NAICS Code for Handmade Crafts: How to Find and Use the Right Business Code in 2026

There's no single NAICS code that says "handmade crafts," and that trips up a lot of new makers. The closest match for most independent artists and crafters is 711510, Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers. If you mainly make one kind of product, a manufacturing code like 339910 for jewelry or 339999 for other handmade goods often fits better. The right code depends on what you make and how you sell it, not on the word "handmade."

A NAICS code is a six-digit number the government uses to classify your business by what it does. You'll get asked for one when you open a business bank account, register for a sales tax permit, apply for a license, or file your taxes. This guide walks through the codes handmade sellers actually use, where you'll need one, and how to pick the right one so you're not guessing on an official form.

What You'll Learn

• What Is a NAICS Code?
• Is There a NAICS Code for Handmade Crafts?
• NAICS Codes for Common Handmade Businesses
• Where You'll Actually Need Your NAICS Code
• How to Find and Choose the Right NAICS Code
• NAICS Code vs the IRS Business Code on Schedule C
• Can You Use More Than One NAICS Code?
• Common NAICS Mistakes Handmade Sellers Make
• Frequently Asked Questions

What Is a NAICS Code?

NAICS stands for the North American Industry Classification System. It's the standard the United States, Canada, and Mexico use to sort businesses into industries so agencies can track economic data. Every code is six digits, and the digits narrow down from a broad sector to a specific activity. The first two digits name the sector, and each digit after that gets more specific.

The system is run by the U.S. Census Bureau, and it gets reviewed every five years. The current version is the 2022 revision, and the next update is scheduled for 2027. That five-year cycle matters because codes sometimes get renumbered, especially in the retail sector, so a code you find on an old forum post might not match the current list.

For a handmade business, your NAICS code doesn't change your taxes, your license fees, or what you're allowed to sell. It's a label. But it's a label that shows up on real paperwork, and putting the wrong one down can slow an application or flag your file for a second look, so it's worth getting right the first time.

Is There a NAICS Code for Handmade Crafts?

No. There isn't a code named "handmade crafts," "crafter," or "craft fair vendor." That's the honest answer, and it's why so many makers get stuck staring at a dropdown menu. The system classifies you by your main activity, so you have to translate "I make and sell handmade goods" into the closest official category.

For most independent makers who create original work, the best fit is 711510, Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers. This code covers people who produce their own artistic and creative work, which describes a lot of craft fair vendors selling paintings, pottery, jewelry, and other original pieces they make themselves.

If your business is really about producing a specific product in quantity, a manufacturing code often describes you more accurately. Someone hand-pouring hundreds of candles a season looks more like a small manufacturer than a performing artist, at least on paper. The next section breaks down the codes by what you actually make, so you can match yourself to the closest one.

NAICS Codes for Common Handmade Businesses

Here are the codes handmade sellers land on most often. Match yourself to your primary product, which is the thing you make the most of and earn the most from.

What you make	NAICS code	Official title
Original art, mixed goods, most independent makers	711510	Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers
Handmade jewelry	339910	Jewelry and Silverware Manufacturing
Candles, soap, bath products, other handmade goods	339999	All Other Miscellaneous Manufacturing
Pottery and ceramics	327110	Pottery, Ceramics, and Plumbing Fixture Manufacturing
Wood signs, cutting boards, decor, small wood goods	321999	All Other Miscellaneous Wood Product Manufacturing
Sewn apparel, hats, bags, fabric accessories	315990	Apparel Accessories and Other Apparel Manufacturing

A few notes so you pick the right row. The 711510 artist code is the safest default when you make a variety of original items and none of them dominates. The manufacturing codes fit better when one product line is clearly your business, like a candle maker who does nothing but candles or a jeweler who only does jewelry.

If you mostly buy finished goods and resell them rather than make them yourself, you're a retailer, not a maker, and a retail code fits better than any of these. The retail sector was renumbered in the 2022 update, so look up the current code on the Census tool rather than trusting an old number. Selling your own handmade work at craft fairs and online still counts as making it, so makers stick with the artist or manufacturing codes above.

Where You'll Actually Need Your NAICS Code

You won't use this number every day, but it shows up on the paperwork that turns a hobby into a registered business. Here's where you'll get asked for one.

Business bank accounts. Most banks ask for a NAICS or industry code when you open a business checking account. Keeping your craft money separate from your personal money is one of the first real steps toward running a legit business, and this is usually where makers meet their code for the first time.

Sales tax permits and seller's permits. Many state applications for a sales tax permit or resale certificate ask for your NAICS code. You need one of these permits to legally collect sales tax at fairs in most states, so this form is hard to avoid. Our craft fair vendor license and permits guide covers what you need to sell legally.

Business licenses and local registration. City and county business license forms, and DBA or "doing business as" filings, often include an industry code field. Requirements vary a lot by location, so check what your city actually asks for.

Insurance quotes. Business and liability insurers classify you by industry to price a policy, and that classification often maps to a NAICS code. Booth insurance is common for vendors, and the code helps the insurer understand your risk.

Wholesale and vendor applications. Some juried shows, wholesale marketplaces, and trade accounts ask for a business code as part of vetting applicants. It's one more box that separates a serious business from a casual seller.

Loans, grants, and government registration. If you ever apply for a small business loan, a grant, or register in a government vendor system, NAICS codes are how those programs decide which industries you belong to and qualify for.

How to Find and Choose the Right NAICS Code

Finding your code takes about five minutes once you know where to look. Here's the process.

Start with your primary activity. Write down the one thing your business mainly does. Not everything you might sell someday, just your main product or service today. NAICS classifies you by your primary activity, so this is the anchor for everything.

Use the official Census search tool. Go to census.gov/naics and use the keyword search. Type in what you make, like "jewelry," "candles," "pottery," or "artist," and read the code descriptions it returns. The official tool is the authority, and it always reflects the current 2022 codes, which matters because random websites often list retired numbers.

Read the full description, not just the title. A code title can sound right and still be wrong once you read what it actually covers. The Census entries include examples of businesses that belong under each code. If your work matches the examples, you've found your code. If it doesn't, keep looking.

When in doubt, pick the closest match. There's no code that perfectly describes every handmade business, and the government knows that. Nobody is going to audit you over choosing 711510 instead of 339999 when both are reasonable. Pick the honest closest fit and move on. Setting up the rest of your business matters more, and our guide on how to start a craft business from home walks through the full checklist.

NAICS Code vs the IRS Business Code on Schedule C

This is the part that confuses people, so it's worth slowing down. The IRS has its own list of business codes, called Principal Business or Professional Activity Codes. They're based on NAICS, but they're a separate list printed in the Schedule C instructions, and they don't always match the Census codes digit for digit.

When you file taxes as a sole proprietor, you report your craft income on Schedule C, and box B asks for one of these IRS codes. For makers of original work, 711510 shows up on the IRS list too, so many artists use the same number in both places. Sellers who run mostly an online shop often use 454110, Electronic Shopping and Mail-Order Houses, on Schedule C because it captures selling by internet and mail order.

The practical takeaway is simple. Use the Census NAICS tool for bank, license, and permit forms, and use the code list printed right in the Schedule C instructions for your tax return. Grab the number from the correct list for each form and you're fine. For everything else about vendor taxes, our craft fair tax guide breaks down what you owe and how to track it.

Can You Use More Than One NAICS Code?

Your business has one primary NAICS code, which is the activity that brings in the most revenue. That's the one you'll put on most forms when only one is asked for.

That said, plenty of businesses have secondary codes for other things they do. If you make jewelry as your main line but also teach the occasional workshop or sell a few vintage finds, those extra activities could each have their own code. Some systems, like the federal SAM.gov registration, let you list multiple codes. Most everyday forms, like a bank application or a sales tax permit, just want the single primary one.

You can also change your code as your business changes. If you started as a general artist under 711510 and grew into a candle maker who does nothing else, you can update to a manufacturing code the next time a form asks. Nothing is locked in. Pick what's true today and adjust when reality shifts.

Common NAICS Mistakes Handmade Sellers Make

Overthinking it. The biggest mistake is treating the code like a high-stakes decision. It's a classification label, not a tax bracket. Pick the closest honest match and keep building your business.

Using a retired code. Old blog posts and forum threads list codes from earlier NAICS versions, and the retail sector especially got renumbered in the 2022 update. Always confirm your number on census.gov/naics so you're using a code that still exists.

Confusing the Census code with the IRS code. As covered above, the Schedule C list is separate. Don't copy a number from a bank form onto your tax return without checking the IRS instructions, since the two lists can differ.

Picking "retail" when you're a maker. Selling your own handmade goods is making them, so you belong under an artist or manufacturing code, not a store-retail code. A pure retail code fits resellers who buy finished products, which isn't most craft fair vendors.

Waiting until a form forces you. You don't need a code to start making things, but you'll hit one sooner than you think. Knowing yours ahead of time keeps a bank or permit application from stalling. It pairs well with sorting out your business name early, which our guide on how to name your craft business can help with.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the NAICS code for a handmade craft business?

There's no code named "handmade crafts." Most independent makers of original work use 711510, Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers. Makers focused on one product often use a manufacturing code instead, such as 339910 for jewelry or 339999 for other handmade goods.

Do I need a NAICS code to sell at craft fairs?

Not to physically sell at a booth, but you'll likely need one for the paperwork around it. Business bank accounts, sales tax permits, business licenses, and insurance applications commonly ask for a NAICS or industry code, and those are steps most serious vendors take.

Is the NAICS code the same as the code on my tax return?

Not exactly. Your tax return uses the IRS Principal Business Activity Code from the Schedule C instructions, which is based on NAICS but is a separate list. The numbers often match, like 711510 for artists, but always pull the tax code from the IRS instructions and the NAICS code from census.gov/naics.

What NAICS code should online handmade sellers use?

For classification as a maker, the artist or manufacturing codes still apply since you make what you sell. On a Schedule C tax return, sellers who run mainly an online shop often use 454110, Electronic Shopping and Mail-Order Houses, to capture selling by internet and mail order.

Can I change my NAICS code later?

Yes. Your code isn't permanent. If your business shifts, like moving from general art into a single manufactured product, you can use the more accurate code the next time a form asks. Just pick what's true for your business today.

Ready to Find Your Next Craft Fair?

There's no perfect NAICS code for handmade crafts, but there is a right-enough one for your business. Use 711510 if you make a mix of original work, reach for a manufacturing code if one product is clearly your business, confirm the number on census.gov/naics, and remember the IRS Schedule C list is separate. Get it down once and it stops being a hurdle.

With the paperwork sorted, the real work is finding good shows to sell at. Browse upcoming craft fairs near you on TheCraftMap and put that registered business to work in 2026.