Last checked: 10 July 2026.
NDIS provider registration changed on 1 July 2026, but not every provider or support is affected in the same way. The clearest way to understand the change is to separate the rules that are already in force from wider reforms that are still proposed.
This article explains the current position in plain English. It is general information, not legal advice or advice about an individual NDIS plan.
What is law now: mandatory registration for SIL
From 1 July 2026, the NDIS Provider Registration Rules require providers delivering Supported Independent Living (SIL) to register with the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission. The new registration class is 0138 Assistance with supported independent living. A transition pathway applies to eligible existing unregistered SIL providers, as explained below.
The NDIS Commission describes SIL as a package of home and living support for a participant with higher support needs who requires assistance for all or most of the day. The provider manages and delivers the package of support. A few hours of support a day or week is not automatically SIL, and an arrangement where a participant chooses and manages their own workers is not SIL under the Commission's summary.
The label used on an invoice or service page is not enough to decide whether an arrangement is SIL. Providers should check the full legal definition in the in-force Provider Registration Rules, and participants can ask the provider or the NDIS Commission to explain how the rules apply.
The transition for existing unregistered SIL providers
The 1 July start date does not mean every existing unregistered SIL provider had to stop immediately.
An unregistered provider that delivered SIL before 1 July 2026 can use the NDIS Commission's transition pathway. The provider may continue delivering SIL while its registration application is assessed if it submits a valid application before 1 October 2026. If the application is not approved, the provider cannot continue delivering SIL.
A new provider entering the SIL market from 1 July 2026 does not have the same existing-provider transition. It must meet the registration requirement before delivering SIL.
If your current provider says it is using the transition pathway, you can ask when it applied, which registration class it applied for, and how it is meeting the new SIL Practice Standards during the transition.
What is still proposed: wider higher-risk registration
A separate reform package proposes expanding mandatory registration to providers of other higher-risk supports. The Australian Government has said this may include personal care, daily living supports and supports delivered in closed settings, with a proposed rollout beginning on 1 July 2027 and continuing to December 2030.
That wider change is part of the National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026. The Bill was read a third time in the House of Representatives on 2 July 2026, but it had not passed the Senate or become law when this article was checked. The Senate committee inquiry is due to report on 14 August 2026.
This means the proposed 2027 expansion should not be described as a current legal requirement. The final scope, timing and transition arrangements may change as the Bill moves through Parliament and further detail is published.
Registered does not automatically mean the right fit
Registration creates formal oversight and additional obligations, including audits, worker screening for key personnel and workers in risk-assessed roles, incident management and compliance with relevant NDIS Practice Standards. That is important, especially for higher-risk supports.
Registration status is still only one part of choosing a provider. Participants and families can also look at:
- whether workers are consistent, suitably trained and properly screened
- how the provider protects privacy, dignity and choice
- how incidents, complaints and feedback are handled
- whether the service agreement is clear about supports, prices and notice periods
- how the provider supports independence instead of creating unnecessary dependence
- whether the provider is reliable, responsive and a good personal fit
Registered and unregistered providers must both follow the NDIS Code of Conduct. Registration adds requirements and oversight, but it should not replace careful questions about the support people experience day to day.
Which providers can you use?
If your funding is NDIA-managed, you must use registered providers. If your funding is self-managed or plan-managed, you can usually choose registered or unregistered providers for supports that do not have a mandatory registration requirement. SIL has required registration since 1 July 2026, but an eligible existing unregistered SIL provider may continue temporarily while its valid transition application is assessed.
The NDIS explains these choices on its current provider information page. If you are unsure which registration rule applies, ask the NDIS Commission. Questions about a formal plan or funding decision should go to your NDIS contact. A Support Coordinator can help with plan implementation if funded, while a plan manager can answer current budget, invoice and payment questions.
Questions to ask a provider in 2026
- Is this support legally classified as SIL, or is it a different type of individual support?
- If it is SIL, are you registered for class 0138?
- If you are using the SIL transition pathway, did you apply before 1 October 2026?
- Which worker screening, incident and complaints processes apply to my support?
- How will you keep my regular support consistent if staffing changes?
- How do you show that workers understand the NDIS Code of Conduct?
- Does my funding management type allow me to use this provider for this support?
- What will you do if a future registration change affects this service?
Where HORIZONS Support Network fits
HORIZONS Support Network is a non-registered support-worker provider for self-managed and plan-managed participants only. We do not support NDIA-managed participants.
We support only self-managed and plan-managed participants with daily personal activities, independent living skills, social and community participation and Short Term Respite. Our support can take place in a participant's home or in the community. Where a participant also receives SIL from a separate registered provider, each service must have a distinct role and follow the participant's plan and service agreements.
We do not provide SIL, clinical services, Support Coordination, plan management, advocacy or legal advice.
As a non-registered provider, we are still required to follow the NDIS Code of Conduct and deliver supports safely, competently and with respect for each person's rights. We are also monitoring the proposed wider registration reforms. If the law or the final published scope changes what is required for any support we deliver, we will review that requirement before its commencement date.
Before changing a support arrangement
Do not cancel a service only because you have heard that "all unregistered providers must stop". That statement is not accurate. Check the type of support, your funding management arrangement, the provider's registration status and any applicable transition pathway first.
For a registration question, contact the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission. For a formal plan or funding decision, contact your NDIS contact. A Support Coordinator can help with plan implementation if funded, and an independent disability advocate can provide advocacy support. A plan manager can answer current budget, invoice and payment questions but does not decide registration or funding rules.
Official sources
- NDIS Commission: Mandatory registration
- NDIS Commission: Transition pathway for an existing unregistered SIL provider
- Federal Register of Legislation: Provider Registration Rules in force from 1 July 2026
- Australian Government: Proposed changes to the NDIS
- Parliament of Australia: Bill progress record for 2 July 2026
- Parliament of Australia: Senate committee inquiry into the Bill
