What is NPPES?
The National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES) is administered by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). It assigns a unique 10-digit National Provider Identifier (NPI) to every covered healthcare provider in the United States.
At Gigasheet, we combine market intelligence with provider details, and frequently utilize this data.
CMS publishes the NPPES data as a free, public download updated both weekly (incremental new records) and monthly (full active-provider snapshot). The data is released under FOIA disclosure rules. Sensitive fields such as SSNs and EINs are masked or suppressed.
The full download bundle contains four data files, each described in this article:
Main File
Provider Data File
npidata_pfile_*.csv
Secondary File
Practice Locations
pl_pfile_*.csv
Secondary File
Other Names
othername_pfile_*.csv
Secondary File
Endpoints
endpoint_pfile_*.csv
Main Provider File
The main provider file (npidata_pfile_*.csv) contains one row per NPI. It is the primary file in the NPPES data dissemination and includes core identifiers, provider names, addresses, taxonomy classifications, licenses, and organizational flags. The field groups below describe every column in this file.
Core Identifiers
| Field Name | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| NPI | NUMBER(10) | The unique 10-digit National Provider Identifier assigned by CMS. This is the primary key of the file. |
| Entity Type Code | VARCHAR(1) | Indicates whether the NPI belongs to an individual or an organization. 1 = Individual 2 = Organization |
| Replacement NPI | NUMBER(10) | If this NPI has been deactivated and replaced, this field contains the new NPI. Blank for active, non-replaced NPIs. |
| Employer Identification Number (EIN) | VARCHAR(9) | The IRS Employer Identification Number of the provider. Suppressed in the public file for privacy. |
Provider Names – Individual (Entity Type 1)
These fields are populated only when the Entity Type Code is 1 (Individual).
| Field Name | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Provider Last Name (Legal Name) | VARCHAR(35) | Legal last (family) name of the individual provider. |
| Provider First Name | VARCHAR(20) | Legal first (given) name of the individual provider. |
| Provider Middle Name | VARCHAR(20) | Middle name or initial of the individual provider. |
| Provider Name Prefix Text | VARCHAR(5) | Name prefix (e.g., Dr., Mr., Ms.). |
| Provider Name Suffix Text | VARCHAR(5) | Name suffix (e.g., Jr., Sr., III). |
| Provider Credential Text | VARCHAR(20) | Professional credential of the individual provider (e.g., MD, DO, NP, PA). |
Provider Names – Organization (Entity Type 2)
These fields are populated only when the Entity Type Code is 2 (Organization).
| Field Name | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Provider Organization Name (Legal Business Name) | VARCHAR(100) | The official legal business name of the organizational provider. |
Other Name
A single alternate name for the provider. For individuals this may be a former or professional name; for organizations it may be a DBA ("doing business as") name. Additional other names beyond this one are stored in the separate Other Names Reference File.
| Field Name | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Provider Other Organization Name | VARCHAR(100) | Alternate organization name (DBA, former name, etc.). Applies to Entity Type 2. |
| Provider Other Organization Name Type Code | VARCHAR(1) | Type of the alternate organization name. 3 Doing Business As 4 Former Legal Business Name 5 Other Name |
| Provider Other Last Name (Legal Name) | VARCHAR(35) | Alternate last name of an individual provider. Applies to Entity Type 1. |
| Provider Other First Name | VARCHAR(20) | Alternate first name of an individual provider. |
| Provider Other Middle Name | VARCHAR(20) | Alternate middle name of an individual provider. |
| Provider Other Name Prefix Text | VARCHAR(5) | Name prefix for the alternate individual name. |
| Provider Other Name Suffix Text | VARCHAR(5) | Name suffix for the alternate individual name. |
| Provider Other Credential Text | VARCHAR(20) | Professional credential for the alternate individual name. |
| Provider Other Last Name Type Code | VARCHAR(1) | Classifies the type of the alternate individual name. 1 Former Name 2 Professional Name 5 Other Name |
Business Mailing Address
The mailing address where the provider receives correspondence. This may differ from the practice location.
| Field Name | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Provider First Line Business Mailing Address | VARCHAR(55) | Street address line 1 of the provider's mailing address. |
| Provider Second Line Business Mailing Address | VARCHAR(55) | Street address line 2 (suite, floor, PO box, etc.) of the mailing address. |
| Provider Business Mailing Address City Name | VARCHAR(40) | City of the mailing address. |
| Provider Business Mailing Address State Name | VARCHAR(40) | Two-letter state/territory code of the mailing address (e.g., CA, TX, NY). |
| Provider Business Mailing Address Postal Code | VARCHAR(20) | ZIP or postal code of the mailing address. May include ZIP+4 (e.g., 90210-1234). |
| Provider Business Mailing Address Country Code (If outside U.S.) | VARCHAR(2) | Two-letter ISO country code. Populated only when the mailing address is outside the United States. |
| Provider Business Mailing Address Telephone Number | VARCHAR(20) | Phone number associated with the mailing address. |
| Provider Business Mailing Address Fax Number | VARCHAR(20) | Fax number associated with the mailing address. |
Primary Practice Location Address
The primary location where the provider delivers healthcare services. Additional (secondary) practice locations are stored in the separate Practice Location Reference File.
| Field Name | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Provider First Line Business Practice Location Address | VARCHAR(55) | Street address line 1 of the primary practice location. |
| Provider Second Line Business Practice Location Address | VARCHAR(55) | Street address line 2 of the primary practice location (suite, floor, etc.). |
| Provider Business Practice Location Address City Name | VARCHAR(40) | City of the primary practice location. |
| Provider Business Practice Location Address State Name | VARCHAR(40) | Two-letter state/territory code of the primary practice location. |
| Provider Business Practice Location Address Postal Code | VARCHAR(20) | ZIP or postal code of the primary practice location. May include ZIP+4. |
| Provider Business Practice Location Address Country Code (If outside U.S.) | VARCHAR(2) | Two-letter ISO country code for the primary practice location. Populated only when outside the U.S. |
| Provider Business Practice Location Address Telephone Number | VARCHAR(20) | Phone number at the primary practice location. |
| Provider Business Practice Location Address Fax Number | VARCHAR(20) | Fax number at the primary practice location. |
Status & Dates
| Field Name | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Provider Enumeration Date | DATE | The date the NPI was first assigned to this provider (MM/DD/YYYY format). |
| Last Update Date | DATE | The most recent date any field on this NPI record was updated (MM/DD/YYYY). Useful for identifying recently changed records in incremental data loads. |
| NPI Deactivation Reason Code | VARCHAR(2) | The reason the NPI was deactivated, if applicable. Death Disbandment Fraud Other |
| NPI Deactivation Date | DATE | The date the NPI was deactivated. Blank for active providers. |
| NPI Reactivation Date | DATE | The date the NPI was reactivated after a prior deactivation, if applicable. |
| Provider Sex Code | VARCHAR(1) | Sex of an individual provider (Entity Type 1). Not applicable to organizations. M Male F Female U or X Undisclosed |
| Certification Date | DATE | The date the provider certified that all information in the NPI application is accurate. |
Authorized Official (Organizations Only)
For organizational providers (Entity Type 2), these fields identify the individual authorized to submit the NPI application on behalf of the organization.
| Field Name | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Authorized Official Last Name | VARCHAR(35) | Last name of the person authorized to act on behalf of the organization. |
| Authorized Official First Name | VARCHAR(35) | First name of the authorized official. |
| Authorized Official Middle Name | VARCHAR(20) | Middle name or initial of the authorized official. |
| Authorized Official Title or Position | VARCHAR(35) | Job title or position of the authorized official (e.g., CEO, CFO, Medical Director). |
| Authorized Official Telephone Number | VARCHAR(20) | Phone number of the authorized official. |
| Authorized Official Name Prefix Text | VARCHAR(5) | Name prefix of the authorized official (Dr., Mr., Ms., etc.). |
| Authorized Official Name Suffix Text | VARCHAR(5) | Name suffix of the authorized official (Jr., Sr., etc.). |
| Authorized Official Credential Text | VARCHAR(20) | Professional credential of the authorized official (MD, JD, MBA, etc.). |
Healthcare Provider Taxonomy & Licenses (repeating, _1 through _15)
These four fields repeat up to 15 times with numeric suffixes (
_1 through _15). A provider may hold multiple taxonomy classifications and corresponding licenses. For example: Healthcare Provider Taxonomy Code_1, Healthcare Provider Taxonomy Code_2, etc.| Field Name Pattern | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Healthcare Provider Taxonomy Code_N | VARCHAR(10) | A NUCC (National Uniform Claim Committee) Healthcare Provider Taxonomy Code classifying the provider's type and specialization. Examples: 207Q00000X (Family Medicine), 291U00000X (Clinical Medical Laboratory). The full taxonomy code set is maintained at nucc.org. |
| Provider License Number_N | VARCHAR(20) | State-issued license number corresponding to the taxonomy code at the same position. The licensing state is stored in the adjacent State Code field. |
| Provider License Number State Code_N | VARCHAR(2) | Two-letter state code indicating which state issued the license number at the same position. |
| Healthcare Provider Primary Taxonomy Switch_N | VARCHAR(1) | Indicates whether this taxonomy code is the provider's primary taxonomy. Y Primary N Not primary. Only one taxonomy code per NPI will have a Y value. |
Other Provider Identifiers (repeating, _1 through _50)
These four fields repeat up to 50 times. Other Provider Identifiers are legacy or plan-specific IDs a provider may have been assigned prior to or alongside their NPI (e.g., a Medicaid ID, a Medicare UPIN, or a health plan-specific number).
SSNs and IRS ITINs that were inadvertently entered in these fields are masked by CMS: SSNs appear as $$$$$$$$$, ITINs as *********, and EINs as =========.
| Field Name Pattern | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Other Provider Identifier_N | VARCHAR(20) | The actual identifier number (e.g., a legacy Medicaid ID or health plan member number). |
| Other Provider Identifier Type Code_N | VARCHAR(2) | A code indicating the type/system of the identifier. Common values include 01 (Other), 02 (Medicare UPIN), 04 (Medicare ID), 05 (Medicaid), 06 (Blue Cross/Blue Shield), 07 (Medicare PIN). |
| Other Provider Identifier State_N | VARCHAR(2) | Two-letter state code for the identifier, used when the issuer is a state Medicaid plan. |
| Other Provider Identifier Issuer_N | VARCHAR(80) | The name of the health plan or organization that issued the identifier (e.g., "Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas"). |
Organization & Ownership Flags
| Field Name | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Is Sole Proprietor | VARCHAR(1) | Applies to individual providers (Entity Type 1) only. Indicates whether the individual operates as a sole proprietor. Y Yes N No X Not answered |
| Is Organization Subpart | VARCHAR(1) | Applies to organizational providers (Entity Type 2). Indicates whether this organization is a subpart (division or subsidiary) of a larger parent organization. Y Yes N No X Not answered |
| Parent Organization LBN | VARCHAR(100) | Legal Business Name of the parent organization when Is Organization Subpart = Y. Suppressed in the public file. |
| Parent Organization TIN | VARCHAR(9) | Tax Identification Number of the parent organization when Is Organization Subpart = Y. Suppressed in the public file. |
Healthcare Provider Taxonomy Groups (repeating, _1 through _15)
This field repeats up to 15 times with numeric suffixes (
_1 through _15), one per taxonomy code slot.| Field Name Pattern | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Healthcare Provider Taxonomy Group_N | VARCHAR(10) | A grouping code associated with the taxonomy code at the same position. Values include 193200000X (Multi-Specialty Group) and 193400000X (Single Specialty Group), used to further classify organizational provider types. |
Practice Location Reference File
This file (pl_pfile_*.csv) contains all non-primary practice locations associated with both Type 1 and Type 2 NPIs. The main data file holds the primary practice location; every additional location appears as a row here. Each row links back to an NPI via the NPI field.
| Field Name | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| NPI | NUMBER(10) | The NPI of the provider associated with this secondary practice location. Use this to join back to the main data file. |
| Provider Secondary Practice Location Address – Address Line 1 | VARCHAR(55) | Street address line 1 of the secondary practice location. |
| Provider Secondary Practice Location Address – Address Line 2 | VARCHAR(55) | Street address line 2 of the secondary practice location (suite, floor, etc.). |
| Provider Secondary Practice Location Address – City Name | VARCHAR(40) | City of the secondary practice location. |
| Provider Secondary Practice Location Address – State Name | VARCHAR(40) | Two-letter state/territory code of the secondary practice location. |
| Provider Secondary Practice Location Address – Postal Code | VARCHAR(20) | ZIP or postal code of the secondary practice location. May include ZIP+4. |
| Provider Secondary Practice Location Address – Country Code (If outside U.S.) | VARCHAR(2) | Two-letter ISO country code. Populated only when the secondary practice location is outside the United States. |
| Provider Secondary Practice Location Address – Telephone Number | VARCHAR(20) | Phone number at the secondary practice location. |
| Provider Secondary Practice Location Address – Telephone Extension | VARCHAR(5) | Phone extension at the secondary practice location. |
| Provider Practice Location Address – Fax Number | VARCHAR(20) | Fax number at the secondary practice location. |
Other Names Reference File
This file (othername_pfile_*.csv) captures additional "other names" associated with Type 2 (organizational) NPIs, beyond the single other name that fits in the main data file. Each row represents one other name record linked to an NPI.
| Field Name | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| NPI | NUMBER(10) | The NPI of the organizational provider this name is associated with. |
| Provider Other Organization Name | VARCHAR(100) | The alternate name for the organization (DBA, former name, etc.). |
| Provider Other Organization Name Type Code | VARCHAR(1) | Classifies the type of alternate name. 3 Doing Business As 4 Former Legal Business Name 5 Other Name |
Endpoint Reference File
This file (endpoint_pfile_*.csv) contains all health information technology endpoints associated with NPIs. Endpoints represent electronic connection points for health information exchange, such as Direct messaging addresses, FHIR servers, and other HIE endpoints. Each row is a single endpoint linked to an NPI.
| Field Name | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| NPI | NUMBER(10) | The NPI of the provider this endpoint is associated with. |
| Endpoint Type | VARCHAR(50) | Short code or label for the type of endpoint (e.g., DIRECT for Direct messaging, FHIR for FHIR server). |
| Endpoint Type Description | VARCHAR(255) | Full descriptive name of the endpoint type. |
| Endpoint | VARCHAR(1000) | The actual endpoint address (e.g., a Direct messaging email address, a URL for a FHIR server, or a web services address). |
| Affiliation | VARCHAR(1) | Indicates whether the endpoint is affiliated with another organization. Y Yes N No |
| Endpoint Description | VARCHAR(1000) | Free-text description of the endpoint and its purpose. |
| Affiliation Legal Business Name | VARCHAR(100) | The Legal Business Name (LBN) of the affiliated organization when Affiliation = Y. |
| Use Code | VARCHAR(25) | Short code indicating the purpose or use of the endpoint (e.g., DIRECTPATIENTENGAGEMENT, DIRECTMESSAGING). |
| Use Description | VARCHAR(100) | Full description of the endpoint's use or purpose. |
| Other Use Description | VARCHAR(200) | Free-text description when the Use Code is "Other." |
| Content Type | VARCHAR(25) | Short code for the type of content the endpoint exchanges (e.g., CCD, HL7CCDDocument). |
| Content Description | VARCHAR(100) | Full description of the content type. |
| Other Content Description | VARCHAR(200) | Free-text description when the Content Type is "Other." |
| Affiliation Address Line One | VARCHAR(55) | Street address line 1 of the affiliated organization's location. |
| Affiliation Address Line Two | VARCHAR(55) | Street address line 2 of the affiliated organization's location. |
| Affiliation Address City | VARCHAR(40) | City of the affiliated organization's location. |
| Affiliation Address State | VARCHAR(40) | State of the affiliated organization's location. |
| Affiliation Address Country | VARCHAR(2) | Two-letter ISO country code of the affiliated organization's location. |
| Affiliation Address Postal Code | VARCHAR(20) | Postal code of the affiliated organization's location. |
Code Reference Summary
The following table summarizes the coded fields found throughout the NPPES data and their allowed values.
| Field | Code | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Entity & Provider Type | ||
| Entity Type Code | 1 | Individual provider |
| Entity Type Code | 2 | Organization |
| Sole Proprietor / Subpart Flags | ||
| Is Sole Proprietor / Is Organization Subpart | Y | Yes |
| Is Sole Proprietor / Is Organization Subpart | N | No |
| Is Sole Proprietor / Is Organization Subpart | X | Not answered |
| Provider Sex | ||
| Provider Sex Code | M | Male |
| Provider Sex Code | F | Female |
| Provider Sex Code | U / X | Undisclosed |
| NPI Deactivation Reason | ||
| NPI Deactivation Reason Code | Death | Provider is deceased |
| NPI Deactivation Reason Code | Disbandment | Organization has disbanded |
| NPI Deactivation Reason Code | Fraud | NPI was obtained fraudulently |
| NPI Deactivation Reason Code | Other | Other reason |
| Other Provider Name Type | ||
| Provider Other Last Name Type Code / Other Org Name Type Code | 1 | Former Name (Individual) |
| Provider Other Last Name Type Code / Other Org Name Type Code | 2 | Professional Name (Individual) |
| Provider Other Last Name Type Code / Other Org Name Type Code | 3 | Doing Business As (Organization) |
| Provider Other Last Name Type Code / Other Org Name Type Code | 4 | Former Legal Business Name (Organization) |
| Provider Other Last Name Type Code / Other Org Name Type Code | 5 | Other Name (Both) |
| Primary Taxonomy Switch | ||
| Healthcare Provider Primary Taxonomy Switch_N | Y | This is the provider's primary taxonomy |
| Healthcare Provider Primary Taxonomy Switch_N | N | This is a secondary taxonomy |
Source documentation: This reference is based on the CMS NPPES Data Dissemination Readme (v.2) and Code Values document, both updated February 1, 2025. The official documentation is available at download.cms.gov/nppes/NPI_Files.html. Full taxonomy code definitions are maintained by NUCC at nucc.org.
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