The 2,134 activity codes of the commercial register

Three statuses, three very different consequences

An unrestricted code is entered in the commercial register with no prior formality: you turn up at the CNRC with your file and the activity is recorded. A regulated code, by contrast, requires an approval, an authorisation or registration with a professional body, obtained before incorporation — the CNRC will refuse the file without it. A closed code is no longer open to new registrations.

The classic mistake is to pick a wording without checking its status, then to discover at the counter that an authorisation is missing and takes months to obtain. The search above shows the status in the result itself, before you even open the detail.

What the wording actually commits you to

A code's wording is not decorative: it determines what you may invoice, the tax bracket you fall into, and what your bank will agree to domicile. A services code does not allow you to sell goods, and the rate gap between the two brackets under the single flat tax is twofold.

That is why the wordings are shown here exactly as the nomenclature publishes them, awkward ones included. The detail of a regulated code adds its supervising authority, the type of authorisation required and the texts that impose it.

After the code: what remains to be decided

The activity code is one of three decisions taken before the notary, alongside the legal form and the capital. They interlock: some forms are closed to some activities, and some regulated codes require a personal qualification from the manager.

If your activity also falls under auto-entrepreneur status, the ANAE list shows whether it is eligible — the two nomenclatures do not overlap.

Frequently asked questions

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