DLA CAGE search
DLA runs the system of record. Search by CAGE code or entity name atcage.dla.mil.
Glossary: SAM.gov Essentials
Your CAGE code is your address in the defense supply chain
Five characters, assigned by the Defense Logistics Agency during SAM registration. What the code does, how to look one up, and where assignment stalls.
One entity. One address.
Assigned by DLA, not applied for
Free during SAM registration
Used across all federal contracting
Definition
What a CAGE code is
The Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) code is a five-character identifier assigned by the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA). It identifies a specific legal entity at a specific physical address. The code is assigned automatically during SAM registration at no cost, and federal contracting, logistics, and payment systems all key on it.
How you get one
You do not apply for a CAGE code. It is issued along the way when you register the business in SAM.
- 01
Complete SAM.gov entity registration
The CAGE code rides along with registration. There is no separate CAGE application to file.
- 02
DLA reviews and assigns the code
After entity validation clears, the Defense Logistics Agency reviews the record and assigns the CAGE code as part of registration processing.
- 03
Pay nothing
There is no fee for domestic entities. If someone is charging you for a CAGE code itself, they are charging for something else.
Outside the United States? Foreign entities get an NCAGE code through NATO channels instead, before registering in SAM.
CAGE code vs. UEI
Both identifiers come out of SAM registration, and they answer different questions. The UEI says who you are. The CAGE says who you are and where.
| CAGE code | UEI | |
|---|---|---|
| Issuer | Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) | GSA, through SAM.gov |
| Format | Five characters | Twelve characters |
| Scope | Ties the entity to a physical location for contracting and logistics | Identifies the registered entity in SAM |
| Where it is used | Contract files, defense logistics systems, and payment systems | SAM registration, federal awards, and federal reporting |
The UEI has its own rules and its own failure points. See theUEI number glossary page for that side of the pair.
Looking up a CAGE code
Two public sources, both free. Useful for checking your own record and for verifying a partner before you sign anything.
SAM.gov entity search
SAM.gov entity searchshows the CAGE code for any registered entity, alongside the rest of the public registration record.
Failure Points
Where assignment stalls
When a CAGE assignment hangs, it is almost never the CAGE step itself. It is the data underneath it.
Legal name or address mismatches
The DLA check compares your SAM entry against state records, and it is stricter than people expect. A name or address that does not match exactly stops the assignment.
Suite and unit inconsistencies
A suite number in one system and not the other, or "Ste" in one place and "Suite" in another, reads as a different address to the review.
Recent address moves
A move that has not reached the validation databases yet leaves your stated address unverifiable, and the assignment waits on it.
If your registration is stuck at the CAGE step, the fix usually lives inentity validation. Clean up the name and address evidence there, and the CAGE assignment follows.
CAGE code questions
Does a CAGE code cost anything?
No. DLA assigns the code at no cost as part of SAM registration. Any fee you are quoted is for help with the registration, not for the code.
How long does CAGE assignment take?
It happens as part of SAM registration processing, after entity validation clears. There is no separate CAGE queue to watch. If your registration is moving, the CAGE step is moving with it.
Do I need a CAGE code for civilian agencies or just DoD?
All federal contracting uses it. A defense agency assigns the code, but civilian contracting, logistics, and payment systems key on it the same way DoD systems do.
What is an NCAGE code?
The NATO Commercial and Government Entity code, the equivalent identifier for entities located outside the United States. Foreign entities obtain an NCAGE through NATO channels before they register in SAM.
My CAGE information is wrong. How do I fix it?
Update your SAM registration. DLA syncs CAGE data from it, so the correction flows through once the updated registration is processed. Do not try to edit the CAGE record around SAM.
Notes from the buying side
From the blog
What breaks when you build your own federal foundation
You can complete every registration yourself. Almost nobody completes them well, and the damage stays quiet for about a year before it shows up as silence.
How buyers actually search SAM
Keyword habits, saved searches, and the fields agencies filter on. Written by people who ran those searches for a living.
Get the registration done right the first time
If SAM registration is stalled at the CAGE step, or you would rather not learn the validation rules the hard way, we handle the whole thing.