Key Takeaways
- There are 36 NDIS registration groups across 7 categories. The groups you register for determine your audit type: either a verification audit (lower-risk, documentation-based) or a certification audit (higher-risk, two-stage with a site visit).
- Eight groups require a certification audit: 0104 (High Intensity Daily Personal Activities), 0107 (Assistance with Daily Personal Activities), 0110 (Specialist Behaviour Support), 0115 (Assisted Daily Life Tasks in Group or Shared Living/SIL), 0116 (Innovative Community Participation), 0117 (Development of Daily Life and Life Skills), 0118 (Early Intervention Supports for Early Childhood), and 0132 (Specialist Support Coordination).
- If even one of your selected registration groups requires certification, your entire registration goes through the certification pathway. You cannot mix pathways.
- Allied health providers registering only for group 0128 (Therapeutic Supports) need a verification audit, not certification. This covers occupational therapists, physiotherapists, speech pathologists, psychologists, and podiatrists.
- From 1 July 2026, registration is mandatory for providers of Supported Independent Living (group 0115) and platform-based providers. Delivering SIL without registration after that date is a criminal offence with a maximum penalty of 5 years imprisonment.
- Mandatory registration for support coordinators (group 0106) has been paused while the NDIS Commission considers broader reform, including the NDIS navigator model.
- Broader mandatory registration covering personal care, daily activities, and supports in closed settings is expected to commence from July 2027, with full rollout by December 2030.
Which NDIS registration groups you need, and what audit they trigger, is one of the most consequential decisions a new or growing provider makes. Get it wrong and you either over-commit to a certification audit you do not need, or register under the wrong groups and face compliance action when auditors assess what you actually deliver. With mandatory registration expanding, the stakes are higher than at any point since the NDIS Commission was established.
This guide maps all 36 registration groups to their audit pathways, explains the difference between verification and certification, flags which groups now carry mandatory registration obligations, and provides practical guidance by provider type.
The Two Audit Pathways: Verification and Certification
Every registered NDIS provider goes through one of two audit pathways. Which pathway applies depends entirely on the registration groups you hold.
Verification Audit
The verification pathway applies to providers delivering lower-risk supports. It is a documentation-only assessment: no site visit, no staff interviews. The auditor reviews evidence of your professional qualifications, relevant insurance (professional indemnity and public liability), and policies for incident management, complaints handling, and risk management. There is no assessment against the NDIS Practice Standards.
For most allied health sole traders and small practices registering only for therapeutic supports (group 0128), the verification audit is the complete process. It is significantly faster and cheaper than certification.
Certification Audit
The certification pathway applies to providers delivering higher-risk, higher-complexity supports. It involves two stages: a desktop review of your documentation against the NDIS Practice Standards Core Module (and any applicable specialist modules), followed by an on-site visit to your service locations. Auditors interview staff, review participant records, and observe service delivery environments.
Every certification-level provider must comply with the Core Module of the NDIS Practice Standards, which covers rights and responsibilities, governance and operational management, the provision of supports, and the support provision environment. Providers of four specific support types must also comply with specialist modules in addition to the Core Module:
- Specialist Module 1 (High Intensity Daily Personal Activities): applies to group 0104
- Specialist Module 2 (Specialist Behaviour Support): applies to group 0110
- Specialist Module 3 (Early Childhood Support): applies to group 0118
- Specialist Module 4 (Specialist Support Coordination): applies to group 0132
The Contamination Rule
If you register for any single group that requires certification, your entire registration is assessed at certification level. A physiotherapy practice that adds group 0107 (Daily Personal Activities) to its existing therapeutic supports registration must undergo a full certification audit, even though 0128 alone would qualify for verification. Review your group selection carefully before submitting your application.
All 36 Registration Groups: Mapped by Category and Audit Type
The 36 registration groups sit across 7 categories. The table below maps each group to its audit pathway and flags the groups with mandatory registration obligations currently in force or planned.
| Group | Name | Audit | Mandatory? | |---|---|---|---| | Daily Activities | | | | | 0104 | High Intensity Daily Personal Activities | Certification | From July 2027* | | 0107 | Assistance with Daily Personal Activities | Certification | From July 2027* | | 0117 | Development of Daily Life and Life Skills | Certification | No | | 0120 | Household Tasks | Verification | No | | Community Participation | | | | | 0116 | Innovative Community Participation | Certification | No | | 0125 | Participate Community | Verification | No | | Employment Supports | | | | | 0102 | Assistance to Access and Maintain Employment or Higher Education | Verification | No | | 0133 | Specialised Supported Employment | Verification | No | | Accommodation Supports | | | | | 0101 | Accommodation/Tenancy Assistance | Verification | No | | 0108 | Assistance with Travel/Transport Arrangements | Verification | No | | 0115 | Assistance with Daily Life Tasks in Group or Shared Living (SIL) | Certification | 1 July 2026 | | 0131 | Specialist Disability Accommodation | Verification | No | | Specialised Support | | | | | 0106 | Assistance in Coordinating or Managing Life Stages, Transitions and Supports | Verification | Paused | | 0110 | Specialist Behaviour Support | Certification | No | | 0114 | Community Nursing Care | Verification | No | | 0118 | Early Intervention Supports for Early Childhood | Certification | No | | 0119 | Specialised Hearing Services | Verification | No | | 0132 | Specialist Support Coordination | Certification | No | | Assistive Technology and Equipment | | | | | 0103 | Assistive Products for Personal Care and Safety | Verification | No | | 0105 | Personal Mobility Equipment | Verification | No | | 0109 | Vehicle Modifications | Verification | No | | 0111 | Home Modifications | Verification | No | | 0112 | Assistive Equipment for Recreation | Verification | No | | 0113 | Vision Equipment | Verification | No | | 0121 | Interpreting and Translation | Verification | No | | 0122 | Hearing Equipment | Verification | No | | 0126 | Exercise Physiology and Personal Training | Verification | No | | 0128 | Therapeutic Supports | Verification | No | | 0129 | Specialised Driver Training | Verification | No | | 0130 | Assistance Animals | Verification | No | | 0134 | Hearing Services | Verification | No | | Support Coordination and Plan Management | | | | | 0127 | Plan Management | Verification | No |
*Mandatory registration for groups 0104 and 0107 (personal care and daily activities) is part of the broader expansion expected to commence from July 2027, with full rollout by December 2030. The commencement date for this phase has not yet been formally announced. Check the NDIS Commission's mandatory registration page for the current position.
Platform-based providers connecting NDIS participants with supports through digital matching models must also register under the relevant groups for the supports they facilitate. For platforms connecting participants with SIL supports, mandatory registration applies from 1 July 2026 on the same terms as direct SIL providers.
Mandatory Registration: What Is in Force and What Is Coming
1 July 2026: SIL and Platform Providers
From 1 July 2026, all providers of Supported Independent Living (group 0115) and platform-based providers must be registered with the NDIS Commission. This obligation was created by the NDIS Amendment (Integrity and Safeguarding) Act 2026, which passed Parliament on 31 March 2026. Delivering SIL without registration after that date is a criminal offence carrying a maximum of 5 years imprisonment for an individual.
SIL registration requires a certification audit. The standard process takes 3 to 6 months under normal conditions. With the deadline less than 7 weeks away, providers who have not started are behind. The NDIS SIL mandatory registration guide covers the steps in detail.
Support Coordination: Paused
Mandatory registration for group 0106 (standard support coordination) was announced in September 2024 but has since been paused. The NDIS Commission is considering broader reform, including how support coordination will sit within the new NDIS navigator model. Unregistered support coordinators are not required to register at this time, but they still owe obligations under the NDIS Code of Conduct. The NDIS unregistered provider obligations guide covers what applies. Specialist Support Coordinators (group 0132) remain subject to existing registration requirements.
July 2027 to December 2030: Broader Expansion
Mandatory registration will expand to cover groups 0107 (personal care) and other daily activities supports in closed settings, commencing from July 2027 and reaching full implementation by December 2030. The sequencing of specific groups within this phase has not yet been formally announced. The NDIS Amendment Bill 2025 guide covers the legislative changes that created these obligations.
Which Audit Do I Need? Key Provider Scenarios
Allied health (OT, physio, speech pathology, psychology): Register under group 0128 (Therapeutic Supports) for a verification audit. You need AHPRA registration, professional indemnity insurance, and policies for incident management and complaints. If you also deliver personal care under group 0107, the entire registration moves to certification.
Personal care providers: Group 0107 (Assistance with Daily Personal Activities) requires certification. Providers delivering complex clinical supports, including subcutaneous injections, enteral feeding, catheter care, or complex wound management, register under group 0104 and must also comply with Specialist Module 1 of the Practice Standards. The NDIS audit preparation checklist covers what documentation auditors assess at each stage.
Support coordinators: Group 0106 (standard support coordination) is verification-only. Group 0132 (Specialist Support Coordination) requires full certification including Specialist Module 4. Plan managers register under group 0127, also verification.
Behaviour support practitioners: Group 0110 requires certification, Specialist Module 2, and individual practitioner approval from the NDIS Commission. For providers implementing regulated restrictive practices, the NDIS restrictive practices compliance guide covers behaviour support plan obligations and reporting requirements.
How ClinicComply Helps
The most common reason NDIS providers fail their first certification audit is missing or inadequate documentation, not a gap in service delivery. The Practice Standards Core Module assesses whether your governance, incident management, complaints handling, and support documentation are operating as designed. Auditors do not accept policies that have never been applied.
ClinicComply maps your registration groups to the specific Core Module and Specialist Module criteria that apply to your provider type. Upload evidence against each criterion, assign preparation tasks to team members with deadlines, and see at a glance which areas have documented evidence and which are gaps. Every upload is timestamped and attributed, giving your approved quality auditor an organised evidence file when the desktop review begins.
Our NDIS policy templates cover every Practice Standards criterion. Use the NDIS Compliance Quiz for a rapid assessment of your current position, and the NDIS Audit Cost Estimator to understand what your audit will cost before approaching auditors for quotes. Start your free 30-day trial at cliniccomply.com.au/signup.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are NDIS registration groups?
Registration groups are the NDIS Commission's classification system for the types of supports and services a provider is authorised to deliver. There are 36 groups across 7 categories. When you apply for NDIS registration, you nominate the groups that match the supports you deliver, and those groups determine what audit you must complete and what Practice Standards criteria apply to your organisation.
How many NDIS registration groups require a certification audit?
Eight registration groups trigger the certification audit pathway: 0104 (High Intensity Daily Personal Activities), 0107 (Assistance with Daily Personal Activities), 0110 (Specialist Behaviour Support), 0115 (Assistance with Daily Life Tasks in Group or Shared Living), 0116 (Innovative Community Participation), 0117 (Development of Daily Life and Life Skills), 0118 (Early Intervention Supports for Early Childhood), and 0132 (Specialist Support Coordination). All other groups use the verification pathway.
What is the difference between a verification and certification audit?
A verification audit is a documentation-only assessment where the auditor reviews your qualifications, insurance, and basic operational policies. No site visit is required. A certification audit involves two stages: a desktop review of your documentation against the NDIS Practice Standards, followed by an on-site visit to your service locations. Certification audits are significantly more intensive and take longer to complete. Under normal conditions, the full certification process takes 3 to 6 months from auditor engagement to Commission registration.
Do I need a certification audit for occupational therapy or physiotherapy?
No. Allied health providers registering only for group 0128 (Therapeutic Supports) need a verification audit, not certification. This covers occupational therapy, physiotherapy, speech pathology, psychology, podiatry, and other therapeutic services. You will need to demonstrate relevant AHPRA or professional body registration, professional indemnity insurance, and operational policies for incident management and complaints. If you also deliver personal care supports under group 0107, the whole registration requires certification.
What registration group does support coordination fall under?
Standard support coordination falls under group 0106 (Assistance in Coordinating or Managing Life Stages, Transitions and Supports), which requires a verification audit. Specialist Support Coordination falls under group 0132, which requires a full certification audit including compliance with Specialist Module 4 of the NDIS Practice Standards. Plan management is group 0127, also verification-only.
Is support coordination registration mandatory from 1 July 2026?
No. The government announced in September 2024 that support coordination would become mandatory, but that plan has since been paused. Mandatory registration for support coordination is on hold while the Commission considers broader NDIS reform, including the new navigator model. Mandatory registration for SIL providers (group 0115) and platform providers did proceed from 1 July 2026. Specialist Support Coordinators (group 0132) remain subject to existing registration requirements.
Which registration groups are mandatory from 1 July 2026?
Providers of Supported Independent Living (group 0115) and platform-based providers must be registered by 1 July 2026. Delivering SIL without registration from that date is a criminal offence. No other groups carry mandatory registration obligations from that date. Broader mandatory registration covering groups 0104 and 0107 is expected to commence from July 2027, with full rollout by December 2030.