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.
Code list source: Registraire des entreprises du Québec.
Business types in Quebec: find yours among the 930 CAE codes
The economic activity code (CAE) is the four-digit code the Quebec Registrar of Enterprises uses to classify your business's sector of activity. 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.
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.
What the CAE code is for (and when you are asked for it)
The CAE code officially describes what your business does in the enterprise register. 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 to choose the right code
Choose the code that describes your ACTUAL main activity — the one that generates most of your revenue —, not the activity you might add someday. The Registrar lets you declare your two main sectors of activity; start with the dominant one.
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? A current updating declaration, online and free of charge, fixes it.
Reserved codes: *, ** and ***
Forty-eight codes on the list are marked with an asterisk: they are reserved for members of the relevant professional order. 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 vs NAICS: don't mix them up
The CAE is specific to the Quebec Registrar of Enterprises; NAICS is the federal classification. 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.
After you've found your code
The CAE code is just one field in a larger process: constituting your corporation, filing its initial declaration, getting your NEQ. 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.
Frequently asked questions about the CAE code
What exactly is a CAE code?
The economic activity code is 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.
Does the choice of code have tax consequences?
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. What do I do?
Declare the dominant activity first, the second one after (the Registrar provides for two sectors of activity). 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 free of charge.
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.