Washington UBI vs EIN: Which Number Goes Where?

Last reviewed: October 7, 2026.

Your UBI (Unified Business Identifier) is the nine-digit number Washington assigns when a business registers with the state. Your EIN is the federal tax ID from the IRS. Insurance claims, W-9s and most payer contracts use the EIN; a field labeled UBI, state business license or Washington business registration wants the UBI. Both are nine digits, so read the label, not the length.

Side by side

• UBI: issued through Washington’s business licensing system. The Department of Revenue says it may also be called a tax registration, business registration or business license number. It ties to a state business license that has its own expiration and renewal date.

• EIN: issued by the IRS for federal tax purposes. It goes on your W-9 and is the Tax ID payers contract and pay under.

• Neither one is your NPI, your professional license number or a ProviderOne ID. Those come from other agencies and answer other questions.

Where they show up in credentialing

The ProviderOne group enrollment application for Apple Health asks for the Federal Employer Identification Number and the UBI in separate fields. Put the EIN in the federal field even when you have a UBI; do not drop the UBI into the EIN box because it is the number on your newest state paperwork. The same application asks for a business license for the primary service location, or a letter stating that the location does not require one.

For the full Apple Health sequence, see how to enroll in Apple Health as a therapist.

What we see from out-of-state practices

A common case is a therapist whose practice is organized in another state, who adds a Washington license and registers the business in Washington so it can credential with Washington plans. The registration produces a UBI and a business license expiration date, and the practice keeps billing under its existing EIN. That is expected: registering in a second state does not create a new federal Tax ID.

The other question we always ask in that situation is where the clinician will physically be when seeing Washington clients. A Washington mailing or virtual office address is not the same thing as the place services are delivered, and credentialing applications ask where services happen. Keep the UBI, the license renewal date and the service location on file together.

If you cannot find one of the numbers

Look the UBI up in the state business licensing record before starting another registration. For a lost EIN notice, use the IRS’s confirmation options rather than applying for a second EIN. If the legal name or address differs between the UBI record, the IRS record and your payer records, fix it at the source; the payer update checklist for a legal name or DBA change covers the payer side.

Bomi keeps both numbers on file for the Washington practices it credentials and fills each into the field that asks for it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I bill insurance under my UBI?

No. Claims and W-9s use the federal EIN (or SSN for a sole proprietor). The UBI identifies your Washington business registration.

Does registering my practice in Washington give me a new EIN?

No. A state registration adds a UBI. Your federal Tax ID stays the same unless the legal entity itself changes.

Sources

• Washington DOR: business licensing and renewals FAQ

• IRS: employer identification numbers

• HCA: ProviderOne servicing provider enrollment manual