Government systems where SIC is currently used or supported
The strongest evidence is a current government filing system, application form, search tool, agency workflow, or official instruction that still contains or uses SIC.
| Agency / system |
Current SIC role |
Use type |
Official evidence |
| SEC — EDGAR |
SIC appears in current company filings and EDGAR search. The SEC also states that SIC is used by the Division of Corporation Finance as a basis for assigning filing-review responsibility. |
Active operational use |
SEC SIC Code List
EDGAR Search
Verified September 2026
|
| U.S. Department of Justice — Antitrust Division |
The Antitrust Division maintains a page titled “NAICS and SIC Industry Codes Used by the Division,” and its current case-filings interface links directly to those industry codes. |
Current agency classification / filtering support |
DOJ Industry Codes
Antitrust Case Filings
Verified September 2026
|
| EPA — NPDES permit applications |
EPA’s current NPDES Application Form 1 contains a section for both SIC Code(s) and NAICS Code(s). EPA’s current application page directs applicants for EPA-issued individual NPDES permits to use Form 1 when applicable. |
Current federal application field |
EPA NPDES Applications
EPA Form 3510-1
Verified September 2026
|
| OSHA — SIC search and inspection-data support |
OSHA maintains a searchable 1987 SIC Manual. OSHA’s search help also documents use of SIC codes when searching inspection information. |
Current reference and search support |
OSHA SIC Search
OSHA SIC Search Help
Verified September 2026
|
| Texas Comptroller — Franchise Tax |
Current Texas franchise-tax Webfile guidance includes separate SIC and NAICS industry-classification fields and instructs filers to enter the appropriate SIC code. |
Current state tax-reporting field |
Texas E-Z Computation Help
Texas Franchise Tax
Verified September 2026
|
| Texas Commission on Environmental Quality — Core Data |
TCEQ Core Data Form instructions include primary and secondary SIC and NAICS fields for regulated entities. The instructions state that regulated entities should have NAICS or SIC codes. |
Current state regulatory-data field |
TCEQ Core Data Instructions
Verified September 2026
|
What does “still use SIC” mean?
Government use is not all the same. A useful reference should distinguish between current operational use, a current form field, reference support, and historical continuity.
- Active operational use
- SIC is part of a current filing, classification, search, review, or agency workflow.
- Current form field
- A current government application, tax form, permit form, or regulatory record requests or accepts SIC.
- Reference / search support
- An agency currently maintains SIC manuals, code search, or SIC-based data-search capability.
- Historical continuity
- SIC remains necessary to interpret older records, long-running datasets, or regulations that span the transition from SIC to NAICS.
This page does not treat every historical SIC reference as proof of current operational classification. Current-use examples are separated from historical and continuity references so the evidence is not overstated.
Federal agencies and programs that still use or support SIC
SEC EDGAR: current SIC classification in filings and review workflows
The SEC provides one of the clearest examples of current federal SIC use. The SEC states that SIC codes appearing in disseminated EDGAR filings indicate a company’s type of business and that the Division of Corporation Finance uses those codes as a basis for assigning review responsibility.
EDGAR’s current company search includes a Standard Industrial Classification search field, and the SEC continues to maintain a current SIC taxonomy for EDGAR/XBRL use.
Official sources:
SEC SIC Code List ·
EDGAR Search ·
SEC 2026 SIC taxonomy
DOJ Antitrust Division: SIC remains in the Division’s industry-code framework
The U.S. Department of Justice Antitrust Division maintains an official list of “NAICS and SIC Industry Codes Used by the Division.” Its active Antitrust Case Filings page links users to that code list while displaying current 2026 cases.
Official sources:
DOJ NAICS and SIC Industry Codes ·
DOJ Antitrust Case Filings
EPA NPDES: a current federal permit application asks for SIC and NAICS
EPA’s current NPDES Application Form 1 contains a section titled “SIC and NAICS Codes” with separate fields for SIC Code(s) and NAICS Code(s). EPA’s current NPDES applications page instructs applicable applicants for EPA-issued individual permits to use Form 1.
Official sources:
EPA NPDES Applications and Forms ·
EPA Form 3510-1
OSHA: current SIC manual and SIC-based search support
OSHA maintains a live searchable version of the 1987 SIC Manual. OSHA’s SIC search help also explains that SIC may be specified at the 2-, 3-, or 4-digit level when searching inspection information.
Official sources:
OSHA SIC System Search ·
OSHA SIC Search Help
State government examples where SIC is still collected
SIC also appears in current state tax and regulatory workflows. The examples below are tied to explicit official state instructions rather than general assumptions about state usage.
Texas Comptroller: franchise-tax reporting
Texas Comptroller franchise-tax guidance includes both SIC and NAICS under “Industry Classification Code.” The Webfile help instructs filers to enter the SIC code appropriate for the taxable entity or combined group and separately provides a NAICS field.
Official sources:
E-Z Computation Report Help ·
Texas Franchise Tax
Texas Commission on Environmental Quality: regulated-entity data
TCEQ Core Data instructions include primary and secondary SIC and NAICS fields for regulated entities. The instructions state that regulated entities should have NAICS or SIC codes and explain that the primary code should describe the business conducted at the regulated entity.
Official source:
TCEQ Core Data Form Instructions
Where SIC appears for historical or regulatory continuity
Some government materials use SIC mainly to preserve continuity with earlier industry definitions, datasets, or regulations. That is different from an agency assigning new SIC classifications in a current operational system.
Long-running enforcement and statistical data
Government datasets that span the SIC-to-NAICS transition may retain SIC-coded historical periods so users can interpret older records and construct longer time series.
Regulatory cross-references
Current regulatory materials can still reference SIC when explaining industry coverage, historical eligibility, or the relationship between newer NAICS categories and earlier SIC-defined scope.
A historical SIC reference is still useful evidence that SIC matters for interpretation, but it should not be described as current operational use unless the present form, portal, or agency workflow actually uses or accepts SIC.
Why can a government system use SIC when NAICS is the federal statistical standard?
“Federal statistical standard” describes the classification system used by federal statistical agencies for producing and organizing official economic statistics. It does not require every regulatory, filing, permitting, tax, enforcement, or administrative system to eliminate SIC.
Agencies can retain SIC where it serves the specific purpose of their system. The SEC, for example, uses SIC in EDGAR and filing-review assignments, while EPA Form 3510-1 asks for both SIC and NAICS.
The practical rule is simple: use the classification requested by the specific government program. If a current form requests SIC, provide SIC. If it requests NAICS, provide NAICS. If it requests both, treat them as separate classification fields rather than assuming one is an exact conversion of the other.
Why SIC and NAICS codes may not match one-to-one
SIC and NAICS are different classification systems with different structures and industry boundaries. A SIC code can map to more than one NAICS industry, and a NAICS industry can correspond to more than one SIC industry.
Government use can add another layer of difference because the unit being classified may vary. An SEC SIC classification applies in an issuer and filing context, while NAICS statistical classification is fundamentally establishment-based.
Do not treat a crosswalk result as proof that two codes define exactly the same industry. When the classification matters for a filing, permit, program, analysis, or audit, verify the destination code against the activity and the requirements of the receiving system.
Tools:
SIC to NAICS Conversion ·
NAICS to SIC Conversion ·
NAICS vs SIC Codes
What should I do if a government form asks for an SIC code?
Follow the current form or program instructions
Do not substitute NAICS simply because NAICS is the federal statistical standard if the specific government workflow requests SIC.
Use the official 4-digit SIC as the government baseline
Official U.S. SIC ends at 4 digits. Extended SIC classifications are commercial extensions and should not be entered as official government SIC unless the specific system explicitly asks for a different format.
Verify the industry definition
Use the SIC directory and official SIC references to make sure the selected industry actually fits the activity being classified.
Keep SIC and NAICS separate when both are requested
Store both codes and document any mapping used. Do not assume the relationship is one-to-one.
Primary government sources
Current-use claims on this page are based on government-maintained sources. SICCODE.com distinguishes current operational use from reference support and historical continuity.
Government SIC usage questions and answers
Is SIC still used by the U.S. government?
Yes. SIC remains in active use or direct support in selected government systems. Current examples include SEC EDGAR, DOJ Antitrust Division industry codes, EPA NPDES applications, OSHA SIC search tools, and certain state tax and regulatory systems.
Does the SEC still use SIC codes?
Yes. SIC codes appear in current EDGAR filings and search, and the SEC states that the Division of Corporation Finance uses SIC as a basis for assigning filing-review responsibility.
Does EPA still use SIC codes?
Yes in selected programs. EPA’s current NPDES Application Form 1 contains separate fields for SIC Code(s) and NAICS Code(s). Other EPA programs may use NAICS, SIC cross-references, or different industry identifiers depending on the program.
Does OSHA still support SIC codes?
Yes. OSHA maintains a live searchable 1987 SIC Manual, and its SIC search help documents SIC-based inspection-data search capability.
If NAICS replaced SIC, why is SIC still used?
NAICS replaced SIC as the federal statistical classification standard. Other government systems may still use SIC for their own filing, regulatory, permitting, search, tax, or historical-data requirements.
Should I use SIC or NAICS on a government form?
Use the classification requested by the current form or program. If the form requests SIC, provide SIC. If it requests NAICS, provide NAICS. If it requests both, provide both and do not assume they are exact one-to-one equivalents.
Are Extended SIC codes official government codes?
No. Official U.S. SIC ends at 4 digits. Extended SIC classifications add commercial detail below the official 4-digit industry and should remain distinguishable from the government SIC baseline.