A Standard Industrial Classification code is a 4-digit number that classifies a business by its primary activity. The system was created by the US government in 1937 and groups every industry into 10 divisions and over 80 major groups.

Is SIC still used if NAICS replaced it?

NAICS replaced SIC for US federal statistics in 1997, but SIC codes are still widely used by the SEC, Companies House in the UK, credit agencies, and many business databases. Both systems coexist, so you often need to map between them.

How is a 4-digit SIC code structured?

The first two digits identify the major group, the third digit narrows it to an industry group, and the fourth pinpoints the specific industry. For example 7372 is in major group 73 (business services), industry group 737 (computer services), and means prepackaged software.

What do the divisions cover?

The ten divisions span codes 0100-9999: agriculture, mining, construction, manufacturing, transportation and utilities, wholesale trade, retail trade, finance and insurance, services, and public administration. Each division covers a range of major groups.

How do I find my company's SIC code?

Identify your primary revenue-generating activity and search for it here, then pick the closest 4-digit code. If two codes fit, choose the one that best matches the largest share of your revenue, since the code reflects the dominant activity.

SIC Code Lookup — Gera Tools

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A SIC code is a 4-digit number that pins a business to one industry. This tool lets you search the directory by keyword or code and shows the division and major group behind each match, so you can classify a company for filings or research.

How it works

The 4 digits of a SIC code narrow from broad to specific:

7 3 7 2  = Prepackaged Software
^^       major group 73  (Business Services)
^^^      industry group 737 (Computer Services)
^^^^     industry        7372

Codes are organised into ten divisions, each covering a band of major groups — for example Manufacturing spans major groups 20-39 and Services spans 70-89. Searching this directory matches your keyword against the 4-digit code titles and returns the division and group context for each hit.

Tips and examples

If you only know the sector, type a word like software, restaurant, or insurance to see candidate codes.
The same business can map to more than one code — pick the one matching its primary activity by revenue.
To translate a SIC code to its modern equivalent, look it up here, then search the NAICS lookup for the same activity, since there is no one-to-one mapping.