Federal contracting · answer
What is a CAGE code?
A Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) code is a 5-character identifier assigned by the Defense Logistics Agency to a business at a specific location. SAM.gov registration assigns or validates a CAGE code for each entity.
The facts
A Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) code is a 5-character alphanumeric identifier assigned by the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA). It identifies a specific business facility at a specific location, and is used across federal contracting, payment, and logistics systems.
A CAGE code is tied to a location, whereas the Unique Entity ID (UEI) identifies the registered legal entity. A single entity with multiple facilities can hold more than one CAGE code. Completing SAM.gov registration assigns a CAGE code (or validates an existing one) for the entity.
CAGE codes matter for checking exclusions because some SAM.gov exclusion records are keyed by CAGE rather than UEI. Fonteum matches awards to exclusions on either confirmed key — UEI, or CAGE for CAGE-keyed rows — and never on name alone. Foreign entities receive an NCAGE (NATO CAGE) code under the same system. The practical takeaway when checking a contractor is to capture both identifiers where they exist: a clean UEI check can still miss a CAGE-keyed exclusion record, and a CAGE check can miss a UEI-keyed one, so the reliable read uses whichever key each record carries.
Source: SAM.gov entity registration and the DLA CAGE program (U.S. Department of Defense). Confirm current status at SAM.gov →
Statutory basis
The DLA assigns and maintains CAGE codes, the 5-character identifiers for facilities doing business with the U.S. government and NATO (NCAGE for foreign entities).
Go to the source
- Look up an entity on SAM.gov →official source
- What is a UEI? →
Related questions
What is the difference between a CAGE code and a UEI?
A CAGE code identifies a business facility at a specific location and is assigned by the Defense Logistics Agency; a UEI identifies the registered legal entity and is issued by SAM.gov. One entity can hold several CAGE codes but one UEI.