Authoritative Legal Entity Identifier

An ALEI is composed of three main components: a prefix that identifies the jurisdiction and register, a subdomain element (optional), and the local registration number of the entity. For example, the identifier "US-DE.BER:3031657" refers to an entity registered in the Delaware Business Entity Register in the United States.{{cite web |title=ALEI: The Authoritative Legal Entity Identifier |url=https://mroinsyte.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/ALEI-The-Authoritative-Legal-Entity-Identifier-June-7-2018.pdf |last=Magruder |first=J.S. |date=June 7, 2018 |access-date=20 April 2025}}

The standardization of this structure is governed by ISO 8000-116, which is designed to ensure each ALEI is globally unique and resolvable.{{cite web |title=SS-ISO 8000-116:2024 |url=https://25252fmetadata.sis.se/en/produkter/manufacturing-engineering/industrial-automation-systems/industrial-process-measurement-and-control/SS-ISO-8000-1162024/ |publisher=Swedish Institute for Standards |access-date=20 April 2025}}

ALEIs differ from proxy identifiers such as the DUNS number, NCAGE code, or the Legal Entity Identifier (LEI) managed by GLEIF. While proxy identifiers can be issued by institutions that do not create legal entities, ALEIs are created and maintained by public bodies with the authority to form and register legal entities.{{cite web |title=What is an authoritative legal entity identifier and how is it related to the Legal Entity Identifier (LEI)? |url=https://www.ealei.org/assets/images/Legal%20Entity%20Identifiers%202023-01-06.pdf |publisher=ECCMA |access-date=20 April 2025}}

This authoritative origin makes ALEIs particularly suitable for applications involving legal traceability, government regulation, and international transparency efforts.

ALEIs are increasingly utilized to identify legal entities in public and private datasets. The identifiers support supply chain accuracy, regulatory compliance, and the unification of master data.{{cite press release |author=Electronic Commerce Code Management Association |title=Cleaning Supplier and Customer Master Data Just Became Faster and Easier |url=https://www.newswire.com/news/cleaning-supplier-and-customer-master-data-just-became-faster-and-20505047 |publisher=Newswire |date=July 10, 2018 |access-date=20 April 2025}}

The first practical implementation of an ALEI was the International Business Registration Number (IBRN), developed to provide globally unique identifiers for registered business entities. IBRNs are issued by authorized government jurisdictions and are used to verify entities across borders, particularly in the context of trade facilitation and data exchange systems.{{cite web |title=Digital Identity Standardization for Trade Facilitation |url=https://unece.org/sites/default/files/2023-09/eData_Digital%20ID%20Standardization%20for%20Trade%20Facilitation%20Presentation_40thCEFACT.pdf |publisher=UN/CEFACT Forum |date=2023 |access-date=20 April 2025}}

For instance, business directories and registration systems in U.S. states like Connecticut provide structured registration documents that can be used to verify the ALEIs they issue.{{cite web |title=Instructions for Business Organizations |url=https://portal.ct.gov/-/media/sots/business-services/trade-name/instructions-business-organizations.pdf |publisher=State of Connecticut Secretary of State |access-date=20 April 2025}}

The use of ALEIs has been recommended by international organizations such as the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) and Open ownership to improve beneficial ownership registries.{{cite web |title=Technical Guidance: Organisational identifiers |url=https://eiti.org/sites/default/files/2023-11/Technical%20Guidance%20%E2%80%93%20Organisational%20identifiers%20guidance%20%20WEB.pdf |publisher=Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) |date=November 2023 |access-date=20 April 2025}}{{cite web |title=Using reliable identifiers for corporate vehicles in beneficial ownership data |url=https://www.openownership.org/en/publications/using-reliable-identifiers-for-corporate-vehicles-in-beneficial-ownership-data/reliable-identifiers-as-a-by-product-of-entity-registration/ |publisher=Open Ownership |access-date=20 April 2025}}

ALEIs have been referenced in policy consultations such as those related to the U.S. Financial Data Transparency Act. Federal institutions including the Federal Reserve and FDIC have examined the potential for ALEIs to unify entity identification across regulatory databases.{{cite web |title=Comment Letter on Financial Data Transparency Act |url=https://www.fdic.gov/system/files/2024-09/2024-financial-data-transparency-act-3064-af96-c-003.pdf |publisher=Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) |access-date=20 April 2025}}{{cite web |title=FR-0000-0136-01-C29 Public Comment on Legal Entity Standards |url=https://www.federalreserve.gov/apps/proposals/comments/FR-0000-0136-01-C29 |publisher=Federal Reserve Board |access-date=20 April 2025}}

• Beneficial ownership
• Data quality
• International Business Registration Number (IBRN)
• ISO 8000
• Legal Entity Identifier (LEI)
• Master data
• Master data management

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category:Identifiers

category:Data quality

category:Information science