Federal Contractor Readiness Guide
How to Find Your NAICS Codes
Select North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) codes that match how your company performs work, using official Census definitions before entering them in SAM.gov and market research tools.
What it is
North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) codes describe industry sectors for statistical and procurement-related use.
Who needs it
Federal contractors registering in SAM.gov, searching opportunities, or analyzing market fit by industry.
Prerequisites
- A clear description of your products and services
- Understanding of which activities drive your federal revenue
Step-by-step process
- 1. Review official NAICS definitions
Use the U.S. Census Bureau NAICS search to read official industry definitions before selecting codes.
- 2. Map your services to the closest definitions
Choose the NAICS code whose definition best matches the activity you perform, not merely the customer industry.
- 3. Record primary and secondary NAICS codes
Document primary and secondary codes for SAM.gov, capability statements, and opportunity filters.
- 4. Validate against federal market research
Use NAICS-based market pages to see public award and opportunity context for your selected codes.
Information and documents you need
- Business activity descriptions
- Revenue or labor mix by activity (internal)
Cost
Official NAICS lookup through U.S. Census Bureau resources is free; verify on census.gov.
Typical processing time
Code selection is immediate once definitions are reviewed; SAM.gov updates follow your registration workflow.
Common mistakes
- Choosing codes based on customer agency rather than your work
- Overstating secondary codes without capability
- Never updating codes after pivoting services
What happens after approval / completion
Use selected NAICS codes in SAM.gov, capability materials, saved searches, and NAICS market intelligence on RFPCapture.
Official sources
- U.S. Census Bureau — NAICS (primary)