Guides

How to Get an NPI Number

By NPI Desk · Published October 24, 2026

An NPI is issued by CMS through the National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES). Applying is free.

Before you apply

• Your identifiers. Individuals need their Social Security number (or ITIN) and date of birth; organizations need their EIN and the name of an authorized official.
• Your taxonomy code. Pick the code that matches your training — see how to find your taxonomy code. You can list more than one and mark a primary.
• Your licence. Most taxonomy codes for licensed professions expect a licence number and state.
• Addresses. NPPES records a mailing address and a primary practice location; the practice location is public on the NPI Registry, so use a business address, not a home address, if you can.

Applying

Online applications through NPPES are the fastest route; paper forms are also accepted. Individuals apply for a Type 1 NPI; an incorporated practice or other organization applies for a Type 2. Once issued, the number appears in the public NPI Registry, where anyone — including this site's lookup — can find it.

After you have it

• Medicare enrollment is a separate step, through PECOS. Of the 2,576,755 NPIs currently enrolled in Medicare, nurse practitioners are the largest single group, with 365,671.
• Keep it current. Update NPPES within 30 days when your practice address, name or taxonomy changes; payers compare claims against it.
• One for life. An individual's NPI never changes, even if you move states or change specialty.

Common problems after enumeration

• Claims rejected for taxonomy. The taxonomy on the claim does not match any code on the NPI record, or the Medicare enrollment specialty. Add the missing code in NPPES, or bill with the code that is on the record.
• Public address. The practice location is published in the NPI Registry. If you applied with a home address, replace it with a business address or a mailing service in NPPES.
• Duplicate organizations. A practice that applied twice, or once as a sole proprietor and again after incorporating, can end up with NPIs it does not use. Deactivate the unused ones in NPPES so payers do not pick the wrong one.