DUNS number for Apple Developer and Google Play accounts

A DUNS number is the nine-digit business identifier that Apple and Google use to confirm your company exists before they let it publish apps. If you enroll in the Apple Developer Program as an organization, or create a Google Play developer account for an organization, you need one, and getting it is often the slowest step between "the app is ready" and "the app is live". The number itself is free. The waiting, and the errors when your records do not match, are where launches slip.

This guide covers who needs a DUNS number, how to check whether your company already has one, how to request one for free, how long each store takes to recognize it, and how to fix the errors developers hit most often.

Key takeaways

• Individuals do not need a DUNS number on either store. Organizations do: Apple requires one for companies and educational institutions, and Google requires one for every organization account.
• The number is free from Dun & Bradstreet (D&B). Apple says to allow up to 5 business days, plus up to 2 business days for Apple to receive it. Google says the process can take up to 30 days.
• Apple accepts legal entities only, such as corporations and LLCs. DBAs, trade names and branches are rejected, and a sole proprietorship should enroll as an individual.
• Your legal name and address must match your D&B record. On Google Play, a later mismatch can restrict the account.

What a DUNS number is and why app stores ask for it#

Apple's D-U-N-S Number page describes it as "a unique nine-digit number that identifies business entities on a location-specific basis," assigned and maintained by Dun & Bradstreet. Apple uses it "to check the identity and legal entity status of your organization" during enrollment.

Google uses it for the same purpose. When it announced the requirement in July 2023, Google wrote that "When you create a new Play Console developer account for an organization, you'll now need to provide a D-U-N-S number" (Android Developers Blog). The aim is trust: Google added that the "About the developer" section of a store listing "will show verified identity information."

You will see the name written two ways. Apple and Google write D-U-N-S; most people search for DUNS. They are the same number.

Do you need a DUNS number?#

It depends on the account type, not on the size of your business.

Why publish as an organization at all#

An individual account is faster to open, so why bother? Three reasons:

• The name on your listing. Apple says an individual's "name will be displayed as the seller name of your apps on the App Store", while an organization's name is displayed for an organization. If you want your company, not your personal name, on the listing, you need an organization account.
• Some apps require it on Google Play. Google's account type guide lists services that call for an organization account, including financial products, health apps, VpnService apps and government apps.
• Testing rules differ. Google's rule that new apps must pass a closed test with at least 12 testers for 14 days is written for personal accounts created after November 13, 2023. Our guide to the Google Play 12 testers requirement explains how it works.

If you are a sole proprietor, Apple is direct about it: "If your legal status is a sole proprietorship/single person business, enroll as an individual."

A DUNS number is tied to a legal entity at a specific address, which is why the address you enter has to match. Photo: Maks057Kh / Pexels

How to check if your company already has a DUNS number#

Many registered companies already have a number without knowing it, because D&B builds records from public business registries. Apple says: "D&B may have already assigned your organization a free D-U-N-S Number. Before enrolling, look up your organization to see if you have a D-U-N-S Number."

1. Open Apple's D-U-N-S Number lookup tool.
2. Enter your legal entity name, headquarters address and mailing address exactly as they appear on your registration documents, plus your work contact details.
3. If your organization is listed, note the number and check that the legal name and address on the record are current. If they are not, email D&B to update them before you enroll.
4. If it is not listed, Apple says "you'll have the option to submit your information to Dun & Bradstreet for a free D-U-N-S Number."

The lookup works for Google Play too: the number identifies your business, not the store account, so the same number goes into the Play Console organization form.

How to get a DUNS number for free#

You do not need to pay anyone for a DUNS number. Google's account requirements page warns that D&B issues them free and to beware of third parties charging fees. Apple adds that "Expediting your D-U-N-S Number creation process will not shorten this waiting period."

1. Gather your registration documents first: certificate of incorporation or formation, your tax registration letter, and proof of your registered address. Apple says a D&B representative "may contact you directly for more information (such as your business type or number of employees)."
2. Request the number through Apple's lookup tool (the simplest route if you publish on iOS at all) or through D&B's own request page.
3. Use your exact legal name. Not your app's name, not your brand, not a trading name.
4. Wait for the email from D&B. Apple says to "allow up to 5 business days" and to email D&B if it has "taken longer than two weeks to process."
5. Wait again before enrolling with Apple. After you receive the number, "allow up to 2 business days for Apple to receive your information from D&B."

How long does it take?#

The difference between "5 business days" and "30 days" is why we suggest starting the DUNS request on the same day you decide to publish as a company, long before the app is finished. A launch week visibility checklist is much easier to follow when your developer accounts were approved weeks earlier.

Enrolling in the Apple Developer Program as an organization#

The enrollment page lists what Apple checks. Have all of it ready before you start:

• An Apple Account with two-factor authentication, ideally on your organization's email, with your real legal first and last name. Apple warns that "Using an alias, nickname, or company name as your first or last name will cause a delay."
• Legal binding authority. The person enrolling becomes the Account Holder and must be able to sign agreements for the organization: an owner or founder, executive, senior project lead or an employee given that authority.
• Legal entity status. "We do not accept DBAs, fictitious business names, trade names, or branches."
• A DUNS number registered to the legal entity. Optional for government entities.
• A work email on your organization's domain.
• A public website on a domain associated with the organization. Apple says social media pages and sites with minimal content or a registrar's parking page "won't be accepted."
• The fee: 99 USD per membership year, listed in local currency, with fee waivers available for some nonprofits, accredited educational institutions and government entities.

You can enroll on the web or through the Apple Developer app.

Creating a Google Play organization account#

Google's required information page is just as specific:

• DUNS number: "You will not be able to create a developer account for an organization without one."
• A Google payments profile, linked when you create the account. Your organization name and address are taken from it and verified before you can publish.
• An organization phone number and website. Google asks for a phone number people can find for your organization on the web or in a public registry.
• Contact and developer emails and phone numbers, each verified with a one-time password and kept working for the life of the account.

The matching rule matters later, not only at sign-up. Google says the legal name and address in your payments profile must match your D&B profile. If it detects a mismatch, you get an email and a Play Console banner reading "Your organization name or address is no longer verified", and if you do not fix it by the deadline your account may be restricted, which removes your apps from Google Play. If you move offices, update D&B and your payments profile together.

Android's separate developer verification for apps installed outside Google Play also asks organizations for a DUNS number. Our Android developer verification checklist covers that program.

Whoever enrolls the organization signs Apple's and Google's agreements for it, so they need the authority to do so. Photo: RDNE Stock project / Pexels

Common DUNS errors and how to fix them#

"Your organization is not listed as a legal entity"#

Apple explains that this means "The business you entered is either listed in the D&B database with a different legal status (such as a sole proprietorship), or its legal status has not been verified." To fix it:

1. Re-enter the legal entity name, not a DBA or brand.
2. If you really are a sole proprietor, enroll as an individual.
3. If you are a company and D&B has you wrong, email D&B with your complete business registration documents and ask them to verify your legal status. Then allow two business days for the update to reach Apple.

The name or address does not match#

This is the most common cause of a stalled enrollment on both stores. The legal name, the headquarters address and, on Google Play, the payments profile must all say the same thing as your D&B record, down to the suite number. Fix the D&B record first, then retry.

The enrollment is stuck for weeks#

A long thread on the Apple Developer Forums, "Can't register Apple Developer Account - stuck for 2.5 months" from April 2026, shows how this goes wrong. The poster had a newly formed single-member LLC, a DUNS number obtained by a colleague, and a rejection about a month after enrolling. Their own summary of what they learned: tax paperwork for a new company can take a long time to arrive, and a mismatch in the DUNS record's key principal (for example, a record set up by someone else for a Google Play account) can block Apple enrollment. If you are in the same position:

• Make sure the person enrolling is listed on the D&B record, or has documented authority to act for the company.
• Keep copies of your formation documents and tax registration letter ready to upload.
• Contact D&B for record problems and Apple Developer Support for enrollment status, and keep every reference number.

A DUNS number checklist for your launch#

• Decided: individual or organization account on each store.
• Legal entity name and registered address copied exactly from your formation documents.
• Checked Apple's lookup tool for an existing DUNS number before requesting a new one.
• Requested the number for free, never through a paid "expedite" service.
• Waited the 2 business days for Apple to receive new or updated D&B data.
• Work email on your company domain, and a real public website.
• Account holder has legal authority and is listed on, or documented for, the D&B record.
• Google payments profile name and address match D&B, and a reminder set to update both if you move.

With the account in place, two other launch tasks are worth doing early: filling out the Google Play data safety form before your first review, and settling the app's name with our guide on how to name an app, because the name has to be available on both stores before you can claim it.

Get the listing seen once it is live#

A verified organization account makes your listing look like a real business, which helps the people who find it. It does not help them find it. In the first weeks, a new listing has no reviews or ranking history, so launch traffic has to come from channels you control: your own audience, communities, press, launch directories and leaderboards.

AppRanker is one of those channels: a public app leaderboard where rank is set by what each listing has paid, with every row linking straight to your App Store or Google Play page. To see what a spot costs, paste your store link on the AppRanker home page; every rank shows its price before you pay.

FAQ#

Is a DUNS number free for Apple developers?#

Yes. Dun & Bradstreet issues DUNS numbers for free, and Apple's lookup tool lets you request one during enrollment. Paying for an expedited service does not shorten Apple's waiting period.

Do I need a DUNS number as an individual developer?#

No. Apple says "If you're enrolling as an individual, you don't need a D-U-N-S Number", and Google requires it only for organization accounts.

How long does it take to get a DUNS number?#

Apple says to allow up to 5 business days for D&B to issue the number, then up to 2 business days for Apple to receive it. Google says the process can take up to 30 days, so start early.

Can I use the same DUNS number for Apple and Google Play?#

Yes. The number identifies your legal entity, not a store account, so the same organization uses the same number on both. Keep the name and address identical in both places.

Can a sole proprietorship get a DUNS number for the App Store?#

A sole proprietorship can have a DUNS number, but Apple does not accept it for an organization enrollment. Apple tells sole proprietors and single-person businesses to enroll as individuals.

Why does Apple say my organization is not a legal entity?#

Either D&B lists your business with a different legal status, such as a sole proprietorship, or your legal status has not been verified. Use your exact legal entity name, and email D&B with your registration documents if their record is wrong.

Image credits#

• Cover, two people doing paperwork at a desk: photo by Pavel Danilyuk on Pexels, Pexels License. Cropped to 1200x630.
• Office building exterior: photo by Maks057Kh on Pexels, Pexels License. Resized and cropped.
• Signing a business contract: photo by RDNE Stock project on Pexels, Pexels License. Resized.