Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores NAICS Code 441310

NAICS 441310 covers businesses that retail new and used automotive parts and accessories directly to consumers. If most sales go to repair shops, fleets, or wholesalers, another code may fit better. Misclassifying it can distort taxes, filings, market data, and lending or licensing reviews. This guide gives a decision tree for 441310, plus the nearest alternative NAICS codes and the clues that separate them.

What is NAICS code 441310?

NAICS 441310 is the six-digit code for Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores in Sector 44-45 Retail Trade. It covers stores whose main business is selling automotive parts and accessories to the public, including new, used, and rebuilt items.

Where it sits in the NAICS hierarchy

• Sector 44-45: Retail Trade
• Subsector 441: Motor Vehicle and Parts Dealers
• Industry group 4413: Automotive Parts, Accessories, and Tire Stores
• Industry 441310: Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores

That hierarchy matters because 441310 is not a repair code and not a nonstore selling code. It is a retail-store code inside the automotive parts and tire family.

What kinds of businesses belong here

Typical 441310 businesses include automotive supply stores, used automotive parts stores, speed shops, and accessory retailers that sell over the counter to motorists and do-it-yourself buyers. Some stores also install the products they sell, but retail parts and accessories must remain the main business.

The official industry description is direct once translated: if the store’s core activity is selling parts, accessories, and similar automotive goods at retail, 441310 is the likely code. If another activity drives revenue, the code can change.

📊 Retailing automotive parts and accessories via electronic home shopping is classified in Subsector 454, Nonstore Retailers. Source: NAICS Code 441310.

What businesses are included in automotive parts and accessories stores?

441310 includes retail stores that sell automotive parts and accessories, including new, used, and/or rebuilt items. It also includes businesses that retail and install accessories. The deciding issue is the principal activity, not whether the store offers a workshop, a parts counter, or both.

Automotive supply stores and used parts stores

Automotive supply stores are the clearest fit when they sell replacement parts, maintenance items, or accessories to retail customers. Used automotive parts stores also belong here when their main business is retailing those parts rather than dismantling vehicles as a salvage operation.

A common first-timer mistake is assuming “used parts” moves a business outside retail. It does not. The code includes establishments retailing new, used, and/or rebuilt automotive parts and accessories.

Accessory retailers such as stereo and truck cap stores

The code also includes stores that sell and install accessories such as stereo equipment and truck caps. Those examples matter because the store may do more than hand over a box across the counter. If accessory retail remains the main business, 441310 still fits.

Suppose a 2-bay shop sells floor mats, stereo units, and bed caps, then installs the stereo and cap for most customers. If retail accessory sales are still the core activity, that points to 441310 rather than a repair code.

Businesses that sell parts and also install them

Some 441310 stores also repair automobiles, but that secondary service does not automatically move the business to repair and maintenance. The key question is whether repair supports retail parts sales, or whether repair is the main revenue source.

1. Identify the main source of revenue.
2. Check whether customers come primarily to buy parts or to obtain repair work.
3. See whether installation or repair is secondary to retail sales.
4. Choose the code that matches the principal activity.

Is a tire store 441310 or 441320?

A tire-focused store usually belongs in 441320 Tire Dealers, not 441310, when the main business is retailing new or used tires. If the store is really a general auto parts retailer that happens to sell some tires, 441310 may still fit. The difference turns on what the store is chiefly built to sell.

How to tell a tire dealer from a parts store

NAICS cross-reference guidance says new or used tire retailing belongs in 441320 Tire Dealers. That makes tire-only or tire-heavy businesses easier to place. By contrast, 441310 is for parts and accessories stores whose tire activity is secondary, incidental, or limited.

Think of the sales floor. If displays and service center on tires, tire fitting, and tire replacement, 441320 is the better match. If the store centers on brakes, belts, filters, lighting, and accessories, with tires as one item among many, 441310 may be closer.

When mixed tire-and-parts stores need closer review

Mixed stores need a closer read when the category mix is close. A retailer with a large tire wall, wheel packages, and installation bays may fit 441320 even if it also sells oil filters and wiper blades. The reverse can happen too, but only if parts and accessories clearly remain dominant.

Picture a storefront that sells batteries, spark plugs, seat covers, and four tire brands. If most customers come for tires and wheel installation, the tire-dealer code is the better answer. If most come for general parts and add tires occasionally, 441310 is more defensible.

Are repair shops included in NAICS 441310?

Usually no. Repair shops are generally classified in 81111 Automotive Mechanical and Electrical Repair and Maintenance, not in 441310, when repair or replacement work is the main business. A parts counter does not override that if the shop is primarily selling labor and service.

Why NAICS 81111 is the usual repair code

NAICS guidance says repairing and replacing automotive parts is classified in 81111 when the business is not an automotive supply store. That makes the repair code the default for service-first operations, even if they keep parts on hand for their own jobs.

Auto service centers, brake shops, electrical repair shops, and similar operations normally fit 81111 when the customer is paying for diagnosis, labor, and replacement work. The presence of a parts counter is secondary.

When a parts counter does not change the main code

If the business mainly fixes vehicles and sells a few parts as part of the repair ticket, it remains a repair business. If it mainly sells parts over the counter and also performs some installation or light repair, 441310 can still fit. Primary activity decides the code.

That distinction is easy to miss. A shop can stock parts without becoming a parts store. It can install parts without becoming a repair shop.

How does 441310 differ from online auto parts sellers?

Online, mail-order, and direct-sale auto parts operations are generally classified in Subsector 454, Nonstore Retailers, not 441310. The sales channel controls the code. If the business sells mainly through electronic home shopping or similar nonstore methods, 454 is the better fit.

Why NAICS 454 matters for nonstore retail

NAICS cross-reference guidance says retailing automotive parts and accessories via electronic home shopping belongs in Subsector 454, Nonstore Retailers. That covers web-only sellers, mail-order sellers, and similar operations that do not depend on a traditional walk-in store.

This matters for mixed-channel firms. A retailer with a storefront and a substantial website still may belong in 441310 if the store is the principal sales channel. A web-first seller with only a pickup point usually points to 454.

How to classify stores with both a counter and a web shop

Use the main revenue-producing channel. If most sales happen over the counter, 441310 is still the likely answer. If most sales happen online and the counter mainly supports order pickup or returns, the business starts to look like a nonstore retailer.

Say a seller keeps 12,000 SKUs in a warehouse and 85% of orders are placed online. Even if it has a small showroom, that sales pattern is more consistent with Subsector 454 than with a walk-in parts store.

What is the SIC code for automotive parts and accessories stores?

The NAICS-to-SIC crosswalk maps 441310 to SIC 5531, which the crosswalk labels Auto and Home Supply Stores. That is a legacy reference, useful when older records, lender forms, or archival files still use SIC terminology.

How older SIC references map to modern NAICS use

SIC 5531 is not the current NAICS code, but it helps connect older classifications to the modern system. If a file or dataset still says SIC 5531, the nearest NAICS match is usually 441310 when the business sells automotive parts and accessories at retail.

A crosswalk is a guide, not a substitute for current coding. Use it to translate old references, then check the business’s present-day principal activity before finalizing the NAICS code.

Classification checklist: 10 common store scenarios

This checklist is a first-pass decision tool. Start with the principal activity, then compare the sales mix, service mix, and sales channel. If the business sits near a boundary, the deciding factor is usually which activity drives the most revenue.

Scenario	Likely NAICS code	Deciding factor	Why the code changes
General auto parts counter with batteries, belts, and filters	441310	Retail parts sales dominate	Core business is selling automotive parts and accessories
Used engine and transmission store	441310	Retailing used parts	Used automotive parts are included in the code
Truck cap and stereo shop that installs the items it sells	441310	Accessory retail remains primary	Accessory retailing and installing are both included
Tire-only retailer with mounting and balancing bays	441320	Tire retailing is the main activity	New or used tire retailing belongs in Tire Dealers
Brake and muffler repair shop with a small parts shelf	81111	Repair labor drives revenue	Repair and replacement work points to automotive repair and maintenance
Auto parts store that also does light installation on sold products	441310	Retail sales still lead	Secondary installation does not override retail classification
Online auto parts seller shipping nationwide	454	Nonstore sales channel dominates	Electronic home shopping belongs in Nonstore Retailers
Storefront plus website, but 70% of sales happen in-store	441310	Primary sales channel is the counter	The walk-in store remains the principal retail operation
Storefront plus website, but most orders are placed online	454	Online sales dominate	The business functions mainly as a nonstore seller
Repair shop that buys and installs parts for customers	81111	Service work is the main offer	Parts are incidental to repair and replacement labor

How to use the checklist

1. Write down the activity that produces most revenue.
2. Separate retail sales from installation and repair work.
3. Check whether tires are a major line or a side line.
4. Check whether online sales are the main channel.
5. Choose the code that best matches the principal activity, not the side service.

What is the NAICS hierarchy for 441310?

The NAICS hierarchy for 441310 runs from Retail Trade to Motor Vehicle and Parts Dealers, then to Automotive Parts, Accessories, and Tire Stores, and finally to Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores. That structure shows where the code fits and which nearby codes to check first when a business is mixed.

Simple hierarchy listing

• Sector 44-45: Retail Trade
• Subsector 441: Motor Vehicle and Parts Dealers
• Industry group 4413: Automotive Parts, Accessories, and Tire Stores
• Industry 441310: Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores

Decision tree for mixed businesses

If the business is a walk-in retail store that mainly sells parts and accessories, start with 441310. If tires dominate, check 441320. If repair labor dominates, check 81111. If the business sells mainly online or by mail, check Subsector 454.

This is the cleanest way to separate similar businesses. The code follows the principal activity, not the product catalog.

Frequently asked questions

What is NAICS code 441310?

NAICS 441310 is Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores, a Retail Trade code for businesses that primarily sell automotive parts and accessories at retail. It includes new, used, and rebuilt parts, plus stores that retail and install accessories. If another activity leads the business, a different code may fit better.

What businesses are included in Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores?

Included businesses range from automotive supply stores and used parts stores to accessory retailers such as stereo and truck cap stores. The common thread is retail sale of automotive parts and accessories. Some of these businesses also install products, but retail sales must remain the principal activity.

Is a tire store classified under 441310 or 441320?

A tire-focused store is usually classified under 441320 Tire Dealers. NAICS cross-reference guidance puts new or used tire retailing there. Use 441310 only when tires are secondary to a broader parts-and-accessories retail business. If tire sales drive the model, 441320 is the safer choice.

Are automotive repair shops included in NAICS 441310?

Usually no. Repair shops generally belong in 81111 Automotive Mechanical and Electrical Repair and Maintenance when repair or replacement work is the main business. A parts shelf or parts counter does not change that if the customer is really buying service and labor rather than retail merchandise.

What is the SIC code for automotive parts and accessories stores?

The NAICS-to-SIC crosswalk maps 441310 to SIC 5531, labeled Auto and Home Supply Stores. That reference is useful for older records and legacy forms. It should be translated carefully, because SIC and NAICS are not identical systems and current coding should follow present business activity.

How does 441310 differ from online auto parts sellers?

Online auto parts sellers are often classified in Subsector 454, Nonstore Retailers, especially when sales happen mainly through electronic home shopping, mail-order, or direct-sale channels. A physical storefront does not control the answer. The main sales channel does, along with where the business actually earns most of its revenue.