# BRD-019 — EIN must be nine digits

> The EIN must be exactly nine digits (formatting characters aside).

- **Rule ID:** BRD-019
- **Layer:** Brand (`BRAND`)
- **Checks:** `brand.ein`
- **Severity:** BLOCKING — Breaking this rule gets the submission rejected outright.
- **When it bites:** Gates approval — get this wrong and registration is refused
- **How it is detected:** Deterministic (settled in code from the submitted values)
- **Fix type:** Fix the field — a better value in the form clears it
- **Required by:** TCR, Twilio, Telnyx
- **Applies:** Applies when the brand is NOT a sole proprietor.
- **Canonical URL:** https://ekas.io/rules/10dlc/brand/brd-019/

## Why this rule exists

The EIN is the key the whole brand verification hangs on: it is what links your registration to a real, IRS-recognised entity. A malformed one cannot be looked up at all, so the registration fails before any judgement about your business is made.

## How to fix it

Enter the nine-digit EIN from your IRS documentation, e.g. 12-3456789.

## Example of a compliant value

```text
EIN: 12-3456789
```