Official Site of The State of New Jersey

NIGP (National Institute of Governmental Purchasing) codes are a standardized classification system used by government agencies across the United States to identify commodities and services for procurement purposes.

New Jersey uses the 11-digit NIGP code system. The 5-digit Class-Item level is used for vendor registration, contract awards, and bid notifications in NJSTART.

Every 5-digit code has a 3-digit Class and a 2-digit Item:

Class Headers (ending in 00) are category labels shown in navy in the results. They group related items together but are not used for procurement transactions.

Commodity Items are the specific 5-digit codes you enter in NJSTART for vendor registration, bid notifications, and purchase orders.

NIGP assigns some classes to more than one of the 32 major categories when goods or services span multiple procurement areas. Category tags on each class card show all applicable categories — this is by NIGP design, not an error.

The tool offers three approaches:

• Keyword search — Type any word in the Keyword / Description box. Results update as you type. The tool searches official descriptions plus thousands of alternate keywords, so “sandpaper” finds 00514 even though the official description says “Abrasives, Coated.” Hover over the search box for a tip.
• Code prefix — Type the first 3–5 digits in the Code Prefix box to jump to a class (e.g. 485 shows all Plumbing codes). Hover over the box for an example.
• Browse categories — Click the Browse Categories tab to see all 32 procurement categories. Click any card to filter results. The sidebar dims categories with no matches during a search.

• Fewer, broader words — Try “janitorial” not “commercial janitorial cleaning services.”
• Open ⚙ Filters — Click ⚙ Filters and change Match Mode to “Any word” to find codes containing at least one of your keywords.
• Enable alt keywords — In ⚙ Filters → Search In, make sure “Alt keywords” is checked.
• Try a synonym — Use the generic term rather than a brand name.
• Browse categories — Use the Browse tab or sidebar to scan class headers manually.

Alt keywords (shown as “Also: KEYWORD · KEYWORD” under each item) are synonyms and trade terms from the NIGP database. They greatly expand search beyond the formal description.

Sub-group tags (small gray chips) are 7-digit level detail showing specific varieties within a commodity. Matching tags are highlighted in yellow during a keyword search.

Click ⚙ Filters to reveal advanced search options:

• Entry type — Class Headers only, Items only, or both (default: All).
• Match mode — All words (default): every word must appear. Any word: at least one must match. Exact phrase: exact order required.
• Search in — Official descriptions, alt keywords, sub-group tags, or any combination.
• Class size — Filter by number of items in a class: <10, 10–30, or >30.

▼ Expand All and ▲ Collapse All buttons appear above the results. Expand All opens every class card on the current page so you can see all items at once. Collapse All closes them for easier scanning of class headers.

The first 5 class cards auto-expand on page load so you can immediately see real content. When a search is active, all cards with matching items auto-expand automatically.

• Click + Add to My List at the bottom of any item card. The button turns green with “✓ In My List” when added.
• Or click an item to select it (it appears in the blue selected-code banner), then click + Add to My List in that banner.

To remove a code: click the green “✓ In My List” button, click × on a pill in the top bar, or use × in the My Code List tab.

From the My Code List tab or the Export bar at the bottom of the page:

• Copy Codes + Desc — Copies each code with its description, one per line (e.g. 48514 - PIPE, PVC). Paste directly into a document, email, or NJSTART notes.
• Copy as Table (for email) — Copies an HTML table. When pasted into Outlook or Gmail, it appears as a formatted table with Code, Description, Type, and Category columns. On plain-text systems it pastes as tab-separated text. Requires a secure HTTPS connection (works automatically on NJ.gov).
• Export My List (CSV) — Downloads a .csv spreadsheet with Code, Description, Type, Categories, and time added. Open directly in Excel.
• Print — Opens a print-ready page with your code list and session search history.

No — code lists are stored in your browser session only and are never sent to any server. When the page is closed or refreshed, all data is cleared.

Best practice: Use Export My List (CSV) or Copy Codes + Desc before leaving the page.

• Use the most specific Item code, not the broad Class Header.
• Include all relevant Item codes — vendors register by code to receive bid notifications.
• Check service codes and incidental supply/equipment codes.

• Use the closest Class Header as a temporary measure and document it.
• Look for a “Not Otherwise Classified” (NOC) item in the relevant class.
• Contact the Division of Purchase and Property for guidance.

• Open the CSV in Excel and review your code selections.
• Copy the 5-digit codes from the Code column.
• In NJSTART, enter the codes in the commodity code field — NJSTART uses the same NIGP 5-digit Class-Item codes.

Yes. Three text size buttons — A / A / A — appear at the top right of the tool, above the statistics bar. Click to switch between Normal (13px), Large (15px), and Extra Large (18px). Your choice is remembered for the duration of your browser session.

• Tab — Move between interactive elements.
• Enter / Space — Activate buttons, expand/collapse class cards, select items, add to list.
• Shift+Tab — Move backwards.
• A Skip to main content link appears on first Tab press.

Screen readers hear live announcements when results change and when codes are added or removed. The tool meets WCAG 2.1 AA standards.

Chrome (recommended), Microsoft Edge, Firefox, and Safari. Internet Explorer is not supported — use Edge, available on all State-managed computers.

Note: “Copy as Table (for email)” requires a modern browser and an HTTPS connection. It works automatically on nj.gov. When testing locally from a file, it falls back to plain text.

This tool uses the NIGP 11-Digit Code Release 2025 — 9,135 active entries across 274 classes. The database is updated annually by Periscope Holdings, Inc. NJ Treasury updates this tool with each new release. The data year appears in the page subtitle.

No. All search activity and code list data is stored only in your browser session and is never sent to any server. When you close or refresh the page, everything is cleared.

For the State’s full privacy policy, see the NJ.gov Privacy Notice.