A DUNS number is a unique identifier for a business entity, such as a sole proprietorship or corporation. You may need one to establish your business credit file with Dun & Bradstreet (D&B) or to facilitate a transaction with the federal government.

Whatever your motivation for doing so, here’s everything you need to know about how to get a DUNS number.

How to Get a DUNS Number

Fortunately, getting a DUNS number is free and straightforward. You can complete the request form in about five minutes. The fastest and easiest way to do it is through the Dun & Bradstreet website, but you can also make your request on the phone.

Either way, you’ll need to provide the following business information:

• The name of your business
• Your business address
• The name of the business owner or chief executive officer (CEO)
• The legal structure of your organization, such as a corporation, partnership, or sole proprietorship
• The year the business started
• Your primary type of business
• Your total number of employees, including full and part-time

After you submit your request for your free DUNS number, D&B runs security checks to help prevent fraud and protect their data integrity. The process usually takes one or two business days, after which you’ll receive your new DUNS number.

What Is a DUNS Number?

D&B’s Data Universal Number System (DUNS) is a global system for identifying businesses and tracking their data, including credit scores, corporate family trees, and banking information.

A DUNS number is a nine-digit, unique entity identifier assigned to a business within the system, which you can use to pull up all their relevant data.

Commercial, non-profit, and government entities are eligible for DUNS numbers, including self-employed individuals operating as sole proprietors.

If your organization has an additional branch at a different physical location, each must have a separate number. Likewise, if multiple businesses are at the same physical address, each legal entity would get a number.

In many ways, you can think of your DUNS number as a Social Security Number for your business. For example, where other identifiers (like EINs) can change over time, a DUNS number is permanent, even if the name or structure of the business changes.

How Can a DUNS Number Help Me?

A DUNS number is helpful in building business credit with D&B and in qualifying for business financing.

In order for Dun and Bradstreet to calculate a PAYDEX score for your company, which is equivalent to a FICO score for consumers, it must have a DUNS number. The PAYDEX score is a business credit score that measures how consistently a business pays its creditors and suppliers on time and in full.

Beyond business credit purposes, the federal government asks for your organization’s DUNS number in several scenarios. For example, you’ll need one to:

• Submit a bid for federal government contract work
• Apply for federal government grant funding

Because getting a DUNS number is free and the request process is painless, it’s a good idea to get yours as soon as possible. You never know if you’ll need it in the future. 

Even if you already have net 30 accounts and business tradelines in place, which help establish your business credit history, tying them to an existing DUNS number will help your business credit efforts.

Get ahead of the game so you’re well prepared when one of your potential partners tries to pull your business credit report.

SAM Registration

Another reason to get your DUNS number is to access the System for Award Management (SAM). SAM is an application created by the federal government for federal grant applicants and government contractors. You can use it to:

• Search for governmental assistance listings, wage determinations, contract opportunities, and contract data reports
• Apply for federal grants
• Do business with the federal government
• Access publicly available data on federal awards

To register with SAM, you’ll need your DUNS Number. In addition, you’ll have to provide your EIN or Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN), plus a notarized letter confirming that you are the authorized entity administrator.

After you send the necessary documentation and register with SAM online, it may take as much as two weeks to process your request. Once it does, you can begin submitting grant applications and bidding on contracts.

FAQs

Who is Dun & Bradstreet?

Dun & Bradstreet, or D&B, is the corporation that created the Data Universal Numbering System and is responsible for assigning DUNS numbers. R.G. Dun & Corp and Bradstreet Co. (and later Bradstreet Credibility Corp) merged to form D&B in 1933.

In addition to providing DUNS numbers, D&B offers multiple data analysis products and services for:

• The public sector
• Small businesses
• Sales, marketing, and finance functions

You don’t need to buy any of D&B’s other products or services to get your DUNS number.

Is a DUNS number the same as a Federal Tax ID number?

Your DUNS number is not the same as your Federal Tax ID number or EIN. Both are nine digits, free to obtain, and used to identify a business, but they come from different sources, serve different purposes, and never match.

A DUNS number is permanent, even if the business changes its name or corporate structure. D&B issues DUNS numbers, and you use them to isolate a Live Business Identity in the D&B data cloud, pull its credit report, or interact with the government.

EINs can change if a business gets a new name or corporate structure. For example, you may need to request a new one if you go from an LLC to an S-Corporation. In addition, the IRS issues EINs, and you generally only use them for tax purposes.

How do I look up my DUNS number?

Someone in your company may have already requested a DUNS number for your business, especially in large organizations. Consider reaching out to the authorizing official that handles such matters in your company before applying.

If that person has since left the organization or misplaced the number, you can look it up on the D&B website. In fact, the first step in creating a new DUNS number for your business is always to double-check whether D&B already has one for you.

To initiate the search, you’ll need to give D&B your legal business name, mailing address, and telephone number.

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