How to get an LEI
A practical guide for finance and treasury teams: what an LEI is for, what it costs, how quickly it is issued, and why letting it lapse breaks more than you expect.
Check an existing LEI first
Many companies already have an LEI issued years ago for a single reporting obligation and have forgotten to renew it.
Set by the issuing LOU or agent, not by GLEIF.
Longer if register data does not match.
Reference data must be re-confirmed annually.
The application, step by step
- Confirm the exact legal name and registration number as they appear in your national business register — not the trading name.
- Choose an accredited LOU or a registration agent. All of them write to the same index; they compete on price, support and renewal handling.
- Supply Level 1 data (who you are) and Level 2 data (your direct and ultimate parent, or a documented reason why it cannot be reported).
- Provide evidence of authority to apply on the entity's behalf.
- Once issued, record the renewal date in your compliance calendar and set a reminder 60 days ahead.
Why this matters on-chain
Tokenised treasuries, stablecoin issuance and institutional settlement all need a stable answer to "which legal entity is behind this address". The LEI is the only globally governed identifier that already covers millions of entities. Linking it to your wallets turns an anonymous string into something a counterparty's compliance desk can check without emailing you.
Link your wallets to your LEI →Frequently asked
What is an LEI number?
A Legal Entity Identifier is a 20-character code that uniquely identifies a legally distinct entity participating in financial transactions. It is issued under the GLEIF standard (ISO 17442) and the underlying reference data is public and free to query.
How much does an LEI cost?
Issuance is handled by accredited LOUs and registration agents, not by GLEIF, so pricing varies by provider and country — commonly around USD 50–150 for the first year plus a similar annual renewal. Multi-year prepayment usually reduces the yearly rate.
How long does it take to get one?
Most straightforward corporate applications are issued within one to three business days. Delays are almost always caused by mismatches between the application and the local business register, or by unresolved parent-company (Level 2) data.
Who needs an LEI?
Any entity that reports derivatives or securities transactions under regimes such as EMIR, MiFID II, SFTR or Dodd-Frank. Increasingly banks and payment providers also ask for one during onboarding, and tokenised-asset issuers use it as the reference identity in disclosures.
What happens if my LEI lapses?
The code keeps working as an identifier but the registration status changes to LAPSED, meaning the reference data is no longer confirmed as current. Many counterparties and reporting systems reject lapsed LEIs, so trades and onboarding can fail. Renewal restores ISSUED status.
Can I look up an LEI for free?
Yes. The Global LEI Index is open data under CC0. You can search it here by company name or code, and this site additionally shows any on-chain wallets that entity has publicly linked.
usd.net does not issue LEIs and earns nothing from issuance. See our verification methodology for how wallet links are checked.
Entity reference data from the Global LEI Index © GLEIF, used under CC0. usd.net is independent and not affiliated with or endorsed by GLEIF. Wallet links are attestations at the stated verification tier — see how we verify. Nothing here is investment advice.