What Is a CAGE Code, and How Should a Buyer Use It?
A CAGE code is a five-character identifier that the DLA CAGE Branch assigns to a company at one specific location. Foreign entities get an NCAGE code instead. Buyers use CAGE codes to pin down exactly which plant they are buying from, whose design a part number belongs to, and who actually made the hardware.
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What is a CAGE code?
A CAGE (Commercial and Government Entity) code identifies one entity at one address. It does not identify a company in general, a product or a person. A business with three plants can hold three CAGE codes, and each one points to a different building.
The FAR definition in 52.204-16 is short: an identifier assigned to entities located in the United States or its outlying areas by the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) CAGE Branch, to identify a commercial or government entity by unique location. The same provision covers the foreign version, the NATO CAGE or NCAGE code, which is assigned by a NATO member or the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) and recorded by DLA in the same CAGE master file.
For a buyer, that location rule is the whole point. When a certificate, a part mark or a drawing title block carries a CAGE code, it tells you which site designed, made or supplied the item. A quote from a company name alone does not.
How is a CAGE code structured?
A U.S. CAGE code is five characters, letters and numbers, with a number in the first and last positions and no letters I or O. An NCAGE code is also five characters but carries a letter in the first or last position, which is how you can often tell a foreign entity at a glance.
DoD 4100.39-M Volume 7, the Federal Logistics Information System procedures manual (January 2004 edition), gives the examples 27340, 2A345, 2AA45 and 2AAA5 for U.S. codes, and AA123, 3AAAA, AAAA3, K2345 and 2345K for NCAGE codes, which exclude the letter O. MIL-STD-130N with Change 1 repeats the U.S. format in its definitions. The characters carry no meaning beyond identity: you cannot read a state, an industry or a company size out of a CAGE code.
When a code has a letter at either end, expect a foreign entity and check export and specialty metals requirements before you go further. Our DFARS specialty metals guide covers the second check.
Have a part like this?Send it in under a minute. A person replies within 1 business day.Who assigns CAGE and NCAGE codes?
DLA's CAGE Branch assigns codes to entities in the United States and its outlying areas. Entities outside the U.S. get an NCAGE code from their own country's codification bureau if the country is a NATO member or sponsored nation, or from NSPA otherwise.
Under FAR 52.204-16(c) there are three routes. A U.S. entity that registers in the System for Award Management (SAM) and has no CAGE code gets one assigned by the DLA CAGE Branch as part of that registration. A U.S. entity that does not need SAM registration for a given procurement can request a code directly at cage.dla.mil. A foreign entity obtains its NCAGE first, before registering in SAM.
Keeping the code current is the contractor's job. FAR 52.204-18 requires contractors to maintain the CAGE code for each location of contract and subcontract performance for the life of the contract and to report a change to the contracting officer within 30 days. For SAM registrants, DLA only changes CAGE master file data when the contractor updates its SAM registration.
How do CAGE codes connect to SAM.gov and the UEI?
SAM.gov holds both identifiers but they do different jobs. The Unique Entity ID (UEI) identifies the legal entity for award, payment and reporting. The CAGE code identifies the location. A company has one UEI for its registration and may have several CAGE codes for its sites.
The UEI replaced the DUNS number as the government's authoritative entity identifier on April 4, 2022. GSA describes it as a 12-character identifier generated by SAM.gov and managed by the federal government, where DUNS was a 9-digit number owned by Dun and Bradstreet. GSA also said plainly that CAGE codes were not affected by that transition. FAR 4.605 and 4.1800 each point to the other identifier as "a different identifier," which is a useful line to quote when someone in accounts payable asks why both fields exist.
Two details matter for subcontracting. A subcontractor that does not need a full SAM registration can still get a UEI through SAM.gov, and GSA's transition guidance says a prime cannot request one on its behalf, so ask the supplier for it directly. And under FAR 4.1802(b), an offeror that is owned or controlled by another entity must provide that owner's CAGE code and legal name before award above the micro-purchase threshold. FAR 4.1801 defines the immediate owner and the highest-level owner for that purpose. Those owner codes are how you see that two suppliers quoting against each other belong to the same parent.
How do you look up a CAGE code?
Use the CAGE search at cage.dla.mil or the entity record in SAM.gov. FAR 4.1803 tells contracting officers that active SAM registrations have already had their CAGE codes verified and that entities not registered in SAM can be validated at cage.dla.mil, and a commercial buyer can follow the same two routes.
A useful lookup checks more than whether the code exists:
- Name and address. Does the legal name and street address on the record match the plant named on the quote, the quality certificate and the shipping label?
- Owner codes. Is there an immediate or highest-level owner, and does that change how you count sources for dual sourcing?
- Status. Is the SAM registration active, and is the CAGE record current? An expired SAM registration is a flag to ask about, not proof of a problem.
- Foreign codes. If the code is an NCAGE, confirm export authorization and any domestic source rules before you share data or place the order.
To go the other direction, from a part to its makers, look the part up by NSN in DLA's public catalog data, which pairs each reference number with a CAGE code. Our NSN parts sourcing guide walks through those tools, and the supplier qualification guide shows where the CAGE check sits among the other desk checks.
Where does a CAGE code appear on drawings and part markings?
On defense hardware the CAGE code travels with the design and with the part. The drawing identifies whose document it is, and the part mark identifies whose design the part number belongs to and, when someone else built it, who manufactured it.
On drawings
DoD technical data packages tie document numbers to a CAGE code. The data item description DI-SESS-81002D for developmental design drawings, for example, requires drawings and associated lists to be identified with the contractor's CAGE code and document numbers, or with a Government CAGE code and Government document numbers, as the contract's TDP option selection worksheet specifies. In practice that means a part number is only unique when it is read together with the CAGE code of the activity that controls the drawing. Two companies can both own a part number 1234-5; the CAGE code tells you which one your parts list means.
On part markings
MIL-STD-130N with Change 1 defines a free text marking protocol for when machine readable marking is not used. When the manufacturer is the original design activity, the mark is the design activity CAGE code joined to the part number, in the form the standard shows as 69806-1234567-101. When a different company manufactures the part, section 5.3.2 requires the notation MFR followed by the manufacturer's CAGE or NCAGE code below the design activity's identification, for example MFR-20001. A current design activity that is not the original one is shown with the notation CDA and its own code.
Items that also need a machine readable Unique Item Identifier under DFARS 252.211-7003 use an enterprise identifier, and MIL-STD-130 lists the CAGE code first among the examples. Confirm the current revision of MIL-STD-130 on ASSIST and use the revision your contract cites. Our page on part marking and labels covers marking methods and IUID in depth.
CAGE vs NSN vs UEI: what is the difference?
A CAGE code identifies a place, an NSN identifies an item of supply, and a UEI identifies a legal entity. Buyers mix them up because all three show up on the same order, so here they are side by side.
| CAGE code | NSN | UEI | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it identifies | An entity at one specific location | An item of supply in the federal catalog | A legal entity registered in SAM.gov |
| Format | 5 characters; U.S. codes numeric in first and last position; NCAGE has a letter at one end | 13 digits: 4-digit Federal Supply Class plus 9-digit NIIN | 12 characters |
| Who assigns it | DLA CAGE Branch (U.S.); NATO codification bureaus or NSPA (NCAGE) | Assigned through federal cataloging | Generated by SAM.gov |
| Where a buyer sees it | Quotes, contracts, drawing identification, part marks, certificates | Requisitions, catalog records, packaging, parts lists | SAM records, award data, subcontract reporting |
| One company can have | Several, one per site | Not applicable; many companies may supply one NSN | Usually one per registered entity |
| What it proves | Which site designed, made or supplied something | Which cataloged item is meant, not who made it | Which legal entity is party to an award |
The pairing that does the most work is CAGE plus part number. That combination, not the NSN and not the UEI, is what tells receiving inspection whether the hardware in the box is the design your drawing calls for, from a source your program accepts.
Which CAGE codes should go on a purchase order?
Put the supplier's CAGE code for the site that will do the work, and the design activity CAGE code with every part number. Add accepted manufacturer CAGE codes wherever the source matters, and require the certificates to show them.
- Supplier and site. The legal name, CAGE code and address of the plant that will perform the work, plus the UEI if your contract or subcontract reporting needs it. Require written notice before work moves to another site.
- Part identity. Each part number with the design activity CAGE code and the drawing revision, so a supplier cannot quote a look-alike number from a different design owner.
- Accepted sources. For source controlled or specification parts, the manufacturer CAGE codes you will accept, and whether alternates need written approval.
- Certificates. The certificate of conformance and manufacturer certs must name the manufacturer and its CAGE code, so you can match them to the PO. See what a CoC must show.
- Marking. The MIL-STD-130 revision the contract cites, the protocol to use, the MFR notation when the supplier is not the design activity, and any IUID requirement.
- Foreign sources. Whether NCAGE sources are allowed at all, and the export and domestic source clauses that apply.
The aerospace RFQ checklist and the PO quality flow-down template show where these fields sit among the rest of the order. If the program is export controlled, read our ITAR guide for buyers before you send the drawing.
Send the part numbers and CAGE codes you accept
If you have a parts list with design activity CAGE codes, or a supplier whose CAGE record does not match its paperwork, send it through the request form. We match the work to qualified suppliers, record the performing site and its CAGE code, flow your marking and source requirements down, and check that the certificates name the right manufacturer before anything ships. A person replies within 1 business day, and every order ships with a certificate of conformance. Files are handled under NDA as described on confidentiality, and export controlled programs follow controlled programs.
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Part, quantity and date are enough to start. Drawings and the mutual NDA follow by reply, and controlled programs never send technical data through this site.
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Questions
How many characters is a CAGE code?
Five. U.S. CAGE codes are alphanumeric with a number in the first and last positions and never use the letters I or O, as in 2A345. NCAGE codes for foreign entities are also five characters but carry a letter in the first or last position, as in K2345. The characters are an identifier only, so nothing about location, industry or size can be read from them.
Is a CAGE code the same as a UEI?
No. The UEI is a 12-character identifier generated by SAM.gov that identifies a legal entity for awards and reporting. It replaced the DUNS number on April 4, 2022. The CAGE code identifies one location of an entity and was not changed by that transition. A company typically has one UEI and can have several CAGE codes, one for each site.
How does a company get a CAGE code?
A U.S. company that registers in SAM.gov and has no CAGE code gets one assigned by the DLA CAGE Branch during registration. If SAM registration is not required, a U.S. company can request one at cage.dla.mil. A foreign company gets an NCAGE code from its national codification bureau, or from the NATO Support and Procurement Agency if its country is not a NATO member or sponsored nation.
Do my suppliers need a CAGE code if I am not a government contractor?
Not by law, but it helps. FAR 52.204-16 requires a CAGE code from offerors on federal solicitations that include the SAM or UEI provisions, and primes often pass that need down. Even on commercial work, asking for the CAGE code of the performing site gives you a public record to check the name and address against, and it makes certificates and part marks easier to verify.
Why does a part mark show two CAGE codes?
Because the design owner and the maker are different companies. Under MIL-STD-130N free text marking, the part number is marked with the design activity CAGE code, and when another company manufactures the part, the notation MFR and the manufacturer CAGE code go below it. A current design activity that is not the original designer adds CDA and its own code.
Can a distributor's CAGE code appear on the certificate instead of the manufacturer's?
The distributor will usually show its own CAGE code as the seller, and that is normal. What you need in addition is the manufacturer named with its CAGE code, either on the distributor certificate or on the original manufacturer certificate that travels with the parts. If the only CAGE code anywhere in the package belongs to the distributor, you cannot trace the parts to their maker.
Related
Sources
- Acquisition.gov, FAR 52.204-16 Commercial and Government Entity Code Reporting (Aug 2020)
- Acquisition.gov, FAR 52.204-18 Commercial and Government Entity Code Maintenance (Aug 2020)
- Acquisition.gov, FAR Subpart 4.18 Commercial and Government Entity Code
- Acquisition.gov, FAR 4.605 Procedures (unique entity identifier)
- GSA, GSA Systems Switch to Unique Entity ID (SAM) on April 4, 2022
- GSA, Transitioning to the New Unique Entity ID (SAM) fact sheet
- DoD 4100.39-M Volume 7, FLIS Procedures Manual, CAGE master file (Jan 2004, archived)
- EverySpec, MIL-STD-130N Change 1, Identification Marking of U.S. Military Property (16 Nov 2012)
- DI-SESS-81002D Developmental Design Drawings/Models and Associated Lists (summary)
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