NAICS Codes and SIC Codes explained
North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Codes were created to officially classify all businesses by their primary function. For automotive aftermarket businesses, they’re the official business classification categories recognized by the United States, Canada and Mexico. They include automotive service businesses, retailers, and wholesalers. With the exception of automobile manufacturing businesses (NAICS Code 336111) or transportation equipment (NAICS Code 336_ _ _), automotive aftermarket manufacturers are broadly classified with other manufacturing companies by the material they manufacture. For example, NAICS Code 3336 is for engine, turbine, and power transmission equipment manufacturing, regardless if the product is automotive or not.
What NAICS Codes are used in the automotive aftermarket?
Since NAICS Codes identify the activities of a business, they’re used by governments to measure economic activity, economic analysis, data collection, Federal contracting, and information for taxes and licenses. They’re also used by private businesses for things like market analysis, mailing lists and other marketing activities. In the US, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), U.S. Census Bureau, and Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) rely on NAICS classifications.
This classification system was announced by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Agency in 1994. Mexico’s Instituto Nacional de Estadistica y Geografia (INEGI) and Statistics Canada cooperated in creating and assigning classifications. It was created by the Federal government in 1997. They were then revised in 2007, 2012, 2017 and 2022. NAICS automotive classifications were supposed to replace the older automotive SIC Codes, but SIC Codes are still hanging in there.
What SIC Codes are used in the automotive aftermarket?
Standard Industrial Classification Codes (SIC Codes) are a 4- to 8-digit number that also classifies businesses by their main business function. The US Federal government created the original List of Industries in 1938, and the List of Industries turned into Standard Industrial Classification Codes. SIC Codes are more limited in nature, a problem solved by the NAICS system.
Ironically, SIC Codes are still used by the Federal government. The Security & Exchange Commission (SEC) uses SIC Codes for EDGAR filings.
Most business to business (B2B) mailing lists still use SIC Codes to identify businesses.
What are NAICS Code numbers?
Below is a table summarizing automotive aftermarket NAICS Codes with a business description.
| Automotive NAICS Code | Automotive NAICS Code Description |
|---|---|
| 423120 | Motor Vehicle Supplies and New Parts Merchant Wholesalers |
| 423620 | Electrical and Electronic Appliance, Television, and Radio Set Merchant Wholesalers |
| 423730 | Warm Air Heating and Air-Conditioning Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers |
| 423830 | Industrial Machinery and Equipment Merchant Wholesalers |
| 423930 | Recyclable Material Merchant Wholesalers |
| 424690 | Other Chemical and Allied Products Merchant Wholesalers |
| 441210 | Recreational Vehicle (RV) Dealers |
| 441310 | Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores |
| 441310 | Automotive Parts, Accessories, and Tire Stores |
| 441320 | Tire Dealers |
| 485320 | Limousine Service |
| 532111 | Automotive Equipment Rental and Leasing |
| 532120 | Truck, Utility Trailer, and RV (Recreational Vehicle) Rental and Leasing |
| 811111 | Automotive Mechanical and Electrical Repair and Maintenance |
| 811111 | Automotive Repair and Maintenance |
| 811111 | General Automotive Repair NAICS Code |
| 811112 | Automotive Exhaust System Repair |
| 811113 | Automotive Transmission Repair |
| 811118 | Other Automotive Mechanical and Electrical Repair and Maintenance |
| 811121 | Automotive Body, Paint, Interior, and Glass Repair |
| 811121 | Automotive Body, Paint, and Interior Repair and Maintenance |
| 811122 | Automotive Glass Replacement Shops |
| 811191 | Automotive Oil Change and Lubrication Shops |
| 811191 | Other Automotive Repair and Maintenance |
| 811192 | Automobile Detailing |
| 811192 | Car Washes, NAICS Code for Car Wash Businesses |
| 811198 | All Other Automotive Repair and Maintenance |
| 811211 | Consumer Electronics Repair and Maintenance |
| 811310 | Commercial and Industrial Machinery and Equipment (except Automotive and Electronic) Repair and Maintenance |
What are automotive SIC Code numbers?
Below is a table of SIC Codes. This table includes the crossover NAICS Code. You can see from the data that some SIC Codes (7699 for example) are too basic to cross over to just one NAICS Code.
| Automotive SIC Code | Crossover Automotive NAICS Code | Automotive SIC Code Description |
|---|---|---|
| 4212 | 484110 | Local Trucking without Storage |
| 4213 | 484121 (truckload) | Trucking SIC code, except local |
| 4213 | 484122 (less than truckload) | Trucking SIC code, except local |
| 5012 | 421110 | Automobiles & other vehicles, wholesale |
| 5013 | 421120 | Motor vehicle supplies and new parts distributors |
| 5014 | 421130 | Tires and tubes wholesalers |
| 5015 | 421140 | Motor vehicles parts wholesale, used |
| 5511 | 4411 | Motor vehicle dealers (new, used) |
| 551102 | 441110 | Motor vehicle dealers (new), automobile dealers SIC code |
| 551102 | 441110 | Car dealer SIC code |
| 5521 | 441120 | Motor vehicle dealers (used) |
| 5531 | 441310 | Auto & home supply stores |
| 5541 | 447110 | Gasoline service stations |
| 5561 | 441210 | Recreational vehicle (RV) dealers |
| 5571 | 441221 | Motorcycle dealers SIC code |
| 5571 | 441228 | Motorcycle, ATV, and all other motor vehicle dealers |
| 7513 | 532120 | Truck rental and leasing, without drivers |
| 7514 | 532111 | Passenger car rental businesses |
| 7532 | 811121 | Top, body, upholstery repair & paint shops |
| 7533 | 811112 | Auto exhaust repair shops |
| 7534 | 326212 | Tire retreading & repair shops |
| 7536 | 811122 | Auto glass replacement shops |
| 7537 | 811113 | Auto transmission repair shops |
| 7538 | 811111 | Mechanic SIC code |
| 7538 | 811111 | SIC code for auto repair shops, auto repair SIC code |
| 7538 | 811111 | General automotive repair SIC code |
| 753802 | 332710 | Automotive machine shop service |
| 7539 | 811118 | Auto repair shops, not elsewhere classified |
| 7542 | 811192 | Automotive detailing businesses |
| 7542 | 811192 | Car wash SIC code, car washes |
| 7549 | 811191 | Automotive services except repair & carwash |
| 7699 | Too many possibilities to list | Machine shop SIC code (Repair Shops and Related Services, Not Elsewhere Classified) |
| 769924 | 811111 | Miscellaneous automotive repair services |
| 8999 | n/a | Services, not classified elsewhere |
The original NAICS agreement for retail and wholesale businesses
AutomotiveAftermarket.org has compiled the original proposed agreement between the US, Canada and Mexico, defining the retail and wholesale trade, which covers many aftermarket businesses. This is a PDF copy of the agreement signed November 9, 1995 by representatives of the US, Canada and Mexico. Just click here to open a PDF.