Registry

SIC to NAICS Transitive Crosswalk

Compiled & reviewed by the EntityCodes Editorial Team (Tech Labs FZ LLC) · Data verified: 2026-06-28

Due to major structure differences between the legacy 1987 Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) system and the modern 2022 North American Industry Classification System (NAICS), direct mapping is not available from census spreadsheets. This tool resolves mappings transitively using the complete chain of historical concordances.

How Mappings are Chained:

1. 1987 SIC → 1997 NAICS

2. 1997 NAICS → 2002 NAICS

3. 2002 NAICS → 2007 NAICS

4. 2007 NAICS → 2012 NAICS

5. 2012 NAICS → 2017 NAICS

6. 2017 NAICS → 2022 NAICS

Concordance Revision Timeline

Revision Year	Governing Agency	Primary Updates & Structural Focus
1987	OMB (Office of Management & Budget)	Final official Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) revision.
1997	U.S. Census / StatCan / INEGI	Introduction of NAICS to replace legacy SIC under NAFTA agreement.
2022	U.S. Census Bureau	Major consolidation of retail trade and e-commerce industries.

💡 Expert Guidance: Mapping Splits

Understanding splits: Because NAICS is built on a process-oriented concept while SIC was output-oriented, some SIC codes map to multiple NAICS codes. In these cases, review your business's specific production inputs to determine which modern category represents your primary operation.

📊 NAICS 2022 Index Browse 1,012 U.S. National Industries 💼 SIC 1987 Index Browse 1,004 Standard Industrial Classifications

Featured Transitive Crosswalk Lookups

Direct bidirectional concordance lookups for high-search trade, contracting, and service industries:

NAICS 541511 to SIC → (Software Programming) SIC 7371 to NAICS → (Computer Programming) SIC 6531 to NAICS → (Real Estate Agents) NAICS 238210 to SIC → (Electrical Contractors) NAICS 238220 to SIC → (Plumbing & HVAC Contractors) NAICS 541611 to SIC → (Management Consulting) NAICS 484110 to SIC → (General Freight Trucking) NAICS 722511 to SIC → (Full-Service Restaurants) SIC 1521 to NAICS → (Single-Family Housing) SIC 1711 to NAICS → (Plumbing & Heating) SIC 1731 to NAICS → (Electrical Work) SIC 5812 to NAICS → (Eating Places) SIC 8721 to NAICS → (Accounting & Bookkeeping) SIC 8742 to NAICS → (Management Consulting) SIC 7389 to NAICS → (Business Services NEC) NAICS 561730 to SIC → (Landscaping Services) NAICS 541110 to SIC → (Offices of Lawyers) NAICS 541211 to SIC → (Offices of CPAs) NAICS 541330 to SIC → (Engineering Services) NAICS 236115 to SIC → (Single-Family Building)

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the purpose of the SIC to NAICS crosswalk tool? ▾

The SIC to NAICS crosswalk tool maps legacy four-digit Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) codes to modern six-digit North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) codes. This allows compliance officers, risk analysts, and regulators to convert historical business data to active 2022 formats.

Why is there no simple 1-to-1 mapping between all SIC and NAICS codes? ▾

The two systems use different classification designs. SIC groups companies based on their end product or market destination (what they sell), while NAICS groups them based on production processes and inputs (how they produce). This results in splits where a single legacy SIC code maps to multiple modern NAICS codes.

What is the transitive concordance chaining method? ▾

Transitive chaining is the process of mapping a legacy code (e.g. from the 1987 SIC manual) to a modern code (e.g. 2022 NAICS) by tracing it step-by-step through every intervening revision (1997, 2002, 2007, 2012, 2017, and 2022) to resolve splits and mergers.

What does a 'split' mean in a classification mapping? ▾

A split occurs when an industry in a legacy classification (like a single SIC code) is divided into multiple separate industries in a newer vintage (like multiple NAICS codes) because of technological or economic shifts.

How does the crosswalk indicate the confidence level of a mapping? ▾

The crosswalk indicates concordance confidence by displaying the exact historical path, showing whether the relationship is a direct one-to-one match or a complex split requiring manual review.

Can I search the crosswalk tool bidirectionally? ▾

Yes, the crosswalk tool allows bidirectional search. You can enter a legacy 4-digit SIC code to find modern 2022 NAICS equivalents, or enter a 6-digit NAICS code to trace legacy SIC codes.

Who publishes the official concordances for SIC and NAICS? ▾

The U.S. Census Bureau is the official agency responsible for publishing concordances and conversion tables during each five-year NAICS revision cycle.

Are modern businesses required to declare both SIC and NAICS codes? ▾

Prime federal contractors register on SAM.gov using modern NAICS codes. However, public companies filing SEC reports, and many commercial credit/insurance platforms, still require declaring legacy SIC codes.

Does the SBA use SIC codes to determine small business size standards? ▾

No, the SBA defines small business size standards exclusively using the modern 6-digit NAICS codes. SIC codes are not used for active federal size determinations.

How often is the crosswalk database updated? ▾

The crosswalk database is updated whenever the Census Bureau releases a new NAICS manual vintage (such as the 2022 NAICS update) to ensure all mappings point to active classifications.