Business types in Québec
Type a trade or business idea: the tool finds its CAE code among the 930 types of the Registraire des entreprises.
Browse by sector
Code list source: Registraire des entreprises du Québec.
Quebec CAE codes: which economic activity code fits your business type?
The economic activity code (CAE) is the four-digit code the Quebec Registrar of Enterprises uses to classify your sector: type your trade into the tool to find yours among 930.
You declare it when constituting your corporation (initial declaration) or registering your business. Use the search engine above: type your trade, the tool finds the code — and when an incorporation guide exists for your sector, it takes you there.
Where can you find the list of CAE codes in Quebec?
The list of Quebec CAE codes is in the search engine at the top of this page: the Registrar's 930 codes, searchable by trade, filterable by sector, with reserved codes flagged.
On the government website, this list is a single endless page where you are literally told to use "CTRL + F". Here, it is searchable, filterable by sector, and every code reserved for a professional order is clearly flagged.
Business types by sector: which incorporation guide should you choose?
Pick the guide for your CAE code's sector: we have fourteen, each with its common codes, its reserved codes and its guides by trade.
The search engine above makes the same link: click a sector box and the sector guide appears above the codes. A holding company (code 7215) has its own guide: the holding company guide.
| Sector | CAE codes | Guides by trade |
|---|---|---|
| Business and professional services | 7711 to 7799 | Freelancer and IT consultant · Staffing agency |
| Construction | 4011 to 4499 | Electrician · Plumber |
| Real estate | 7511 to 7613 | |
| Retail | 6011 to 6921 | Online store · Vehicle dealer |
| Transportation, storage and communications | 4511 to 4999 | Trucker |
| Food service, bars and lodging | 9111 to 9221 | |
| Health and social services | 8611 to 8699 | Health professionals and regulated professions · Private daycare |
| Culture, entertainment and leisure | 9611 to 9699 | |
| Wholesale and import | 5011 to 5999 | |
| Finance and insurance | 7011 to 7499 | Holding company |
| Education and training | 8511 to 8591 | |
| Agriculture, forestry and resources | 0111 to 0339; 0411 to 0929 | |
| Manufacturing and food processing | 1011 to 3999 | |
| Personal services, maintenance and other services | 9711 to 9799; 9911 to 9999 | Cleaning business |
Public administrations (8111 to 8411) and associations (9811 to 9861) have no guide: their boxes only filter the tool, and the FAQ below answers the two questions we get about them.
What is the CAE code used for at the REQ?
The CAE code officially describes what your business does in the public register; you are asked for it at registration or in a corporation's initial declaration.
The law requires you to declare, in order of importance, the business's two main activities and the code of each (Act respecting the legal publicity of enterprises, s. 33). The classification used is the Classification des activités économiques du Québec, published by the Bureau de la statistique du Québec in 1990, with its updates (Regulation respecting the application of the Act respecting the legal publicity of enterprises, s. 2). You are asked for it at two moments: when you register a sole proprietorship, and when you file your corporation's initial declaration after incorporation. It is a mandatory field on the form — hence the value of having your code in hand before you start.
Since the register is public, your code appears in your file in the Quebec Enterprise Register (REQ): clients, suppliers, banks and insurers can look it up. A code consistent with your actual activity makes for a clean file and avoids questions when opening a business bank account.
If you incorporate with Incorp-Québec ($497 all-inclusive), the initial declaration — CAE code included — is prepared for you from the description of your activity in the form.
How do you choose the right CAE code?
Choose the CAE code that describes your actual main activity, the one that generates most of your revenue; if nothing fits exactly, the “Other…” code of the right sector is the right choice.
The law provides for declaring your two main activities, in order of importance: start with the dominant one, not the one you might add someday.
Three practical rules:
- Search by trade, not by product. A web developer selling services picks 7721 (Computer services), not a retail code — even if they occasionally sell licences.
- "Other…" is not a failure. Every sector has its catch-all codes (7799 — Other business services, 9999 — Other services). If nothing fits exactly, the "Other" code of the right sector is the right choice.
- The code does not lock you in. A corporation may carry on any lawful activity regardless of the declared code. Changing activities? An updating declaration, free of charge and to be filed within 30 days of the change (Act respecting the legal publicity of enterprises, s. 41), fixes it.
What do the asterisks (*, ** and ***) mean in CAE codes?
One asterisk reserves the code for members of the relevant professional order (48 codes); two asterisks require an OACIQ real estate brokerage licence, three an AMF mortgage broker certificate.
A non-member cannot use them — and for most of these professions, practising through a corporation is governed by the order's regulations (shareholding, declaration, insurance).
| Mark | Meaning | Examples |
|---|---|---|
* | Reserved for members of the relevant professional order | 8651 physicians, 7732 CPAs, 7761 lawyers and notaries, 8671 psychologists, 8662 nurses |
** | Real estate brokerage licence (OACIQ) required | 7612 real estate brokers |
*** | Mortgage broker certificate (AMF) required | 7421 mortgage loan brokers |
If your profession is in this table, read the matching guide before incorporating: each order has its own requirements (prior authorization, voting shares reserved for members, liability insurance). Our profession-specific guides cover them — see also the health professionals guide.
CAE or NAICS code in Canada: what is the difference?
The CAE is specific to the Quebec Registrar of Enterprises; NAICS is the federal classification, and each agency asks for its own at the right time.
Statistics Canada, the CRA and most federal programs use NAICS (six digits). You don't have to "choose" between the two: each agency will ask for its own at the right time. This page covers the CAE — the one the Registrar requires.
What should you do after finding your CAE code?
After finding your CAE code, you still need to constitute your corporation, file its initial declaration and get your NEQ: online, it costs $497 all-inclusive, government fees included.
The logical next steps:
- Check when incorporation starts paying off for your income level;
- Compare the real costs of incorporating in 2026 ($397 minimum in government fees);
- Start the incorporation online: detailed steps or go straight to the form — $497 all-inclusive, government fees and initial declaration included.
Registering as a sole proprietorship instead (self-employed, no corporation)? You will be asked for a CAE code too — the search engine above works the same; our freelancer and self-employed guide covers that path.
Can your CAE code open sector-based programs?
Yes, often: many public support programs target a sector, and our directory of 45+ verified programs can be filtered by sector and type of support.
Our directory of business grants and funding in Quebec and Canada lists 45+ verified programs (federal, Quebec, regional), searchable by sector and type of support: grants, tax credits, loans and hiring subsidies.
Frequently asked questions about the CAE code
What does CAE mean?
CAE stands for “code d'activité économique”, the economic activity code: a four-digit code designating a sector of activity in the classification of the Quebec Registrar of Enterprises. It describes what your business does; it is neither a permit nor an authorization.
Is the CAE code a tax code?
No. The code itself does not change your taxes. But it publicly describes your activity: financial institutions, insurers and certain programs rely on it to understand your business. Declare a code faithful to reality.
I have two very different activities: which code should I declare?
Declare the dominant activity first and the second one after: the law provides for declaring the business's two main activities, in order of importance, with the code of each (Act respecting the legal publicity of enterprises, s. 33). If the two activities are genuinely unrelated and both growing, the question of creating two separate corporations arises, a discussion to have with your accountant.
Can the wrong code get my incorporation refused?
An incorporation is not refused over a debatable code choice, unless you use a reserved code (asterisk) without being a member of the relevant order. When in doubt, take the generic “Other” code of the right sector and correct it later through an updating declaration.
Can I change my CAE code later?
Yes: if your activities change, you update your two main activities and their codes through an updating declaration, free of charge and filed within 30 days of the change (Act respecting the legal publicity of enterprises, ss. 33 and 41).
Does my CAE code limit what my company can do?
No: the code describes your main activities, it does not restrict them; a corporation may carry on any lawful activity, except for the limits set out in its own articles. Only reserved codes require being a member of the relevant order or holding the permit.
Which economic activity code for a rental property?
Codes 7511 (operators of residential buildings and dwellings) and 7512 (operators of non-residential buildings) cover the company that holds an income property; our guide to using a corporation for a rental property details that path.
Is the CAE code your business number?
No: the CAE only describes your sector of activity. The number that identifies the business is the NEQ, which the Registrar assigns at registration (Act respecting the legal publicity of enterprises, s. 37), so as soon as a corporation is constituted.
Which CAE code for a non-profit or an association?
Codes 9811 to 9861 of the Associations and organizations sector: religious organizations, business or professional associations, labour unions, political, civic and fraternal organizations. A non-profit is not a business corporation: it has no share capital; our page on business structures explains how it works.
Which CAE code if my business works for the government?
The code of your own main activity. Codes 8111 to 8411 cover public administrations themselves (courts, police, tax administration, etc.); a consultant, contractor or carrier whose client is the government declares the code of its own trade.
Incorp-Québec is an online incorporation document preparation service: our role is to prepare and file your corporation's constitution documents. The code list comes from the Quebec Registrar of Enterprises. Steps with a professional order (authorization, declaration of practice through a corporation) are carried out by the client.