CAGE code

A CAGE code, from Commercial and Government Entity, is a five-character identifier assigned to a specific entity at a specific location by the Defense Logistics Agency. Domestic entities receive one automatically as part of SAM.gov registration. It is used across federal procurement and payment systems to identify the contractor, including in Department of Defense invoicing through Wide Area Workflow.

Because a CAGE code is tied to a legal entity and address, changes in name, ownership or location can require updates to the code or the record behind it. Mismatches between the CAGE code, the SAM registration and the information on a contract or invoice are a common cause of payment holds.