A D-U-N-S Number sounds official. The letters stand for Data Universal Numbering System. The name is printed on government websites. Yet it is not issued by the government at all.
It is issued by a private company called Dun & Bradstreet. D&B sells it as a business credit identity. The federal government once required it for contractors and grant recipients. In 2022, the government stopped. This page explains what changed, and whether you actually need one.
The confusion comes from mixing up two things: what the government requires, and what private companies ask for. Governments write laws. Private companies write the terms of their contracts. They often ask for different things.
What a D-U-N-S Number actually is
Dun & Bradstreet is a company that keeps records about businesses. For more than 160 years, it has collected information about who owns companies, whether they pay their bills, and how creditworthy they are. On the basis of those records, it assigns each business a nine-digit identifier: the D-U-N-S Number.
It is a business credit report number. It works a lot like a credit score for your personal finances, except it applies to your company.
To get one, you go to Dun & Bradstreet, you provide information about your company, and the company assigns you a number. Dun & Bradstreet sells access to those numbers and credit reports to banks, lenders, and marketplaces that want to know whether to do business with you.
Dun & Bradstreet is a private company. It is not part of the federal government, the IRS, or any state agency.
Why you have heard of it
For many years, the federal government required a D-U-N-S Number to bid on government contracts or receive federal grants. If you wanted to sell to the U.S. military, to state departments, or to federal agencies, you had to register on a system called SAM (the System for Award Management). SAM required a D-U-N-S Number.
This made the D-U-N-S Number look like a government requirement. It was not. It was a requirement of one government system, SAM, which happened to ask for a private company's product.
On April 4, 2022, the federal government stopped using the D-U-N-S Number. It switched to its own identifier, called the Unique Entity ID, or UEI. SAM.gov now issues UEI numbers directly. If you already had a D-U-N-S Number on file with SAM before the switch, the system converted it to a UEI automatically. You did not have to do anything.
Since April 4, 2022, new contractors and grant recipients register on SAM.gov and receive a UEI. They never see Dun & Bradstreet or a D-U-N-S Number.
Do you need one to open a bank account or get an EIN?
No. This is the most important point on this page.
A D-U-N-S Number is not required by the IRS, the Small Business Administration, or any state agency for:
- Opening a U.S. business bank account
- Applying for an Employer Identification Number (EIN)
- Registering an LLC, corporation, or any other business entity
- Obtaining a business license
- Applying for business credit
No U.S. law or regulation makes it a requirement. If a bank or the IRS asks for it, that is a misunderstanding. Banks are allowed to request it as part of their own anti-money-laundering checks, but they almost never do.
The confusion usually begins when someone tells a founder, "You need a D-U-N-S Number to get a business loan" or "You need it to start a business." Neither is true. What is true is that some specific lenders or marketplaces choose to ask for it as a voluntary credit check. That is their business decision, not the law.
When does someone actually ask for it?
In practice, a D-U-N-S Number today comes up in three situations:
If you sell to the federal government. You register on SAM.gov to bid on contracts or receive grants. SAM.gov issues you a UEI. You no longer need or use a D-U-N-S Number. This ended in 2022.
If you apply for a business loan. Some banks and lenders pull a business credit report from Dun & Bradstreet to help decide whether to lend you money. To do that, they need to find you in D&B's system. If you are not there, the lender can request that D&B create a record and assign you a D-U-N-S Number.
If you sell on certain marketplaces. Some large online platforms or payment processors ask sellers for a D-U-N-S Number as part of their approval process. Amazon, for example, has at times asked for it. This is a private company's choice, not a legal requirement.
🇺🇸 If the IRS counts you as a U.S. person
You do not need a D-U-N-S Number to start a company or open a business bank account. No law requires it.
If a lender or marketplace asks for one, you have a few options:
- You can ask where they got that requirement. Many times, it is a misunderstanding or an old internal rule that nobody has updated.
- You can contact Dun & Bradstreet and ask them to create a record and issue you a number.
- You can shop for a different lender or marketplace that does not require it.
Be aware that Dun & Bradstreet keeps credit records on your company. If you have a business credit report with them, it can affect whether lenders approve you for credit in the future. It is similar to a personal credit report, but it applies to your company instead of your individual finances.
🌏 If it does not
The answer is the same. You do not need a D-U-N-S Number to start a company or open a business bank account.
Your residency or immigration status does not change whether a private company or a lender asks for this number. The requirement is the same for everyone: it is only asked by private lenders and marketplaces that choose to ask for it.
Do the rules differ between the two groups?
No. This is one of the few topics in this guide where residency makes no difference.
| Situation | Rule |
|---|---|
| To start an LLC or corporation | Not required. No law requires it for either group. |
| To get an EIN | Not required. The IRS does not ask for it. |
| To open a business bank account | Not required. Banks almost never ask for it. |
| If a private lender asks for it | Same for both groups. It is the lender's choice, not the law. |
| If a marketplace asks for it | Same for both groups. It is the marketplace's choice, not the law. |
| To bid on federal government contracts | Not needed anymore. The government now uses UEI instead, since 2022. |
Common mistakes
Both groups
- Assuming you need a D-U-N-S Number to start a company or get a business bank account. You do not. No government agency requires it.
- Confusing a D-U-N-S Number (issued by Dun & Bradstreet, a private company) with a UEI (issued by the federal government on SAM.gov). They are not the same.
- Paying to obtain a D-U-N-S Number from Dun & Bradstreet when a lender or marketplace asks for it. Dun & Bradstreet charges money for this. You can usually find a lender or marketplace that does not require it, at no cost.
- Mixing up government requirements with private business preferences. When a lender or marketplace asks for a D-U-N-S Number, that is their choice. It is not a law.
FAQ
Is a D-U-N-S Number the same as an EIN or a Tax ID?
No. An EIN (Employer Identification Number) is issued by the IRS and is required for U.S. businesses. A D-U-N-S Number is issued by Dun & Bradstreet, a private company, and is not required by law. They are completely separate.
Do I need to get a D-U-N-S Number for my business?
Probably not. No law requires it. The only time you might need one is if a specific lender or marketplace chooses to require it as a condition of doing business with them. Most lenders and platforms do not ask for it.
Does registering on SAM.gov give me a D-U-N-S Number?
No. As of April 4, 2022, SAM.gov issues a UEI (Unique Entity ID) instead. The UEI is a 12-character alphanumeric government identifier that replaced the D-U-N-S Number for federal contracting. If you registered before that date, your old D-U-N-S was automatically converted to a UEI.
How do I get a D-U-N-S Number if I need one?
You contact Dun & Bradstreet directly. Go to dnb.com or call their business development line. You provide information about your company, and they assign you a number. This is a free service, though Dun & Bradstreet charges fees to access business credit reports based on that number.
Can I be denied a bank account or EIN because I do not have a D-U-N-S Number?
No. No bank or the IRS requires a D-U-N-S Number for these. If someone tells you that you need one, that is a mistake on their part.
What is a UEI, and how is it different from a D-U-N-S Number?
A UEI is the Unique Entity ID issued by the federal government on SAM.gov. It replaced the D-U-N-S Number for federal contractors and grant recipients on April 4, 2022. The UEI is free, issued by the government, and does not require going through Dun & Bradstreet. A D-U-N-S Number is issued by Dun & Bradstreet, a private company, and is used for private business credit checks.