United States · Federal contracting identifiers

CAGE code lookup and how it differs from your UEI.

Check that a CAGE code has the published shape, see what the identifier actually points at, and find the official places to look one up.

Short answer: A US CAGE code is five characters, letters and digits only, never I or O, with a digit in the fifth position. It identifies a location, not a company in general, and it was not replaced by the UEI in 2022. Your UEI is a separate 12-character identifier; use the SAM.gov UEI validator for that one.

Source: SAM data dictionary, DLA, FAR, GSARetrieved October 2026Unofficial guide

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Check a CAGE code

Dashes and spaces are ignored. Runs in your browser; the sample is DLA’s own published example.

Result

Enter a CAGE code and press Check.

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Three identifiers that get mixed up

Federal contracting uses several business identifiers at once. The Unique Entity ID (UEI) is the 12-character alphanumeric identifier that SAM.gov assigns. The D-U-N-S number was the nine-digit identifier Dun & Bradstreet issued, which federal systems stopped using on April 4, 2022. The CAGE code is a five-character identifier from the Defense Logistics Agency. GSA’s transition fact sheet carries a one-line reassurance for the third: the CAGE code is not affected by the change from DUNS to UEI.

What the CAGE code points at

The SAM Functional Data Dictionary describes the CAGE code as a five-character alphanumeric identifier assigned to entities in the United States and its outlying areas by DLA’s CAGE Program, to identify a given facility or location of a commercial or government entity. FAR clause 52.204-18 uses almost the same words: an identifier assigned by the DLA CAGE Branch to identify a commercial or government entity by unique location. The code therefore describes a location. It is not a general company number.

Entities outside the United States and its outlying areas use an NCAGE code instead. The data dictionary says NATO members or the NATO Support and Procurement Agency assign those, and DLA records them in the CAGE master file. The checker on this page applies the US rules below and makes no claim about NCAGE codes.

The format rules and where they come from

Two documents state the shape. The SAM data dictionary lists the field as alphanumeric with length 5. DLA’s Qualified Products Database help page adds the character rules: the code may be any mixture of alphanumeric values excluding the letters I and O, and the fifth position is always numeric. That page is the only source found for the I, O and numeric-fifth rules, so treat them as DLA’s statement rather than a regulation.

Worked example

0YWL3, one of DLA’s own examples, is five characters, uses only letters and digits, has no I or O, and ends in the digit 3, so it passes. 0YWL fails on length (4). 0YWI3 fails because it contains the letter I. 0YWLA fails because the fifth character is a letter. The other DLA examples, 3Y633, 00N34 and 20999, all pass.

When a CAGE code is required

FAR 4.1802 says offerors must give the contracting officer the CAGE code assigned to their location before a contract award above the micro-purchase threshold, when the solicitation requires SAM registration or a unique entity identifier. Offerors owned or controlled by another entity must also give that owner’s CAGE code and legal name. The data dictionary adds that some SAM registrations go through CAGE assignment and validation after submission.

Where to look a code up

Use the official sources rather than a third-party database: SAM.gov for registered entities and the DLA CAGE site. The CAGE site opens with a U.S. Government terms and conditions notice. This page does not search either one and does not copy any record.

Open SAM.gov ↗ Open the DLA CAGE site ↗

Method

The check applies four fixed rules to the text you type after upper-casing it and removing spaces and hyphens: five characters, letters and digits only, no I or O, fifth position a digit. There is no database and no estimate, and nothing is sent to our servers.

What this does not cover

Sources

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Common mix-ups

  1. GSA: Transitioning to the New Unique Entity ID (SAM) fact sheet
  2. FAR 52.204-18: Commercial and Government Entity Code Maintenance

Checked against these sources on .

Frequently asked questions

How long is a CAGE code?

Five characters. The SAM Functional Data Dictionary lists the field as alphanumeric with length 5, and DLA’s help page describes it as a five-character code.

Which characters can a CAGE code use?

DLA’s QPD help page says any mixture of letters and digits except the letters I and O, with the fifth position always numeric. It is the only source found for those character rules.

Is a CAGE code the same as a UEI?

No. A UEI is a 12-character alphanumeric identifier assigned in SAM.gov. A CAGE code is a five-character DLA identifier for a facility or location.

Did the UEI replace the CAGE code in 2022?

No. The April 4, 2022 change replaced the D-U-N-S number with the UEI, and GSA’s fact sheet says the CAGE code was not affected.

What is an NCAGE code?

The data dictionary says it is the CAGE-type code for entities outside the United States and its outlying areas, assigned by a NATO member or the NATO Support and Procurement Agency and recorded by DLA.

When does a federal offeror need a CAGE code?

FAR 4.1802 requires one before award of a contract action above the micro-purchase threshold when SAM registration or a unique entity identifier is required in the solicitation.

Does this checker confirm my CAGE code is active?

No. It checks the shape only. Look the entity up on SAM.gov or the DLA CAGE site to confirm that a code exists and is current.

Shape only

A correctly formatted value is not proof that a code was issued, is active or belongs to the business in front of you. Confirm with SAM.gov or DLA. This page is an unofficial guide, not run by GSA or DLA, and nothing you type is transmitted anywhere. General information, not legal or compliance advice.