How to Find and Verify Your Business NAICS Code

Finding your business NAICS code involves identifying your primary revenue-generating activity and matching it against the official classification index published by the U.S. Census Bureau.

Determining Your Primary Revenue-Generating Activity

If your business engages in multiple business lines, federal contracting regulations require you to identify the activity that contributes the largest percentage of your overall corporate receipts ^[1]. This rule is codified in 13 CFR § 121.107 to prevent companies from self-selecting codes solely to qualify for preferential contracting programs.

For example, if a firm earns 60% of its revenue from writing custom web software and 40% from database hosting services, its primary classification is Custom Computer Programming Services (NAICS 541511) rather than Computing Infrastructure Providers (NAICS 518210).

Step-by-Step Selection Process

Describe your business's core production process in specific terms.
Use our search tool or visit the U.S. Census Bureau NAICS page to search by keyword ^[2].
Identify the correct six-digit national industry code.
Cross-reference the selected code with the SBA Table of Size Standards to verify small business eligibility limits ^[3].

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Can a business have more than one NAICS code?

Yes. A business has one primary NAICS code representing its largest source of revenue, but can list multiple secondary codes in its SAM.gov profile for contracting purposes.

Q: Where do I look up my official NAICS code?

You can look up your code in our search index or consult the official directory on the U.S. Census Bureau website.

How to Find and Verify Your Business NAICS Code

Determining Your Primary Revenue-Generating Activity

Step-by-Step Selection Process

Frequently Asked Questions

Sources & References