You can get a D-U-N-S Number for your LLC for free by requesting it on Dun & Bradstreet's website, and D&B says the free request can take up to 30 business days. A paid expedited option shortens that to up to 8 business days, which matters when a supplier, a large customer or an agency is waiting on the number. This guide walks through the free request, what to have ready, and how to decide whether paying for speed makes sense.
How do you get a D-U-N-S Number for your LLC for free?
The free route runs through D&B's Get a D-U-N-S Number page, which we read on November 2, 2026. D&B lays out four steps and says sign-up takes a few minutes. We'd add a lookup first.
- Check whether your LLC already has a number. D&B's D-U-N-S lookup is free: choose "My Company" and enter your business address or phone number. If a number comes up, D&B suggests confirming its details are accurate and up to date.
- Pick your path. The request page offers options for a U.S.-based business, a Canada-based business, Apple developers, Google developers, and businesses that need a UFI to register with the FDA. If one of those programs sent you, use its path.
- Fill in the form with the details in the next section.
- Accept or skip the expedite offer. During checkout, D&B asks whether you want to expedite the request, and its page says this is not required.
- Watch your phone and inbox. D&B says a representative may contact you to validate your information, and the number arrives by email.
The same page states there is never a requirement to purchase any product or service to obtain, use or maintain your D-U-N-S Number, so you can pass on any other offers in the sign-up flow.
What your LLC needs ready before you start
D&B says that, depending on your choices, you may need the items in the left column. The right column is our suggestion for an LLC.
| What D&B may ask for | What to enter for an LLC |
|---|---|
| Legal name of the business | The exact name on your formation filing, including "LLC" |
| Business address | The location you're registering. D&B says to apply for a separate number for each location |
| Business phone number | A line someone answers during business hours, since D&B may call to validate |
| Name of the owner, president or CEO | For an LLC, usually the managing member or the manager who runs it |
| Legal structure | Limited liability company |
| Year the business was created | The year on your state formation filing |
| Primary industry | What the business mainly does, described as on your other applications |
| Total full- and part-time employees | Your current headcount, including part-time staff |
Use the same legal name, address and phone number as your state filing and business bank account, so your records match if D&B calls to confirm them. If your new LLC (Limited Liability Company) runs from home, decide now which address to tie to the number.
Free request or expedited: how processing time compares
As of November 2, 2026, D&B's request page describes the two options this way.
| Free request | Expedited request | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | "There is no cost to request and receive a D-U-N-S Number" | "A small fee," with no dollar amount on the page we read |
| Stated time | "Normal processing can take up to 30 business days" | Up to 8 business days after you've successfully completed and submitted the online registration form |
| Required? | This is the default request | No. D&B says it isn't required to complete your application |
| What you pay for | Nothing | Speed. D&B's phishing page describes the fee as paying to expedite the application process |
Treat 30 business days as the outer edge of D&B's stated window, since the pages we read give no typical time. The expedited clock starts once the form is successfully completed and submitted, and D&B doesn't define "business days" there, so we'd assume weekends don't count and holidays may not either. Check the expedite price at the sign-up step on the day you apply, because a figure quoted elsewhere may be out of date.
Is paying to expedite a D-U-N-S Number worth it?
Paying makes sense when a specific deadline falls inside D&B's free window and missing it costs more than the fee. Without a deadline, the free request costs nothing but waiting.
Worked example, with our assumptions:
- Your LLC submits a complete form on Monday, November 2, 2026.
- A new supplier will sell to you on Net 30 terms once it has your D-U-N-S Number, and it wants the number by Monday, November 23, 2026. Until then, you prepay each order.
- You order $6,000 of stock a week from that supplier.
- Business days run Monday through Friday, counted from the day after you submit. One column counts Veterans Day (November 11) and Thanksgiving (November 26) as business days, and the next skips both.
| Path | D&B's stated window | Latest date, weekdays only | Latest date, skipping Nov. 11 and Nov. 26 | Inside the Nov. 23 deadline? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free | Up to 30 business days | Monday, December 14 | Wednesday, December 16 | No, the stated window runs past it, though it could still arrive in time |
| Expedited | Up to 8 business days | Thursday, November 12 | Friday, November 13 | Yes |
The deadline sits 15 business days after November 2. If the free request runs to its stated limit, December 14 lands another 15 business days, or 21 calendar days, past it. That's three more weeks of prepaying, or $18,000 of orders (3 × $6,000) paid up front instead of about 30 days later on terms. Whether the fee is worth it depends on the price D&B shows you and what that cash would otherwise do for the business.
The same test works for any deadline.
| Business days until someone needs the number | What D&B's stated windows cover | Sensible move |
|---|---|---|
| 30 or more | Both paths fit | Use the free request and submit it today |
| 8 to 29 | Only the expedited window fits | Expedite if the fee is small next to what the deadline protects, or ask for more time |
| 7 or fewer | Neither stated window fits | Ask for an extension or another way to verify your LLC, then expedite if they'll wait 8 business days |
These windows are D&B's own statements, so we can't promise a delivery date on either path.
Who needs a D-U-N-S Number fast, and who doesn't
D&B says there's no requirement for a company to have a D-U-N-S Number, and that you don't need one to own and operate your business. The pressure usually comes from someone you want to do business with.
- Large customers and suppliers. D&B's government page says many of the largest businesses in the world require them from their business partners, and its D-U-N-S overview says organizations may use the number to evaluate your business credit profile.
- State and local agencies. The government page says many state and local agencies in the United States still work with D-U-N-S Numbers.
- Loans and grants. The same page says you may also need one when you apply for loans or grants.
Federal contracting works differently. On April 4, 2022, SAM.gov and other GSA systems switched to the Unique Entity ID (SAM) and stopped using the DUNS number to identify entities, according to GSA's March 16, 2022 announcement, now marked archived. The SBA's contracting guide describes the UEI as a unique 12-character alphanumeric value you receive when you register in SAM at SAM.gov, and notes that businesses no longer have to go to a third-party website for their identifier. D&B's government page agrees the D-U-N-S Number is no longer required for bidding by the U.S. federal government.
Keeping the number: renewals, scams and updates
D&B's request page adds that your number will never expire or change, even if the business closes or is bought by another company. What can go stale is the information attached to it: if your address or phone number changes, D&B's lookup page says you may need to update your company's Dun & Bradstreet profile.
What a D-U-N-S Number does for your LLC's credit and financing
The number identifies your LLC in D&B's records, and what a lender or supplier sees behind it depends on the accounts and payment history tied to your business. Our guide on how to build business credit covers supplier accounts and other Tradelines that report.
Lender practice varies. Many business lenders look at the owner's personal credit along with any business credit report, and a young LLC with little history often leans on the owner's file. Our guide to personal vs. business credit for loans explains that split, and our thin-file denial guide covers next steps after a lender says your file is too thin.
When you're ready to borrow, EQ Funding routes one application to lenders who compete for it. Lenders review your credit, revenue and ability to repay and set their own terms, so offers for a business line of credit or a term loan vary by lender, and each lender makes its own approval decision.