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Short answer: a move does not give you a new NPI. A covered health care provider that changes its practice address must communicate the change to the National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES) within 30 days. The NPI itself stays the same. This page is general regulatory information, not legal or compliance advice for your organization.
Short answer
If you are a covered health care provider (a clinic, laboratory or supplier that sends standard electronic transactions), update your NPPES record within 30 days of the address change. You keep the same NPI. You can submit the update online or on paper using the NPI Application/Update Form, CMS-10114.
Definition and scope
An NPI change of address is an update to the practice location data held for an existing National Provider Identifier in NPPES, the registry run for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). It is a change to a record, not a new enumeration. For the original application, see our guide on how to apply for an NPI number.
The duty comes from the HIPAA administrative simplification rule at 45 CFR 162.410(a)(4), which requires a covered health care provider to “Communicate to the NPS any changes in its required data elements in the NPS within 30 days of the change.” CMS’s FAQ applies this to a change of address. An address is one of those data elements. Providers that hold an NPI but are not covered health care providers are not bound by this rule; CMS says they are encouraged to keep their records current.
How an address change is reported in practice
CMS’s Unique Identifiers FAQs describe the practical route. A covered provider must notify NPPES of the address change within 30 days of the effective date of the change. Changes can be submitted online or on paper. The paper route is the NPI Application/Update Form (CMS-10114), which can be downloaded or requested from the NPI Enumerator at 1-800-465-3203.
Which date starts the clock
The regulation says “within 30 days of the change”; CMS’s FAQ words it as 30 days of the effective date of the change.
What changes and what stays the same
| Item | What the sources say | Source |
|---|---|---|
| NPI | Expected to remain unchanged when a provider changes name, address or taxonomy (CMS notes limited exceptions, such as certain ownership changes or fraud). | CMS Unique Identifiers FAQs |
| Practice address | Covered providers must report the change to NPPES within 30 days of the effective date. | 45 CFR 162.410(a)(4); CMS FAQs |
| Other required data elements | The 30-day duty applies to any change in required data elements, not only the address. | 45 CFR 162.410(a)(4) |
| Submission method | Online, or on paper with CMS-10114. | CMS Unique Identifiers FAQs |
| Non-covered NPI holders | Encouraged, not required, to update. | CMS Unique Identifiers FAQs |
Related concepts: name and taxonomy changes
The same CMS FAQ treats a change of name, address or provider taxonomy as changes to an existing record that leave the NPI in place. The FAQ also says that a change in Healthcare Provider Taxonomy Code by a covered health care provider must be provided to NPPES within 30 days, the same window as an address change.
Where it matters for labs, clinics and supply decisions
Three points follow from the regulation text and CMS FAQ.
- Each NPI is updated separately. Under 162.410(a)(6), when NPIs have been assigned to subparts of an organization, the requirements in (a)(2) to (a)(5) apply to each NPI. A multi-site clinic or laboratory whose subparts hold their own NPIs must update each affected record.
- The NPI is used in transactions. Covered providers must use their NPI in standard transactions (a)(2) and disclose it to any entity that needs it for those transactions (a)(3). An outdated address on the record sits behind every one of those uses.
- Related supplier guides. For supplier-side background, see DMEPOS accreditation, Medicare DME coverage and the medical supply wholesaler guide.
Checklist for a move
- Note the effective date of the new location; the 30 days run from the change.
- List every NPI held by the organization, including any assigned to subparts.
- Submit the update for each NPI online, or on form CMS-10114 if you use paper.
- Do not apply for a new NPI; the existing one stays.
Common misunderstandings
“We moved, so we need a new NPI.”
No. CMS expects the NPI to remain unchanged when the address changes.
“Only the address matters.”
The regulation covers any change in required data elements, and CMS says a taxonomy change by a covered provider is also reported within 30 days.
“The 30 days start when we announce the move.”
The CMS FAQ ties the period to the effective date of the change.
“Individuals and non-covered entities have the same legal deadline.”
The deadline in 162.410(a)(4) applies to covered health care providers. CMS encourages others to update but does not describe a deadline for them.
FAQ
Does my NPI change when I change address?
No. CMS states the NPI is expected to remain unchanged when a provider changes name, address or taxonomy.
How long do I have to report a change of address?
Covered health care providers have 30 days from the change (CMS: the effective date of the change), under 45 CFR 162.410(a)(4).
Can I update my NPI record on paper?
Yes. CMS accepts changes on the NPI Application/Update Form (CMS-10114), downloadable or available from the NPI Enumerator at 1-800-465-3203.
Who must update?
Covered health care providers are required to. Providers with NPIs that are not covered health care providers are encouraged to.
Do all my locations need separate updates?
If subparts of your organization have their own NPIs, the rule applies to each NPI under 162.410(a)(6).
Sources
- 45 CFR 162.410, Implementation specifications: Health care providers. eCFR, ecfr.gov. Date checked: 2026-11-01.
- CMS, Unique Identifiers FAQs (Administrative Simplification), cms.gov. Date checked: 2026-11-01.
- CMS, NPPES (National Plan and Provider Enumeration System), nppes.cms.hhs.gov. Date checked: 2026-11-01.
