesses that aren't in SAM.gov, so a correct record at DLA matters even outside SAM.gov.

Do CAGE codes expire? Updates and changes

Keep your SAM.gov registration active, renewing every 365 days, and your CAGE record stays current with it. You may see claims that CAGE codes expire after a set number of years. We couldn't confirm the current rule on an official DLA page, so don't rely on those claims. If you have a code that's been inactive, call DLA's Customer Interaction Center at 1-877-352-2255.

Other changes work like this:

• Not on SAM.gov. Submit changes at cage.dla.mil, or email a DD Form 2051 to cagemail@dla.mil.
• Legal name change. DLA wants legal documents, such as your articles, a Secretary of State filing or merger papers, and it won't accept IRS paperwork as proof. If you have active contracts, DLA won't update the record until you send it a signed change-of-name agreement from your contracting officer, or, after a sale or merger, an executed novation agreement.
• A move or a new legal entity. Because codes are tied to one legal entity at one address, either can mean a different code. Check with DLA's Customer Interaction Center before you move, and tell your contracting officer about any change within 30 days.

Next steps

If you haven't registered yet, start with how to register on SAM.gov. Your CAGE code comes with it. Learn how your UEI number fits alongside it, then add both to your capability statement. For a quick definition later, the government contracting glossary has one.

This guide is general information, not legal or financial advice. Rules and thresholds change, so confirm details on SAM.gov and the official agency sites linked above before you act. FedReady is an independent company and is not affiliated with any government agency.