Type 1 vs Type 2 NPI: What's the Difference?
A Type 1 NPI identifies one person. A Type 2 NPI identifies an organization. Many claims use both.
Type 1: individuals
A Type 1 NPI belongs to an individual health care provider, such as a physician, nurse practitioner, dentist or physical therapist. This includes sole proprietors: a person who runs their own practice is still an individual and has one Type 1 NPI.
Type 2: organizations
A Type 2 NPI belongs to an organization that provides health care: a hospital, a group practice, a clinic, a pharmacy, a lab, a nursing home. It is issued to the organization, not to the people who work there. Large organizations can also register parts of themselves (subparts) with their own NPIs when they bill separately.
Which one goes on a claim?
- The rendering provider (the person who did the service) is identified by a Type 1 NPI.
- The billing provider is often an organization and uses its Type 2 NPI. A solo practitioner who bills under their own name uses their Type 1.
- Your payer's instructions decide the details. If a form asks for "the group NPI", it means the Type 2.
A common mix-up
Having one doesn't give you the other. A doctor who joins a group keeps their own Type 1 and the group has its own Type 2. If you're not sure which you were given, look it up: the result shows Individual or Organization.
Sources
Reviewed October 2026. Federal rules and CMS pages change; check them for the latest.
Look one up
Need a number now? Search the registry by NPI, name or organization.