The short answer
Open the Companies House advanced company search, type a five digit SIC code into the Nature of business box, tick Active under Company status, add a location or incorporation dates if you want to narrow it, then select Search. You can view up to 10,000 results and download the first 5,000 as a CSV file. Find the right code on the Companies House condensed SIC list.
Every UK company tells Companies House what it does using a five digit Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) code. That makes the code the quickest way to pull a list of, say, every active management consultancy or electrical contractor on the register. This guide shows how to run that search on the official Companies House service, what the limits are, and where a tool like dunlin Scout saves you the manual work that comes after.
What a SIC code is on Companies House
Companies House records a company's nature of business as one or more SIC codes. In its own words, it "uses a condensed version of the full list of codes available from the Office of National Statistics", and you should "only use codes on the condensed SIC code list" when filing, or the filing may be rejected. The full classification is the ONS UK SIC 2007; the shorter Companies House version is on the Companies House SIC code lookup and as a CSV on GOV.UK.
Two codes are worth knowing before you start. Companies House notes that a dormant company uses 99999 and a non-trading company uses 74990. Because 74990 is also the code for "other professional, scientific and technical activities", a search on it will pull in a lot of non-trading companies alongside real businesses.
How to search Companies House by SIC code, step by step
- Find the codeSearch the condensed SIC code list by keyword, for example "consultancy" or "plumbing", and note the five digit code.
- Open the advanced searchGo to the Companies House advanced company search. It sits on the Find and update company information service, the same place you look up a single company.
- Enter the code under Nature of businessType the code into the box labelled "Enter a Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) code to search by nature of business". There is a Browse SIC codes link beside it if you need to check.
- Tick Active under Company statusOtherwise you will also get dissolved, removed and closed companies. You can also tick statuses such as Liquidation or Administration if those are what you are looking for.
- Narrow it downAdd a full or partial registered office address (a town or postcode area works), an incorporation date range, or a company type such as Private limited company. Bear in mind the address is the registered office, which is not always where the business trades.
- Search, then downloadSelect Search to see the matching companies, then Download results to save them as a CSV file you can open in Excel or Google Sheets.
Example SIC codes people search for
These codes and descriptions are copied from the Companies House condensed list. They are a starting point; most sectors have several neighbouring codes, so it is worth scanning the section around the one you pick.
| SIC code | Description on the Companies House list |
|---|---|
70229 | Management consultancy activities other than financial management |
62020 | Information technology consultancy activities |
62012 | Business and domestic software development |
69201 | Accounting and auditing activities |
41202 | Construction of domestic buildings |
43210 | Electrical installation |
68209 | Other letting and operating of own or leased real estate |
56302 | Public houses and bars |
86210 | General medical practice activities |
Limits to know about
- 10,000 on screen, 5,000 in the download. The results page says "Only 10,000 results can be displayed" and "Only the first 5,000 results can be downloaded." Broad codes in busy sectors can go well past that, so split big searches by location or incorporation date.
- One code per search on the website. The Nature of business box takes a single code. Run a separate search for each related code and combine the CSV files afterwards.
- Companies, not people. The download is a list of companies. To see who runs each one you open the company and go to its People tab, one company at a time.
- No contact details. The public register shows names, addresses and filings. It does not publish directors' email addresses or phone numbers.
What the CSV download contains
When we downloaded a results file on 28 October 2026, the columns were company_name, company_number, company_status, company_type, company_subtype, dissolution_date, incorporation_date, removed_date, registered_date, nature_of_business and registered_office_address. For more on downloads, the bulk data files and the API, see our guide to exporting Companies House data.
Searching by SIC code with the Companies House API
If you are comfortable with code, the Companies House REST API has an advanced company search endpoint at /advanced-search/companies. It takes a sic_codes parameter (several codes are allowed, comma separated or as repeated keys), along with company_status, location, incorporated_from and incorporated_to, and a size of 1 to 5,000 results per request with start_index for paging. You need a Companies House account and an API key (get started guide), and the rate limit is 600 requests in any five minute period.
A note on UK SIC 2026. The ONS says its new UK SIC 2026 classification was published in April 2026 and is being rolled out in stages (ONS revision update). When we checked on 28 October 2026, the Companies House lookup and the GOV.UK condensed list were still UK SIC 2007, so the codes in this guide are the ones to use on Companies House today.
Where dunlin Scout fits
The Companies House search is free and it is the right place to start. The slow part is everything after the CSV: opening each company, finding the directors, then hunting for a way to reach them. dunlin Scout runs the same Companies House advanced search for you and takes it from there.
- Search by SIC code, location and incorporation dates, with a minimum company age filter, and get the active directors of each matching company rather than a list of company names.
- Green, Amber or Red company health from public filings, outstanding charges and insolvency history, with an option to leave out companies with debentures.
- One click finds a professional email address and business phone number, each with a confidence score, plus a LinkedIn search link pre-filled with the director's name and company.
- Named prospect lists where you track each contact from New to Converted, add notes and export to CSV for your CRM.
- Director Watch on the Pro and Agency plans, which alerts you to new director appointments that match your criteria.
You are paying for the contact details and the workflow, not the Companies House data, which stays free on the register.
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Sources
- Companies House advanced company search, fields, result and download limits, checked 28 October 2026
- Companies House: Nature of business, SIC codes (condensed list)
- GOV.UK: Standard industrial classification of economic activities (SIC)
- ONS: UK SIC 2007 and UK SIC 2026 revision process
- Companies House Public Data API: advanced search for a company and rate limiting guide
Frequently asked questions
Can I search Companies House by SIC code for free?
Yes. The advanced company search on the Find and update company information service has a Nature of business field that takes a Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) code. It is free to use and you do not need an account to run a search or download the results.
How many results can I see and download?
The advanced search shows up to 10,000 results for a search, and the Download results button gives you the first 5,000 as a CSV file. If a code returns more than that, narrow it with a location, an incorporation date range or a company type, or split the search into date bands.
Can I search more than one SIC code at once?
The Nature of business box on the website takes a single code, so the simplest approach is one search per code. The Companies House API is more flexible: its advanced search endpoint accepts several codes in the sic_codes parameter, as a comma separated list or as repeated keys.
Where do I find the right SIC code?
Use the Companies House condensed SIC code list, which you can search by keyword, or download it as a CSV from GOV.UK. Companies House only accepts codes from that condensed list, which is based on the Office for National Statistics UK SIC 2007 classification.
Does the download include directors or contact details?
No. The CSV lists each company's name, number, status, type, subtype, key dates, nature of business codes and registered office address. Directors are on each company's People tab, and Companies House does not publish directors' email addresses or phone numbers.
Has UK SIC 2026 replaced the codes on Companies House?
Not yet. The Office for National Statistics published UK SIC 2026 in April 2026 and plans a staged rollout. When we checked on 28 October 2026, the Companies House code lookup and the GOV.UK condensed list were still based on UK SIC 2007.