NPI Numbers for NEMT Companies: Type 1 vs Type 2, Taxonomy Codes and How to Apply (2027)

A National Provider Identifier (NPI) is the 10-digit number that identifies a health care provider on claims and enrollment records. If you run an NEMT company as an LLC or corporation, the company needs its own Type 2 (organization) NPI, issued to the company's legal name and EIN, with a transportation taxonomy code your state Medicaid program accepts. The owner's personal NPI is not a substitute. The NPI is free from CMS through NPPES, and you get it before you enroll with Medicaid, not after.

The short answer

• LLC, corporation or partnership: apply for a Type 2 NPI using the business's EIN and the legal name on file with the IRS.
• Sole proprietor with no entity: apply for a Type 1 NPI under your own name and SSN. CMS allows a sole proprietorship only one NPI.
• Taxonomy: the NUCC code written for wheelchair van and ambulatory service is 343900000X, Non-emergency Medical Transport (VAN). Some states require a different code, so check the provider manual before you apply.
• Cost: none. Do not pay a service to file it for you.
• Upkeep: report changes to NPPES within 30 days.

Type 1 or Type 2: which NPI an NEMT company needs

The CMS NPI application instructions (form CMS-10114) define two entity types. Type 1 is an individual who furnishes health care, and CMS states that "a sole proprietorship is an Entity Type 1 (Individual)" and must report an SSN, not an EIN, even if it has one. Type 2 is an organization, which the form describes as groups, corporations and partnerships, and it lists ambulance companies as an example. CMS adds that solely owned corporations get Type 2 NPIs.

How your business is set up	NPI type	Tax ID on the application
Sole proprietor, no LLC or corporation	Type 1	Your SSN
Single-member LLC	Type 2	The LLC's EIN
Multi-member LLC or partnership	Type 2	The entity's EIN
Corporation, including a one-owner corporation	Type 2	The corporation's EIN

The CMS form does not name LLCs. State Medicaid programs fill that gap. California's Medi-Cal, for example, tells transportation providers that corporations, LLCs and partnerships must use a Type 2 NPI, and our California NEMT startup guide covers that state's enrollment in detail. If you formed an LLC to hold your vans and contracts, plan on a Type 2.

An owner who is also a licensed clinician, such as a nurse, may already have a personal Type 1 NPI. CMS allows an incorporated individual to hold a Type 1 for themselves and a Type 2 for the company. Keep them separate. Trips your company runs get billed under the company's Type 2.

Who actually requires the NPI

The old version of this article said an NPI is "required to bill Medicaid, Medicare and private insurance" and that "every administrative and financial transaction" needs one. Both overstate it. Here is what the rules say.

• HIPAA. Under 45 CFR 162.410, a covered health care provider must obtain an NPI, use it in the HIPAA standard transactions where a provider identifier is required (electronic claims, for example), and report changes within 30 days. A covered provider is one that transmits health information electronically in one of those transactions (45 CFR 160.103). The rule does not reach every phone call or invoice.
• Medicaid. This is the requirement that matters for most NEMT companies. 42 CFR 431.107(b)(5) requires every Medicaid provider agreement to include the provider's promise to furnish its NPI to the state "if eligible for an NPI" and to put it on all Medicaid claims. Transportation companies are eligible, so state enrollment applications ask for it. Medicaid managed care plans must use state-enrolled network providers under 42 CFR 438.602(b), so the same NPI follows you into broker and plan networks.
• Medicare. Medicare Part B pays for ambulance transport under 42 CFR 410.40 and, per Medicare.gov, only when other transport could endanger the patient's health. It has no wheelchair van or sedan benefit, so most NEMT companies never bill Original Medicare.
• Private pay and facility contracts. No federal rule requires an NPI to sell a ride to a rider or invoice a hospital or nursing home under a direct contract. Get one anyway if Medicaid or plan work is in your plans.

NEMT taxonomy codes

Every NPI carries at least one taxonomy code from the NUCC Health Care Provider Taxonomy code set, which describes what kind of provider you are. Ground transportation sits in the Transportation Services grouping. These are the codes and NUCC definitions in version 26.1 (effective July 1, 2026):

Code	NUCC name	NUCC definition, in short
343900000X	Non-emergency Medical Transport (VAN)	A land vehicle able to meet special height, clearance, access and seating needs, carrying people in non-emergency situations
343800000X	Secured Medical Transport (VAN)	Vehicles equipped for enhanced safety, security and restraint, staffed by people trained to work with patients in mental health or substance use crises
344600000X	Taxi	A commercial land vehicle for non-emergency transport that meets local, county or state rules
347B00000X	Bus	A public or private organization licensed to provide bus service
347C00000X	Private Vehicle	An individual paid to provide non-emergency rides in a vehicle they own or lease
347D00000X	Train	A licensed passenger rail provider
347E00000X	Transportation Broker	An organization that arranges transportation to medical care for people with no other means
342000000X	Transportation Network Company	A ride-share company providing prearranged non-emergency medical rides through an app or website
341600000X	Ambulance	Emergency vehicles; subtypes 3416L0300X (land), 3416A0800X (air) and 3416S0300X (water)
172A00000X	Driver	A person employed to operate a motor vehicle carrying people or property (listed under Other Service Providers, not Transportation Services)

Your state picks the code, not the definition

NPPES lets you choose any code, but the Medicaid program decides which one it will pay against, and states do not agree.

• Texas: the Medical Transportation Program handbook lists 343800000X for demand response transportation providers, even though NUCC defines that code as secured behavioral health transport. See our Texas NEMT licensing guide.
• North Carolina: the NCTracks NEMT billing fact sheet requires a taxonomy on every claim and says to use 343900000X, including for taxi and bus procedure codes.
• Ohio: the Medicaid department's taxonomy guide for aging waiver providers lists 343900000X, 347C00000X and 172A00000X as possible transportation codes, depending on who is enrolling.

Pull your state's Medicaid transportation provider manual before you apply. You can list several taxonomy codes on one NPI and mark one as primary, so add every code a payer you plan to work with expects, with the state's code as primary.

How to apply for a Type 2 NPI, step by step

Have these ready first:

• The company's legal business name and EIN exactly as the IRS issued them. The IRS CP 575 notice confirms both.
• Any DBA name you operate under.
• A business mailing address and a primary practice location address, with phone numbers.
• Your taxonomy code or codes, plus any state license or permit numbers tied to them.
• Your state Medicaid provider ID, if you already have one. It is optional.
• The name, title and phone number of the authorized official and of a contact person.

1. Create a login. From the NPPES home page, set up an account in the CMS Identity & Access Management (I&A) system, then sign in to NPPES.
2. Start a new application for an organization. This is the step the old article got wrong: do not choose the individual path for an LLC or corporation. When asked whether the organization is a subpart, a single-location company usually answers no.
3. Enter the legal business name and EIN. Match the IRS record character for character. Put a DBA in the "other name" field, not in the legal name.
4. Enter addresses. CMS asks you not to list a home address unless it really is the business address. Practice location data is published in the public NPI Registry.
5. Select taxonomy codes. Put the code your state requires first and add any license numbers that apply.
6. Add other identifiers. If you already hold a state Medicaid ID, list it with the state. CMS says you do not need these numbers to get an NPI.
7. Name the authorized official and contact person. Under CMS-10114, the authorized official must be someone such as a general partner, CEO, CFO, board chair or a direct owner of 5% or more, with authority to bind the company.
8. Certify and submit. The NPI notice goes to the contact person. Once issued, search your record in the NPI Registry and confirm every field.

Timing. CMS does not publish a guaranteed turnaround. Its How to Apply page says the web application gives "the most efficient application processing and the fastest receipt of NPIs." A complete online application usually comes back within days. Paper takes longer. If it stalls, the NPI Enumerator is at 1-800-465-3203 or customerserviceNPIenumerator@cms.hhs.gov.

Keep the record current: the 30-day rule

45 CFR 162.410(a)(4) requires covered providers to report changes to their NPPES data within 30 days, and the authorized official agrees to the same deadline when signing. Common triggers for an NEMT company: a move, a new practice location address, a legal name change, a new authorized official after an ownership change, and added or dropped service types. Your NPI number does not change when the data does. Brokers, plans and state systems match on name, address and taxonomy, so stale data can get claims and credentialing files kicked back.

Common mistakes

• A Type 1 NPI for an LLC. If the company holds the contracts and the EIN, the company needs the Type 2.
• Billing under the owner's personal NPI. Your Medicaid enrollment, claims and payee should all be the company.
• Name mismatches. "ABC Transport LLC" at the IRS and "ABC Medical Transportation" in NPPES can get an enrollment rejected. CMS-10114 warns that insurers may not recognize you if records do not match.
• The wrong taxonomy. Choosing a code from its name instead of from the state manual, as the Texas example shows.
• A home address on a public record. Use a business address if you have one.
• Paying for it. In the NPI final rule, HHS said providers "will not be charged a fee to be assigned NPIs or to update their NPS data."
• Letting the record go stale after a move or an ownership change.

Where the NPI fits in Medicaid enrollment

1. Form the business with your state and get a free EIN from the IRS.
2. Get the Type 2 NPI with your state's taxonomy code.
3. Enroll with the state Medicaid program, entering the NPI on the application.
4. Get credentialed with the brokers or managed care transportation vendors in your area.

The full sequence, with vehicles, insurance and licensing, is in our guide to starting a medical transportation business. For the term itself, see the glossary entry for NPI (National Provider Identifier).

Listings in the NEMTrepreneur provider directory show the company's NPI, which helps facilities and brokers confirm who you are. Add your listing here. For rule changes like these as they happen, subscribe to The NEMTrepreneur Dispatch.

Frequently asked questions

Does an NEMT company need an NPI?

If it bills Medicaid or a Medicaid managed care plan, yes. Federal rules require Medicaid providers eligible for an NPI to give it to the state and put it on every claim. A company that only runs private pay and facility contract trips is not required to have one, though most get one before they pursue Medicaid work.

Is a Type 1 or Type 2 NPI right for an NEMT LLC?

Type 2. An LLC, corporation or partnership applies as an organization under its EIN. Only a sole proprietor with no entity uses a Type 1, under their SSN.

What taxonomy code should a wheelchair van company use?

Start with 343900000X, Non-emergency Medical Transport (VAN), which North Carolina and Ohio guidance list. Some states differ: Texas Medicaid lists 343800000X for demand response providers. Use the code in your state's transportation provider manual as primary.

Is an NPI free, and how long does it take?

It is free from CMS through NPPES. CMS does not publish a set timeframe but says online applications are processed fastest, and a complete online application is usually issued within days.

Do NEMT drivers need their own NPIs?

Generally no. Employee drivers work under the company's NPI. The exception is a driver who enrolls as a provider in their own right, such as an independent driver in some state waiver programs, where codes like 172A00000X (Driver) or 347C00000X (Private Vehicle) can apply. Some states also enroll drivers individually. Minnesota, for example, requires individual transportation drivers to enroll with its Medicaid program. Check your state's rules.