How to Apply for Group NPI

Required information:

• Your practice’s Employer Identification Number (EIN) from the IRS
• Your IRS determination letter (Form CP 575) showing your exact legal business name
• Your practice’s legal business name exactly as it appears on IRS documents
• Business mailing address (can be your home address if you’re mobile or home-based)
• Practice location address (where you see patients—can also be your home if applicable)
• Taxonomy code for your specialty (we’ll cover this below)
• Contact information (phone, email, fax if applicable)

Step 1: Create an NPPES account or log in

Go to the NPPES website. If you already have an account (perhaps from applying for your Individual NPI), use the same login. If not, create a new account through the Identity & Access Management system. You’ll use this same account to manage both your Individual and Group NPIs.

Once logged in, you’ll see two options on the homepage. Click the button on the right side labeled “Apply for Organization NPI” or similar wording. This is your Group NPI application.

Step 2: Confirm you’re an authorized official

A popup will ask if you’re an employee or authorized official of the organization. Since you own or manage the practice, select the first option: “Yes, I am an employee/official of this organization.” This confirms you have authority to apply on behalf of the business entity.

Step 3: Enter your Tax ID and business name

The first screen asks for your practice’s tax identification information. Enter your EIN (not your Social Security Number) in the Tax ID field. In the business name field, type your legal business name in all capital letters exactly as it appears on your IRS determination letter.

Common mistakes to avoid:

• Don’t use a “doing business as” (DBA) name unless that’s also your legal name
• Include entity designations (LLC, PC, PLLC) if they’re on your IRS letter
• Don’t add commas unless they appear in your IRS documentation (they usually don’t)
• Match capitalization, spacing, and punctuation exactly

Most practices are not a subpart of a larger organization. Leave that field blank unless your practice is a subsidiary of a hospital system or larger corporate entity.

Click Next to continue.

Step 4: Enter your business mailing address

On this screen, enter the official mailing address for your practice. This is where correspondence from CMS and payers will be sent.

For mobile therapists or home-based practices: If you don’t have a separate office and operate from your home, you can check the box that says “This is my home address.” This is completely acceptable. No one will conduct a site visit or inspect your home. You’re simply establishing an official address of record.

Click Next when complete.

Step 5: Enter your practice location

This screen asks where you actually see and treat patients. For brick-and-mortar clinics, enter your physical office address. For mobile practices or home-based telehealth providers, check the box that says “Same as mailing address” and also check “This is my home address” if applicable.

If you have multiple locations, you’ll only enter one primary location here. You can add additional practice locations later through NPPES or during payer credentialing.

Click Next.

Step 6: Skip the endpoint screen

You’ll see a screen asking about electronic endpoints for health information exchange. This is marked “Optional – Read Only.” Unless you’re specifically setting up Direct messaging or other electronic health information exchange, you can skip this entirely.

Scroll to the bottom and click Next. Don’t enter anything.

Step 7: Skip other identifiers

The next screen asks for other provider identifiers (legacy Medicaid numbers, state license numbers for the practice entity, etc.). These are optional. Most new practices don’t have these yet, and you don’t need them to get your Group NPI approved.

Scroll to the bottom and click Next.

Step 8: Select your taxonomy code

This is where you indicate your practice’s specialty. Taxonomy codes are standardized healthcare provider classifications used across the industry.

First, you’ll see a question asking if your practice is single specialty or multi-specialty. Even if you plan to add multiple specialties later, select “Single Specialty” for now. This simplifies the application and doesn’t limit your ability to add specialties in the future.

In the search box, type your primary specialty. Common taxonomy codes for group practices:

• Physical Therapy: Search “Physical Therapist” and select from the dropdown
• Occupational Therapy: Search “Occupational Therapist”
• Speech-Language Pathology: Search “Speech-Language Pathologist”
• Family Medicine: Search “Family Medicine”
• Internal Medicine: Search “Internal Medicine”
• Pediatrics: Search “Pediatrics”

After typing your specialty, click the dropdown menu on the right side of the screen and select the correct taxonomy code. Click Apply to add it to your application.

Note: Choosing a single specialty here doesn’t prevent you from billing for multiple specialties. It’s just an administrative classification. You can update this later if your practice expands.

Click Next to continue.

Step 9: Enter contact information

This screen asks for the primary contact person for your practice. In most cases, this is you, the owner or practice administrator. Enter:

• Contact name (typically yourself as the authorized official)
• Phone number
• Email address
• Fax number (optional, but many payers still use fax)

Check the box indicating this person is an authorized official of the organization. This gives you authority to make changes and updates to the NPI record in the future.

Click Save and then Next.

Step 10: Review and submit

You’ll reach a final review screen showing all the information you entered. Each section should have a green checkmark indicating it’s complete. Review everything carefully:

• Business name matches IRS letter exactly
• EIN is correct
• Addresses are accurate
• Taxonomy code is correct
• Contact information is current

At the bottom of the screen, check the box certifying that all information is accurate and complete. Then click Submit.

What happens next: Once submitted, your application is processed electronically. In most cases, you’ll receive your Group NPI within 24 hours—sometimes within just a few hours. You’ll receive a confirmation email with your 10-digit Group NPI number.

You can log back into NPPES at any time to view your NPI, download a confirmation letter, or make updates to your practice information.