About the D-U-N-S Number

Created in 1962, the Data Universal Numbering System or D-U-N-S® Number is D&B's copyrighted, proprietary means of identifying business entities on a location-specific basis. Assigned and maintained solely by D&B, this unique nine-digit identification number has been assigned to over 100 million businesses worldwide.

A D-U-N-S® Number remains with the company location to which it has been assigned even if it closes or goes out-of-business. The D-U-N-S® Number also "unlocks" a wealth of value-added data associated with that entity, including the business name, physical and mailing addresses, trade styles ("doing business as"), principal names, financial, payment experiences, industry classifications (SICs and NAICS), socio-economic status, government data and more. The D-U-N-S® Number also links members of corporate family trees worldwide.

The D-U-N-S® Number is widely used by both commercial and federal entities and was adopted as the standard business identifier for federal electronic commerce in October 1994. The D-U-N-S Number® was also incorporated into the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) in April 1998 as the Federal Government's contractor identification code for all procurement-related activities.

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