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Understand the LEI system
Short, practical guides to Legal Entity Identifiers — what they are, how they work, and how to read a record.
- What is an LEI?
A Legal Entity Identifier is a 20-character ISO 17442 code that uniquely and permanently identifies a legally distinct entity in financial transactions.
- How to get an LEI
You register for an LEI through an accredited issuer (an LOU) or a registration agent, verify your entity's details, and renew it once a year.
- LEI vs company registration number
A company registration number identifies an entity within one national registry; an LEI identifies it globally and links to that registration.
- What is an LOU?
A Local Operating Unit is an organisation accredited by GLEIF to issue and maintain LEIs. The first four characters of any LEI identify its LOU.
- Corporate ownership in the LEI system
GLEIF Level 2 data records an entity's direct and ultimate accounting-consolidation parents, letting you trace who ultimately controls it.
- LEI status: issued, lapsed, retired
An LEI's registration status tells you whether the record is current, overdue for renewal, or closed — separate from whether the entity itself still exists.
- LEI glossary — key terms defined →