NPI Lookup.
Search the CMS National Provider Identifier registry. Find providers by NPI number, name, or organization — free, no account needed.
💡 For best results enter both first and last name. Last name only searches may return limited results.
Data sourced from the CMS NPPES public registry. Results may be cached up to 5 minutes.
What is an NPI Number?
A National Provider Identifier (NPI) is a unique 10-digit numeric identifier assigned to every covered healthcare provider in the United States under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). Introduced by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) in 2004 and fully required by 2008, the NPI replaced a fragmented landscape of payer-specific provider IDs with a single, permanent identifier that travels with a provider throughout their career.
The NPI is purely an identifier — it carries no embedded intelligence about a provider's specialty, state, or employer. The 10-digit number follows the Luhn algorithm for check-digit validation, which lets software instantly flag mistyped NPIs before submitting a claim.
Type 1 NPI — Individual
Assigned to licensed healthcare professionals: physicians, nurses, therapists, dentists, and any other individual who provides health services. A provider keeps their Type 1 NPI for life, regardless of employer changes.
Type 2 NPI — Organization
Assigned to group practices, hospitals, clinics, home health agencies, and other healthcare organizations. A single organization may hold multiple Type 2 NPIs for different practice locations or sub-units.
NPIs are required on all HIPAA-standard electronic transactions — 837 claims, 270/271 eligibility inquiries, 278 prior authorizations, and more — making them the cornerstone identifier in any healthcare data pipeline.
How to Use This NPI Lookup Tool
This tool queries the CMS NPPES public API in real time. No login, no rate limits for standard use, and results reflect the current registry state.
Search by Provider Name
- 1Select "Individual" as the entity type.
- 2Enter first name and/or last name.
- 3Optionally add a state to narrow results.
- 4Click Search — matching providers appear below.
- 5Click any result to expand full details including taxonomy and address.
Search by NPI Number
- 1Paste the 10-digit NPI directly into the NPI field.
- 2Leave all other fields blank.
- 3Click Search — an exact match is returned.
- 4Review the provider's name, entity type, taxonomy, and address.
- 5Use the Enumeration Date to confirm when the NPI was first issued.
Tip: When searching for organizations, switch the entity type to "Organization" and enter the legal business name. Partial name matches work — try the first few words of a hospital or practice group name.
Common NPI Lookup Use Cases
Claims Processing Verification
Clearinghouses and payers validate the rendering, billing, and referring NPIs on every 837 claim before adjudication. An invalid or deactivated NPI triggers an immediate rejection. Lookup the NPI before submission to catch errors upstream.
Provider Credentialing
Credentialing teams verify that a provider's NPI matches their license, specialty taxonomy, and practice address. NPI lookup is typically one of the first steps in primary source verification before CAQH attestation or direct payer enrollment.
Prior Authorization
278 prior authorization transactions require the ordering and servicing provider NPIs. Confirming the correct NPI and active taxonomy before submitting a PA request reduces administrative denials and callback volume.
EDI 837 Claim Submission
Every 837P (professional) and 837I (institutional) claim carries multiple NPI loops — billing provider, rendering provider, and referring provider. Use this tool to verify each NPI and confirm the matching taxonomy code before batch submission.
NPI Data Fields Explained
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| NPI Number | 10-digit unique identifier assigned by CMS. Validated with the Luhn check-digit algorithm. Permanent — never reassigned after deactivation. |
| Entity Type | Type 1 (individual licensed provider) or Type 2 (organization). Determines which name fields are populated and how the NPI should appear in claim loops. |
| Provider Name | Legal name of the individual or organization. For individuals: last name, first name, credential suffix. For organizations: legal business name as registered with the IRS. |
| Taxonomy Code | 10-character Health Care Provider Taxonomy code describing the provider's specialty and classification. A provider may hold multiple taxonomy codes; the primary code drives claim adjudication logic. |
| Address | Primary practice location address from the NPPES record. This is not necessarily a billing address — it reflects where the provider practices and is used for geographic routing and credentialing. |
| Enumeration Date | The date the NPI was first issued. Useful in credentialing workflows to confirm that the provider's NPI predates the services being billed, and to flag newly enumerated providers requiring additional verification. |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is an NPI number?
An NPI (National Provider Identifier) is a unique 10-digit numeric identifier assigned to healthcare providers under HIPAA. It is required on all electronic healthcare transactions — from claims to prior authorizations — and serves as the universal provider identifier across all US payers.
How do I find my NPI number?
Enter your first name, last name, and state into the search tool above. Your NPI will appear in the results alongside your registered address and taxonomy code. You can also find your NPI on your NPPES confirmation letter or in your payer enrollment documentation.
What is the difference between Type 1 and Type 2 NPI?
A Type 1 NPI belongs to an individual licensed healthcare provider. A Type 2 NPI belongs to an organization — a hospital, group practice, or clinic. Individual providers who bill through a group practice typically have their own Type 1 NPI and bill under the group's Type 2 NPI simultaneously.
Is NPI lookup free?
Yes. The NPI registry is a public dataset maintained by CMS and freely accessible via the NPPES API. This tool queries that API directly — no account, subscription, or payment required.
How often is NPI data updated?
CMS processes NPPES updates weekly. New registrations, address changes, taxonomy updates, and deactivations are reflected on a rolling basis. Full monthly dissemination files are also available for bulk download directly from CMS.
Related Guides
Related Tools
SQL Linter
Catch SQL bugs, performance issues, and naming violations.
DDL Converter
Convert DDL schemas between Snowflake, BigQuery, and more.
Naming Auditor
Audit column and table names against healthcare standards.
Bulk Sanitizer
Sanitize and standardize bulk healthcare data fields.
Name Generator
Generate standard column and table names for healthcare schemas.
Data Modeling
AI-assisted healthcare data model and schema design.