The Legal Entity Identifier explained

What the code is

GLEIF describes the LEI as a unique 20-character alphanumeric code that lets anyone, anywhere, find clear identification data about a legal entity ¹. Every LEI is unique and can only ever represent one entity ¹. GLEIF gives its own code, 506700GE1G29325QX363, as an example ¹.

The code follows ISO 17442. The current Part 1, ISO 17442-1:2020, was published in August 2020 and the ISO page says it was last reviewed and confirmed in 2026 ⁶. ISO says the standard sets the minimum elements of an unambiguous LEI scheme and that the code is designed for automated processing ⁶.

Who can have an LEI

ISO 17442-1:2020 covers legal entities, government bodies, supranational bodies, individuals acting in a business capacity and international branches ⁶. It excludes natural persons, other than individuals acting in a business capacity ⁶. So the same LEI format can tag both a company and a public body.

Who issues it and who oversees the system

LEIs are assigned by LEI Issuers, which GLEIF calls Local Operating Units ¹. An entity can use any issuer accredited for its jurisdiction, not only one in its home country ³. Registration Agents can help an entity reach an issuer, and some financial and trust service providers act as Validation Agents that obtain an LEI for their clients ³. GLEIF lists renewal among the services that issuers provide ³.

GLEIF is overseen by the Regulatory Oversight Committee and backed by the G20 and the Financial Stability Board ¹. The committee says it is a group of more than 65 financial markets regulators and other public authorities, with 19 observers, from over 50 countries ⁵. It was set up in November 2012, and in October 2020 its mandate grew to cover derivatives identifiers and data elements ⁵.

Key dates in the system

What the record shows

GLEIF splits LEI data into two levels. Level 1 answers who is who. Level 2 answers who owns whom ¹.

GLEIF lists these Level 1 items ²:

• The official name of the entity as recorded in the official registers ²
• The registered address and the country of formation ²
• Standard codes for countries and their subdivisions ²
• The date of first LEI assignment, the date the entity was set up, the date of the last update and the expiry date where relevant ²
• Other data agreed between the entity and its issuer ²

How to use an LEI in a sourced profile

Search the code or the name in GLEIF LEI Search, which is free ⁴. Compare the official name and registered address with the national company register the record points to ². Note the date of the last update and any expiry date, since an LEI record is only as current as its last update ². Use Level 2 data to trace parent links, then confirm each parent in its own register ¹.