Register in SAM.gov as a U.S. company and, as part of the process, you receive a CAGE code: five characters, assigned by the Defense Logistics Agency, that identify your company and its physical location to every part of the federal government. You did not ask for it, you cannot choose it, and you will use it for as long as you do business with Washington.
What CAGE stands for
Commercial and Government Entity. The code system predates SAM by decades; it was created to help the Department of Defense keep track of suppliers and parts manufacturers, and it is still administered by DLA’s CAGE program office. Companies outside the United States receive an NCAGE code from their own country’s codification bureau, which serves the same purpose.
What it is used for
Facility security clearances are tied to CAGE codes. Contract awards, invoices, DD Form 254s, and most DoD procurement systems reference them. If your company has more than one physical location doing federal work, each location may carry its own code. Keeping the codes straight matters when a contract is set up to pay a specific location.
CAGE versus the Unique Entity ID
Since 2022 the government has used the Unique Entity ID, a twelve-character identifier generated by SAM.gov, as the primary key for entity registration. It replaced the DUNS number. The CAGE code did not go away; it is assigned alongside the UEI and continues to be required for most defense work. In practice you will carry both, and you should keep both on hand for proposals, registrations and invoices.
Looking up a CAGE code
Your own appears in your SAM.gov registration. Any company’s public code can be found through SAM’s entity search or DLA’s CAGE lookup, which is useful when you are vetting a teaming partner or completing a subcontract.
Keeping it current
A CAGE code is tied to an address. Move your business and the CAGE record needs to be updated, which happens through your SAM registration. An out-of-date CAGE address is a routine cause of delayed payments and failed clearance processing.
Small details like these are most of federal compliance. Beacon Federal Partners keeps them straight so our clients can focus on the work.