{"registry_version":"2026.1025.387","generated_at":"2026-10-25T06:27:00Z","content_sha256":"089d16f627d9365e3d0663cc8069203706d7cb23a76c332226e29686968811a5","signed":true,"signature":{"key_id":"ed25519:74ca19268e364242","algorithm":"ed25519","expires_at":"2026-11-24T06:27:09Z","expired":false,"manifest":"/registry/manifest.json"},"entry_sha256":"3e4833f09f32dac835d04e19827eebb28c9c099c85db555f607c35514c1dd4e2","entry":{"id":"apple/duns-number","name":"D-U-N-S Number for Apple Developer enrollment","vendor":"Apple","summary":"Organisations (not individuals or government bodies) need a D-U-N-S Number registered to their legal entity before Apple will enrol them. Apple's developer site has a free lookup that also lets you request a number from Dun & Bradstreet (D&B) at no charge.","aliases":["DUNS","D-U-N-S","Dun & Bradstreet number"],"category":"identity","group":"B","homepage":"https://developer.apple.com/help/account/membership/D-U-N-S/","docs":["https://developer.apple.com/help/account/membership/D-U-N-S/","https://developer.apple.com/programs/enroll/"],"status":"researched","last_verified":null,"last_researched":"2026-10-25","sources":[{"id":"apple-duns","url":"https://developer.apple.com/help/account/membership/D-U-N-S/","title":"D-U-N-S Number - Membership - Account - Help - Apple Developer","accessed":"2026-10-25","supports":"Who needs a D-U-N-S Number; free lookup and request; information asked for; D&B may contact you; up to 5 business days from D&B; expediting does not shorten it; email D&B after two weeks; up to 2 business days for Apple to receive it; updates take up to two business days; \"not listed as a legal entity\" error and its fix; DBAs, trade names and branches not accepted.","kind":"official"},{"id":"apple-enroll","url":"https://developer.apple.com/programs/enroll/","title":"Enrollment - Apple Developer Program","accessed":"2026-10-25","supports":"Organisations (excluding government entities) must have a D-U-N-S Number so Apple can verify identity, legal entity status and address.","kind":"official"},{"id":"dnb-apple-support","url":"https://support.dnb.com/?CUST=APPLEDEV","title":"Dun & Bradstreet support (Apple developer channel)","accessed":"2026-10-25","supports":"The D&B contact route Apple links to for slow requests and profile corrections.","kind":"official"},{"id":"snapraise-duns","url":"https://helpdesk.snapraise.com/common-duns-issues-troubleshooting","title":"Common DUNS issues troubleshooting (Snapraise help desk)","accessed":"2026-10-25","supports":"Third-party report that Apple needs an active D-U-N-S listed as Headquarters or Single Location; expired profiles and Branch records rejected; entity-status mismatch causes failure.","kind":"community"},{"id":"forum-duns-mismatch","url":"https://developer.apple.com/forums/thread/745859","title":"DUNS Number Mismatch (Apple Developer Forums)","accessed":"2026-10-25","supports":"Users report the lookup accepting a number that enrollment then rejects as a mismatch; one suspects a freshly issued number had not yet synced to Apple. No posted fix (2024-2026).","kind":"community"},{"id":"forum-duns-branch","url":"https://developer.apple.com/forums/thread/841770","title":"Generic enrollment denial after resolving a D-U-N-S duplicate (Apple Developer Forums)","accessed":"2026-10-25","supports":"User report (Aug 2026) of duplicate D&B records (old-address headquarters + current-address branch) causing a branch rejection, then a generic denial after D&B consolidated them.","kind":"community"}],"allowed_domains":["developer.apple.com","idmsa.apple.com","dnb.com"],"account_model":{"summary":"The D-U-N-S Number belongs to the legal entity and is issued and maintained by Dun & Bradstreet, not Apple. You look it up (or request it) while signed in to the Apple Account that will enrol the organisation; Apple then reads the D&B record to check legal name, legal status and address.","accounts":[{"name":"Apple Account","kind":"personal","owned_by":"the person who will become Account Holder","required":true,"note":"The lookup page on developer.apple.com redirects to Apple sign-in (observed 2026-10-25)."},{"name":"D&B business record (D-U-N-S Number)","kind":"organisation","owned_by":"the company (legal entity)","required":true,"note":"Must be registered to the legal entity, not a DBA, trade name or branch."}],"notes":["Individuals and sole proprietors enrol as individuals and do not need a D-U-N-S Number.","Government organisations may skip it (optional for them)."]},"prerequisites":[{"need":"A registered legal entity (corporation, LLC, limited partnership or similar) that can contract with Apple."},{"need":"An Apple Account with two-factor authentication, ideally the one that will enrol the organisation."}],"identity_requires":["legal_name","registered_address","country","company_number"],"have_ready":[{"kind":"company_documents","description":"Business registration documents (certificate of incorporation or equivalent) showing the exact legal name and address.","why":"D&B may contact you for verification, and they are required if D&B lists you with the wrong legal status.","needed_for":["request","fix-record"],"auto_check":"none","source":"apple-duns"},{"kind":"proof_of_address","description":"Headquarters address and mailing address exactly as registered.","why":"The lookup asks for both, and Apple checks the address against D&B.","needed_for":["lookup"],"auto_check":"none","source":"apple-duns"},{"kind":"domain_email","description":"Your work contact details (email on the company domain, phone).","why":"The lookup asks for your work contact information; D&B may call or email.","needed_for":["lookup","request"],"auto_check":"domain_email_mx","source":"apple-duns"}],"steps":[{"id":"sign-in","title":"Sign in to Apple Developer","summary":"Sign in with the Apple Account you will use to enrol the organisation. Apple's lookup tool sits behind Apple sign-in.","route":"guided","depends_on":[],"gate":"2fa","url":"https://developer.apple.com/enroll/duns-lookup/"},{"id":"lookup","title":"Look up your organisation","summary":"Enter your legal entity name, headquarters address, mailing address and your work contact details. D&B may already have given your organisation a free number; if it is listed, note it down.","route":"guided","depends_on":["sign-in"],"gate":"none","url":"https://developer.apple.com/enroll/duns-lookup/","preflight":["legal_name_matches_documents"],"sources":["apple-duns"]},{"id":"request","title":"Request a free D-U-N-S Number (if not listed)","summary":"If no match is found, submit your details to D&B through the same tool. A D&B representative may contact you for more information such as business type or number of employees.","route":"guided","depends_on":["lookup"],"gate":"human_submit","url":"https://developer.apple.com/enroll/duns-lookup/","lead_time":{"official":{"text":"Allow up to 5 business days to receive the number from D&B. Expediting does not shorten this. Email D&B if it takes longer than two weeks.","source":"apple-duns"}},"recovery":[{"hiccup":"No number after two weeks.","fix":"Email D&B through the Apple developer support channel and quote your request details.","source":"dnb-apple-support"}],"optional":true,"sources":["apple-duns"]},{"id":"apple-sync","title":"Wait for Apple to receive the D&B record","summary":"After the number arrives, Apple needs time to receive your information from D&B before you can enrol as an organisation.","route":"guided","depends_on":["request"],"gate":"third_party_review","lead_time":{"official":{"text":"Allow up to 2 business days for Apple to receive your information from D&B.","source":"apple-duns"},"reported":{"text":"Some users report Apple's enrollment flagging a newly issued number as a mismatch for a few days; waiting has been suggested as the cause, unconfirmed.","source":"forum-duns-mismatch"}},"recovery":[{"hiccup":"Enrollment says the D-U-N-S Number does not match your organisation even though the lookup found it.","fix":"Check the legal name and address you typed are character-for-character the same as the D&B record. If the number is new, wait out the 2 business days. If it still fails, contact Apple Developer Support with your Enrollment ID.","source":"forum-duns-mismatch"}]},{"id":"fix-record","title":"Correct the D&B record (if wrong)","summary":"If the name, address or legal status on the D&B record is wrong, email D&B with your business registration documents. D&B then sends the update to Apple.","route":"guided","depends_on":["lookup"],"gate":"human_submit","url":"https://support.dnb.com/?CUST=APPLEDEV","lead_time":{"official":{"text":"It takes up to two business days for D&B to provide updated information to Apple.","source":"apple-duns"}},"recovery":[{"hiccup":"\"Not listed as a legal entity\" - D&B lists the business with a different status (such as sole proprietorship) or unverified status.","fix":"If you really are a sole proprietor or single-person business, enrol as an individual instead. Otherwise email D&B with complete business registration documents to verify legal status.","source":"apple-duns"},{"hiccup":"Enrollment rejects the number as a branch record.","fix":"People report Apple only accepts a record listed as Headquarters or Single Location. Ask D&B to consolidate duplicate records (for example after a move) so the headquarters record carries your current address.","source":"forum-duns-branch"},{"hiccup":"Record expired or entity type on the D&B profile differs from what you chose at enrollment.","fix":"Ask D&B to update the profile; they will request business documents. Use the same entity type at Apple as D&B holds.","source":"snapraise-duns"}],"optional":true}],"outputs":[{"name":"DUNS_NUMBER","description":"Nine-digit D-U-N-S Number registered to the legal entity. Not a secret, but an identity attribute; keep it in the identity profile.","secret":false,"example_format":"123456789","from_step":"lookup"}],"terms_notes":[{"kind":"rules_say","severity":"amber","title":"Legal entity only","text":"Apple does not accept DBAs, fictitious business names, trade names or branches. The D-U-N-S Number must belong to the legal entity, and its name is what Apple shows as seller on the App Store.","source":"apple-duns"},{"kind":"people_report","severity":"amber","title":"Duplicate D&B records cause hard-to-diagnose denials","text":"A developer reported (Aug 2026) a generic \"for one or more reasons\" denial after fixing duplicate D&B records, with support unable to see the reason. Check for duplicates before enrolling.","source":"forum-duns-branch"}],"pricing_notes":{"free_tier":"The D-U-N-S Number requested through Apple's tool is free.","notes":"Paying D&B to expedite does not shorten Apple's stated wait.","source":"apple-duns"},"api_provisioning":{"available":"no","notes":"No official API; lookup and request are web forms behind Apple sign-in.","source":"apple-duns"},"notes":["[to verify] Whether D&B offers a free D-U-N-S request route for every country through Apple's tool; Apple says numbers are free in most jurisdictions."]}}