diff --git a/Source/Core/imstkEntity.cpp b/Source/Core/imstkEntity.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..aa693aecfae107ccb888c667ed46fd822fe1fad2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Source/Core/imstkEntity.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+/*=========================================================================
+
+   Library: iMSTK
+
+   Copyright (c) Kitware, Inc. & Center for Modeling, Simulation,
+   & Imaging in Medicine, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
+
+   Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+   you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+   You may obtain a copy of the License at
+
+      http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0.txt
+
+   Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+   distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+   WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+   See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+   limitations under the License.
+
+=========================================================================*/
+
+#include "imstkEntity.h"
+
+namespace imstk
+{
+std::atomic<EntityID> Entity::s_count {0};
+
+Entity::Entity()
+{
+    s_count++;
+    m_ID = s_count;
+}
+
+EntityID
+Entity::getID() const
+{
+    return m_ID;
+}
+}
diff --git a/Source/Core/imstkEntity.h b/Source/Core/imstkEntity.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..c86d2fad654ed19bf0eac9d6fbb6a83c0fc4f6bf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Source/Core/imstkEntity.h
@@ -0,0 +1,57 @@
+/*=========================================================================
+
+   Library: iMSTK
+
+   Copyright (c) Kitware, Inc. & Center for Modeling, Simulation,
+   & Imaging in Medicine, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
+
+   Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+   you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+   You may obtain a copy of the License at
+
+      http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0.txt
+
+   Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+   distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+   WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+   See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+   limitations under the License.
+
+=========================================================================*/
+
+#ifndef imstkEntity_h
+#define imstkEntity_h
+
+#include <atomic>
+
+namespace imstk
+{
+using EntityID = unsigned long;
+
+///
+/// \class Entity
+/// \brief Top-level class for iMSTK objects
+///
+class Entity
+{
+public:
+    ///
+    /// \brief Get ID (ALWAYS query the ID in your code, DO NOT hardcode it)
+    /// \returns ID of entity
+    ///
+    EntityID getID() const;
+
+protected:
+    ///
+    /// \brief Constructor
+    ///
+    Entity();
+
+    // Not the best design pattern
+    static std::atomic<EntityID> s_count; ///< current count of entities
+
+    EntityID m_ID; ///< unique ID of entity
+};
+}
+
+#endif
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/Source/SceneElements/Light/imstkLight.h b/Source/SceneElements/Light/imstkLight.h
index 25728f6670b7b922e7064392487d821903602b81..f7127b6c3c58a8d028d7d04038d311b54b51eeda 100644
--- a/Source/SceneElements/Light/imstkLight.h
+++ b/Source/SceneElements/Light/imstkLight.h
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@
 // imstk
 #include "imstkMath.h"
 #include "imstkColor.h"
+#include "imstkEntity.h"
 
 namespace imstk
 {
@@ -45,7 +46,7 @@ enum class LightType
 ///
 /// \brief Abstract base class for lights
 ///
-class Light
+class Light : public Entity
 {
 public:
     ///
@@ -117,8 +118,8 @@ public:
     void setName(const std::string&& name) { m_name = std::move(name); };
 
 protected:
-    Light(const std::string& name) : m_name(name){};
-    Light(std::string&& name) : m_name(std::move(name)){};
+    Light(const std::string& name) : m_name(name), Entity() {};
+    Light(std::string&& name) : m_name(std::move(name)), Entity() {};
 
     // properties with defaults
     float m_intensity = 100.;
diff --git a/Source/SceneElements/Objects/imstkSceneObject.cpp b/Source/SceneElements/Objects/imstkSceneObject.cpp
index 12efbad15c309798857ae95d6ab86b0b54159a8d..1ab5faa5f6fb4a1b85f5fc750d1bf8f51ab0d141 100644
--- a/Source/SceneElements/Objects/imstkSceneObject.cpp
+++ b/Source/SceneElements/Objects/imstkSceneObject.cpp
@@ -26,6 +26,16 @@
 
 namespace imstk
 {
+SceneObject::SceneObject(const std::string& name) : m_name(name), Entity()
+{
+    m_type = Type::Visual;
+}
+
+SceneObject::SceneObject(std::string&& name) : m_name(std::move(name)), Entity()
+{
+    m_type = Type::Visual;
+}
+
 std::shared_ptr<Geometry>
 SceneObject::getVisualGeometry() const
 {
diff --git a/Source/SceneElements/Objects/imstkSceneObject.h b/Source/SceneElements/Objects/imstkSceneObject.h
index 35532d248b318d03000eb030e94345ef217effc3..eeb05bc294dc1cd6a541fbf9d4715741ca28bcbe 100644
--- a/Source/SceneElements/Objects/imstkSceneObject.h
+++ b/Source/SceneElements/Objects/imstkSceneObject.h
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@
 #include <string>
 
 #include "imstkVisualModel.h"
+#include "imstkEntity.h"
 
 namespace imstk
 {
@@ -38,7 +39,7 @@ class DeviceClient;
 /// \brief Base class for all scene objects. A scene object can optionally be visible and
 /// collide with other scene objects. A object of the class is static.
 ///
-class SceneObject
+class SceneObject : public Entity
 {
 public:
     enum class Type
@@ -54,14 +55,8 @@ public:
     ///
     /// \brief Constructor
     ///
-    SceneObject(const std::string& name) : m_name(name)
-    {
-        m_type = Type::Visual;
-    }
-    SceneObject(std::string&& name) : m_name(std::move(name))
-    {
-        m_type = Type::Visual;
-    }
+    SceneObject(const std::string& name);
+    SceneObject(std::string&& name);
 
     ///
     /// \brief Destructor