Group NPI lookup
Group NPI lookup: find a medical practice's Type 2 NPI
As of 2026-08-08, a group NPI lookup means finding an NPI-2 organization record, not an individual clinician's NPI-1 record. Search the official NPI Registry by organization name and location, then match the legal business name, DBA or other name, practice address, taxonomy, and organization-subpart flag before choosing a number.
Group record type
NPI-2 organization
The clinicians in a group keep their own NPI-1 records; the organization record identifies the group or a qualifying subpart.
Best search pair
Name + location
Use the legal name or DBA with city, state, or postal code to separate similarly named organizations and locations.
Review limit
Identity, not clearance
An NPI does not establish licensure, credentialing, Medicare enrollment, exclusion status, or current authority.
Official lookup workflow
How to look up a group practice NPI
- 1. Select Organization. In the official registry, set NPI Type to the organization record family rather than Individual.
- 2. Search every known name. Try the legal business name and the DBA or practice name people actually use. Add a location to narrow common names.
- 3. Compare the returned record. Confirm NPI-2, legal and other names, practice address, taxonomy, status, and whether the row is an organization subpart.
- 4. Verify the separate compliance questions. Use the chosen NPI as an identity anchor, then check enrollment, exclusions, licensure, and credentialing in their own official systems.
Why one name can return many records
A group can have multiple Type 2 NPIs
CMS treats a group practice as an organization and allows organization subparts to carry their own Type 2 NPIs. A subpart that conducts standard HIPAA transactions separately may need its own number. Separate locations, taxonomies, and subpart flags can therefore be meaningful differences rather than duplicates.
Do not choose the first name match. Match the NPI to the legal entity, location, and billing role involved in the review. A clinician's Type 1 NPI and the group's Type 2 NPI can both be relevant to the same claim.
Unique data dimension
What a live “medical group” organization search actually returns
On 2026-08-08, the official NPI Registry API query enumeration_type=NPI-2&organization_name=medical group* returned the maximum 200 rows. This is a reproducible first-page search sample, not an estimate of all NPPES organizations.
| Observed field | Count | What it changes in a lookup |
|---|---|---|
| Returned NPI-2 records | 200 | The response hit the API's per-request ceiling, so location filters matter. |
| Distinct legal business names | 80 | One legal name can appear on more than one NPI or subpart record. |
| Legal names containing “medical group” | 72 | The visible legal name does not always contain the phrase that found it. |
| Matched through DBA/former/other name | 128 | Search the practice name people know, even when it differs from the legal name. |
| Marked organization subpart | 122 | Use location and taxonomy to distinguish a subpart from its parent organization. |
The API also refused an NPI-2-only request with error 09, “Enumeration_type requires additional search criteria.” Selecting Organization is a filter, not a complete search; supply a name, taxonomy, or location criterion with it.
Type check
Group NPI vs individual NPI
| Field | NPI-1 individual | NPI-2 organization |
|---|---|---|
| Record owner | An individual clinician or sole proprietor | A group practice, facility, corporation, or organization subpart |
| Name field | First and last name | Legal business name plus DBA, former, or other organization names |
| Common claim role | Rendering provider | Billing organization or separately identified subpart |
| What it proves | Identity in NPPES only | Organization identity in NPPES only |
Continue review
Use the group NPI as an identity anchor
Once you have the exact 10-digit organization NPI, open the record to review NPPES identity fields and OIG LEIE screening context. SourceCheckHealth does not provide credentialing or enrollment verification, legal clearance, licensure verification, or a final hiring or contracting decision.
date_retrieved: 2026-08-08. The sample records one public API response on that date; it is not a count of group practices or organization NPIs nationwide.
Reviewed by SourceCheck Health
Last reviewed: 2026-08-08. date_retrieved: 2026-08-08.
The Type 1/Type 2 guidance, organization-subpart explanation, search workflow, and dated response sample are checked against the official CMS sources linked on this page before the guidance is updated.
FAQ
Practical notes
How do I look up a group NPI number?
Search the official CMS NPI Registry with NPI Type set to Organization, then enter the group's legal business name or DBA plus a city, state, or postal code. Compare the returned NPI-2 record's organization name, other names, practice address, taxonomy, and subpart flag before selecting a number.
Is a group practice NPI Type 1 or Type 2?
A group practice that is an organization normally uses an NPI-2 organization record. The clinicians who work in the group use their own NPI-1 individual records. A sole proprietor is an individual and uses a Type 1 NPI rather than creating a separate organization NPI for the sole proprietorship.
Can one medical group have more than one NPI?
Yes. CMS explains that an organization can have multiple NPIs, and qualifying subparts may need their own Type 2 NPIs when they conduct HIPAA standard transactions separately. Match the location, taxonomy, and organization-subpart fields instead of assuming the first name match is the right billing entity.
Is a group NPI the same as a doctor's NPI?
No. A group or other organization uses an NPI-2 record, while an individual physician uses an NPI-1 record. A claim can identify the organization as the billing provider and an individual clinician as the rendering provider, so a review may need both numbers.
Does a group NPI verify credentialing or Medicare enrollment?
No. An NPI identifies a provider in standard transactions; it does not establish licensure, credentialing, Medicare enrollment, exclusion status, or current practice authority. Verify each of those questions in its own official source.