SAM.gov registration update: Don't be a DUNS

by Dale Davidson March 18, 2026

When I wrote the Going 1099 book, I provided instructions on how to register your business with the government at sam.gov.

Registering at sam.gov allows you to do business with the government, but is also often required to sub-contract to another prime.

One of the steps I included in the book was to register for a DUNS number. This is no longer necessary. You can if you'd like but it won't hold up your sam.gov registration.

Now you can just register directly at sam.gov and it'll be assigned to you. If you already registered they will have assigned you one.

I still recommend forming an LLC and getting an Employer Identification Number (EIN) and registering the entity in sam.gov, rather than just yourself.

No need for the extra DUNs step anymore.

I will note though it doesn't hurt to register for a DUNs number. Though I haven't had to yet, I believe it's helpful for building up your business profile which can help you do things like get business loans down the road. It's free to register so if you want to go through the step it won't take too long.

Want the full playbook? Check out Going 1099.