How can I tell if an EIN is valid?

A valid EIN has nine digits written XX-XXXXXXX, and its first two digits are a prefix the IRS issues. These prefixes have never been issued: 00, 07, 08, 09, 17, 18, 19, 28, 29, 49, 69, 70, 78, 79, 89, 96, 97. A valid format does not prove which business the number belongs to. Only the IRS can confirm that.

Can I look up who an EIN belongs to?

Not from a free public database. A business that pays contractors can use IRS TIN Matching to confirm a name and EIN pair, and the owner of a business can call the IRS for a 147C letter. Nonprofits are the exception: their EINs are public in the IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search.

EIN Checker

Last updated November 1, 2026 · Maintained by the EIN Registration filing team

A valid EIN is nine digits, XX-XXXXXXX, starting with a prefix the IRS issues. Enter a number below to check both. A pass means the number could be an EIN. It does not tell you which business it belongs to.

Valid EIN prefixes

The first two digits of every EIN come from this list, published by the IRS. Older numbers were assigned by the campus that processed the application. Numbers issued through the IRS online application use the Internet prefixes.

Assigned by	Prefixes
Andover	10, 12
Atlanta	60, 67
Austin	50, 53
Brookhaven	01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 11, 13, 14, 16, 21, 22, 23, 25, 34, 51, 52, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 65
Cincinnati	30, 32, 35, 36, 37, 38, 61
Fresno	15, 24
Kansas City	40, 44
Memphis	94, 95
Ogden	80, 90
Philadelphia	33, 39, 41, 42, 43, 46, 48, 62, 63, 64, 66, 68, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 85, 86, 87, 88, 91, 92, 93, 98, 99
Internet (the IRS online application)	20, 26, 27, 33, 39, 41, 42, 45, 46, 47, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 92, 93, 99
Small Business Administration (SBA)	31

Never issued, so never valid: 00, 07, 08, 09, 17, 18, 19, 28, 29, 49, 69, 70, 78, 79, 89, 96, 97.

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What a valid format does not tell you

There is no free public database of business EINs, so no website can tell you the name behind a number. If you pay contractors, the IRS TIN Matching program confirms whether a name and EIN pair match its records. If the EIN is your own and you lost the confirmation letter, the IRS will give it to you by phone and send a 147C letter. Nonprofits are the exception: their EINs are public in the IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search, covered in our nonprofit EIN lookup guide.

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Related guides

Sources

IRS: How EINs are assigned and valid EIN prefixes

You can also apply for an EIN directly with the IRS at irs.gov at no cost.