I don't have a 1099 for my TIAA CREF payment from the 403B Retirement Plan, so how can I get the Federal ID number?

You have to enter it from the actual 1099R.  Maybe you can log into TIAA CREF and get another copy.

If the payment occurred in 2017, then you won't get anything until next year, which you will report on your 2017 tax return next year.

You need other information from the 1099-R form besides the federal ID number. You cannot complete your tax return without the 1099-R. If you have online access to your TIAA-CREF account, see if you can access a copy of your 1099-R. If you can't get it tonight, you will have to contact TIAA-CREF to get a copy of the 1099-R, and file your tax return late. If you getting a refund there is no penalty for filing late for your federal tax return and most states.