492110 Couriers and Express Delivery Services

Official definition

This industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in providing air, surface, or combined mode courier and express delivery services of parcels, but not operating under a universal service obligation. These parcels can include goods and documents, but the express delivery services are not part of the normal mail service. These services are generally between metropolitan areas, urban centers, or international, but the establishments of this industry form a network that includes local pick-up and delivery to serve their customers' needs.

Examples Census gives

• Air courier services, except establishments operating under a universal service obligation
• Express delivery services, except establishments operating under a universal service obligation
• Courier services (i.e., intercity network), except establishments operating under a universal service obligation

Source: US Census Bureau, 2022 NAICS descriptions.

When to use a different code

Census classifies these close-sounding activities somewhere else. Businesses mainly engaged in:

• Providing parcel and express delivery services in addition to mail services under a universal service obligation are classified in Industry 491110, Postal Service.
• Providing messenger and delivery services within a metropolitan area or within an urban center are classified in Industry 492210, Local Messengers and Local Delivery.
• Providing the truck transportation of palletized general freight are classified in Industry Group 4841, General Freight Trucking.

Source: US Census Bureau, 2022 NAICS cross-references.

Businesses that use this code

• Courier or delivery business

Activities listed under 492110

The Census index assigns these 4 activities to this code. If your business matches one, this is your code.

• Air courier services (except establishments operating under a universal service obligation)
• Courier services (i.e., intercity network) (except establishments operating under a universal service obligation)
• Express delivery services (except establishments operating under a universal service obligation)
• Local letter and parcel delivery services as part of intercity courier network

Source: US Census Bureau, 2022 NAICS index file.

SBA size standard for 492110

To count as a small business for SBA loans and federal contracts under NAICS 492110, your business (including affiliates) must not exceed 1,500 employees. Check your business.

Source: SBA table of size standards, effective March 17, 2023.

Closest UK SIC 2007 codes

There is no official one-to-one link between NAICS and UK SIC. These codes share the same international class (ISIC Rev. 4: 5320), so treat them as a starting point and check the definition.

• 53201Licensed carriersUK SIC
• 53202Unlicensed carrierUK SIC

Built from Census concordances 2022→2017 NAICS and 2017 NAICS→ISIC Rev. 4.