commerce-canon/research/commercial-identity/registry-identifier-subtypes.md

# Registry Identifier Subtypes — ISO 6523, ALEI, LEI, DUNS, UEI

## Source Type

Standards and registry synthesis. ISO/IEC 6523, ISO 17442 (LEI), ISO 8000-116
(ALEI), GLEIF, D&B DUNS, SAM.gov UEI, EITI/Open Ownership identifier guidance.

## Domain

Authoritative and proxy organization identifiers used in commerce, procurement,
financial markets, beneficial ownership transparency, and master data management.

## Why This Source Matters

Legal entities accumulate **multiple identifiers** from different registries —
company registration numbers, LEI, DUNS, UEI, VAT — each with different
**issuing authority**, **renewal rules**, and **trust basis**. Collapsing them
into generic Identifier loses lifecycle, authority, and cross-registry linking
semantics needed for commercial binding and BO transparency.

## Key Concepts

### ISO/IEC 6523 structure

ISO/IEC 6523 defines organization identification as:

- **International Code Designator (ICD)**: up to 4 digits identifying the issuing
  scheme authority (registered with ISO/IEC 6523-2).
- **Organization identifier**: up to 35 characters within that scheme.
- **Optional organization part identifier (OPI)**: sub-entity within organization.

Combined form enables global interchange (PEPPOL, EDIFACT, Schema.org `iso6523Code`).

Example ICD allocations relevant to commercial identity:

| ICD | Scheme | Authority type |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 0060 | D-U-N-S (DUNS) | Commercial proxy (D&B) |
| 0088 | EAN Location Code (GLN) | GS1 location |
| 0151 | Singapore UEN | Government registry |
| 0199 | Legal Entity Identifier (LEI) | GLEIF / ISO 17442 |
| 0209 | GS1 identification keys | GS1 |

(Full list maintained at iso6523.info and PEPPOL ICD codelists.)

### Authoritative vs. proxy identifiers (ISO 8000-116 / ALEI)

**Authoritative Legal Entity Identifier (ALEI)**: identifier assigned by a
**government jurisdiction** authorized by statute to create legal entities and
maintain authoritative registries. Format: jurisdiction prefix + register +
local number (e.g., `US-DE.BER:3031657`).

**Proxy identifiers**: issued by institutions that do **not** create legal
entities — DUNS (D&B), NCAGE (CAGE), and arguably LEI (GLEIF issues to existing
legal entities but does not incorporate them).

**LEI nuance**: ISO 17442 / GLEIF is regulatory-mandated for financial
transactions but is a **cross-jurisdiction overlay** on existing legal entities,
not the incorporating register. Canon treats LEI as **Registry Identifier**
with `authority_class: regulatory_global`.

### Renewal and lifecycle

| Identifier | Renewal / validity | Lifecycle driver |
| --- | --- | --- |
| LEI | Annual renewal required | GLEIF / LOU reaffirmation |
| DUNS | No annual renewal; record updates | D&B data maintenance |
| UEI | Persistent in SAM.gov | Entity registration status |
| Company reg number | Jurisdiction-specific | Annual report / dissolution |
| ALEI / IBRN | Tied to registry filing status | Government register |
| VAT / tax ID | Jurisdiction-specific | Tax authority |

Renewal semantics belong on **Registry Identifier** lifecycle state, not on the
Organization actor.

### Cross-registry linking

Same legal entity may hold LEI + DUNS + UEI + national company number.
**Synonymity Assertion** (`same_as`, strong or authoritative) links Registry
Identifiers when evidenced by registry crosswalk, LOU verification, or operator
confirmation. Do not silently merge Commercial Records.

EITI and Open Ownership recommend **reliable organizational identifiers**
(especially authoritative registration numbers) in beneficial ownership datasets
to disambiguate corporate vehicles.

## Relevant Terminology

| Term | Source meaning |
| --- | --- |
| Registry Identifier | Identifier issued under a registered scheme with known authority. |
| ICD | ISO 6523 International Code Designator for a scheme. |
| ALEI | Authoritative Legal Entity Identifier (government register). |
| Proxy identifier | Commercial or overlay ID not from incorporating authority. |
| LOU | Local Operating Unit issuing LEIs. |
| Renewal | Periodic reaffirmation of identifier validity (esp. LEI). |
| Crosswalk | Mapping between identifiers for same entity. |

## Modeling Assumptions

- **Registry Identifier is an Identifier subtype**, not a Record layer entity.
  The registry **record** (GLEIF entry, D&B profile, SAM registration) maps to
  Commercial Record or Identity Record.
- **Authority class** matters more than brand name (LEI vs. DUNS vs. company reg).
- **Renewal is optional metadata** — present for LEI, absent for DUNS.
- **ICD code** is the preferred `scheme` key for ISO 6523-aligned identifiers.
- **Proxy Commercial Identifier** is a Registry Identifier with
  `authority_class: commercial_proxy` for DUNS-like schemes.

## Identity-Canon Implications

### Resolved: Registry Identifier subtype

Add **Registry Identifier** as an Identifier specialization in the Reference layer.

**Recommended fields:**

- `scheme`: ICD code or well-known scheme URI (e.g., `0199` for LEI, `0060` for DUNS)
- `authority`: issuing body (GLEIF LOU, D&B, SAM.gov, Companies House, etc.)
- `authority_class`: `government_registry` | `regulatory_global` | `commercial_proxy` | `tax`
- `jurisdiction`: ISO country/subdivision when applicable
- `value`: the identifier string
- `renewal_required`: boolean
- `lifecycle_state`: active, lapsed, revoked, expired, superseded
- `last_renewed_at` / `expires_at`: when renewal applies
- `evidence_source`: registry lookup, LOU issuance, API verification

### Proxy Commercial Identifier

**Proxy Commercial Identifier** is a Registry Identifier with
`authority_class: commercial_proxy` — vendor-operated business keys (DUNS) used
for credit and procurement but not legal incorporation. Keeps DUNS mapping
explicit without conflating with ALEI or company registration numbers.

### Mapping table

| Source identifier | Canonical mapping |
| --- | --- |
| LEI code | Registry Identifier (`scheme: 0199`, `authority_class: regulatory_global`) |
| DUNS | Proxy Commercial Identifier (`scheme: 0060`) |
| UEI (SAM.gov) | Registry Identifier (`authority_class: government_registry`, US federal) |
| Company registration number | Registry Identifier (`authority_class: government_registry`, jurisdiction-local) |
| ALEI / IBRN | Registry Identifier (`authority_class: government_registry`, ISO 8000-116 format) |
| VAT / EIN / tax ID | Registry Identifier (`authority_class: tax`) |
| GLEIF registry entry | Commercial Record or Identity Record + Evidence Source |
| D&B business profile | Commercial Record + PAYDEX as Evidence Source |
| Same entity, multiple IDs | Synonymity Assertion between Registry Identifiers |

### Relationship to Beneficial Ownership

BO datasets should reference **Organization/Legal Entity** via Registry Identifier
(authoritative company reg preferred; LEI as strong cross-border key). Beneficial
Ownership Relationships attach to the entity actor, not to the identifier — but
identifier quality affects Evidence strength on BO filings.

## Terminology Conflicts

- **Legal entity (LEI)** vs. **Organization (canon)**: LEI subset ⊂ organizations
  with financial/regulatory participation.
- **DUNS business entity** vs. **Legal Entity**: D&B may assign DUNS to locations
  or branches not identical to juridical persons.
- **Identifier** vs. **Commercial Record**: Stripe `customer_id` is scoped
  system Identifier; LEI is registry Identifier — different authority classes.

## Open Questions

*(none — settled in `commercial-identity-nuance-settlement.md`)*

## Settled

- `authority_class` includes `industry_association` (NCAGE, GS1 GLN).
- LEI↔DUNS medium; LEI↔company reg/ALEI/UEI strong; crosswalk table in settlement note.
- OPI → Organization Unit / branch Registry Identifier with `organization_part_id`.

## References

- ISO/IEC 6523 — https://www.iso.org/standard/25773.html
- ISO 17442 (LEI) — https://www.iso.org/standard/78829.html
- ISO 8000-116 (ALEI) — https://www.iso.org/standard/75117.html
- GLEIF, Introducing the LEI — https://www.gleif.org/en/about-lei/introducing-the-legal-entity-identifier-lei
- iso6523.info ICD list — http://iso6523.info/icd_list.pdf
- PEPPOL ICD codelist — https://docs.peppol.eu/poacc/billing/3.0/codelist/ICD/
- GSA, Unique Entity Identifier — https://www.gsa.gov/about-us/organization/federal-acquisition-service/fas-initiatives/integrated-award-environment/iae-systems-information-kit/unique-entity-identifier-update
- EITI, Organisational identifiers guidance — https://eiti.org/sites/default/files/2023-11/Technical%20Guidance%20%E2%80%93%20Organisational%20identifiers%20guidance%20%20WEB.pdf
- Open Ownership, reliable identifiers — https://www.openownership.org/en/publications/using-reliable-identifiers-for-corporate-vehicles-in-beneficial-ownership-data/
- Internal: `lei-gleif-legal-entity-identifier.md`, `duns-commercial-credit-identity.md`