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To find a CAGE code, check the entity’s registration record in the System for Award Management (SAM), or use the CAGE search feature run by the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) at cage.dla.mil, which searches by UEI or entity name. Both are the sources the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) itself tells contracting officers to use, so they are the right places to look whether the code is yours or another company’s. This guide covers which tool fits which case, why a contracting officer asks for the code, and the owner-code requirement that most lookup pages leave out. Details are as described on the official pages, checked 2026-10-29.
What a CAGE code is and who runs it
A Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) code is a five-character identification number used extensively within the federal government. A U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service financial assistance reference describes it as a standardized method of identifying a given facility at a specific location. The Defense Logistics Agency administers the system, and a CAGE code (or an NCAGE code for foreign entities) is assigned automatically as part of an entity’s registration in SAM.
Because the code identifies a facility at a location, one organization with several sites can hold more than one CAGE code. The Unique Entity ID (UEI) is a different identifier, assigned as part of SAM registration; see UEI number: what it is and how to get one for how the two fit together, and SAM.gov (System for Award Management) for the registration system itself.
Find a CAGE code by company name or UEI
Option 1: The DLA CAGE search
The DLA’s CAGE Search and Inquiry site (cage.dla.mil) is the public lookup. Per the agency reference above, you search by the entity’s UEI or by its name. The site also carries explanatory pages on CAGE, UEI, SAM, ownership of offeror and physical address, and lists the DLA Customer Interaction Center at 1.877.352.2255 for help.
Option 2: The SAM.gov entity record
FAR 4.1803(a) directs contracting officers to verify an offeror’s CAGE code by reviewing the entity’s registration in SAM, and states that active registrations in SAM have had the associated CAGE codes verified. If the company you are checking is registered in SAM, its public entity record is therefore the primary place the code lives.
Find your own CAGE code
If your organization is already registered in SAM, the code was assigned during that registration and appears on your entity record. If you have a UEI but are unsure of the code, the DLA search by UEI returns the same identifier. Organizations new to federal awards do not apply for a CAGE code separately in the ordinary case: it is assigned as part of the SAM registration, which is why a UEI guide or Grants.gov registration checklist usually comes first.
Two FAR requirements keep the code relevant after registration. Under FAR 52.204-13, the CAGE code is a mandatory data element in SAM, the contractor must maintain its SAM registration during contract performance and through final payment, and it must review and update the registration annually.
Why a contracting officer asks for it
FAR 4.1802(a)(1) requires offerors to give the contracting officer the CAGE code assigned to the offeror’s location before award of a contract action above the micro-purchase threshold, when the solicitation requires SAM registration or a unique entity identifier. The contracting officer includes that code in the contract and in electronic transmissions of contract data to other systems.
Verification follows FAR 4.1803. For entities required to register in SAM, the officer checks the SAM record. For entities not required to be in SAM, the officer validates the code with the CAGE search feature at cage.dla.mil. The same code also appears as a reporting field in cybersecurity assessments; see SPRS score and NIST 800-171 self-assessment and CMMC Level 1 self-assessment.
Find the owner’s CAGE code
This is the part lookup pages usually skip. FAR 4.1802(b) says an offeror that is owned or controlled by another entity must give the contracting officer that entity’s CAGE code and legal name before award of a contract action above the micro-purchase threshold, under the same SAM or unique-entity-identifier condition. FAR 4.1801 defines the two ownership levels:
- Immediate owner: an entity, other than the offeror, that has direct control of the offeror. Indicators of control include ownership or interlocking management, identity of interests among family members, shared facilities and equipment, and the common use of employees.
- Highest-level owner: the entity that owns or controls an immediate owner of the offeror, or that owns or controls one or more entities that control an immediate owner. No entity owns or exercises control of the highest-level owner.
To get an owner’s code, look that owner up by name in the DLA search or in its SAM entity record, the same way you would look up any other entity.
CAGE vs NCAGE vs UEI
| Identifier | What it is | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|
| CAGE code | Five-character ID for a facility at a specific location | Administered by DLA; assigned automatically with a SAM registration |
| NCAGE code | The CAGE equivalent for foreign entities; required for all foreign entities or the registration is considered incomplete | Assigned as part of the SAM registration |
| UEI | Entity identifier used in SAM, separate from the CAGE code | Assigned as part of SAM registration |
Common mistakes
- Treating the code as organization-wide. FAR 4.1802(a)(1) asks for the code assigned to the offeror’s location, so confirm which site the registration covers.
- Leaving out the owner. A subsidiary or controlled entity must also supply its owner’s CAGE code and legal name under FAR 4.1802(b).
- Looking in the wrong place. SAM is the record of truth for entities that must register; the DLA search is the check for entities that do not.
- Letting registration lapse. FAR 52.204-13 ties the CAGE code to a SAM registration that must be maintained through final payment and updated annually.
FAQ
How do I find a CAGE code?
Search the entity’s name or UEI at cage.dla.mil, or open its registration record in SAM.gov. Both are the sources named in FAR 4.1803.
How do I find a company’s CAGE code?
Use the same two tools with the company’s legal name or UEI. A company with several locations can have a separate code for each facility, so match the physical address to the one you need.
Do I apply separately for a CAGE code?
The agency reference describes the code as assigned automatically as part of an entity’s registration in SAM, so it is not a separate application in the ordinary case. See the UEI guide for the registration path.
Sources
All sources checked 2026-10-29.
- FAR Subpart 4.18, Commercial and Government Entity Code Maintenance (https://www.acquisition.gov/far/subpart-4.18)
- FAR 52.204-13, System for Award Management Maintenance (https://www.acquisition.gov/far/52.204-13)
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service financial assistance wiki, CAGE and NCAGE codes (https://fawiki.fws.gov/x/TgB2)
- DLA CAGE Search and Inquiry (https://cage.dla.mil)
