North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS)

The North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS) helps to identify US businesses by the type of economic activity (how they produce) that they conduct. Federal agencies that collect and analyze statistical information, such as the US Office of Management and Budget (OMB) or US Census, use NAICS is the standard method for classifying groups of businesses.

• Each NAICS code can have up to six digits. For example, software development companies might be classified with an NAICS code of 511210.
• Like the four-digit SIC system, NAICS broadly describes a class of business activity. Businesses do not receive a unique SIC.
• NAICS codes replaced SIC codes as the primary standard in 2004, though SIC codes are still in use.

Use this tool to determine the most appropriate NAICS for a company.