NPI Taxonomy Codes

NUCC Health Care Provider Taxonomy code set, version 26.1 (effective July 1, 2026) · 870 active codes

A taxonomy code is a 10-character code that describes a health care provider's classification and area of specialization, such as family medicine, cardiology or clinical social work. Providers list one or more taxonomy codes when they get an NPI, and health plans and billing systems use them to tell what kind of provider they are dealing with. Search the full code set below or browse it by grouping.

Results for “315P00000X”

1 matching code

• 315P00000X Intellectual Disabilities Intermediate Care Facility
  Nursing & Custodial Care Facilities › Intermediate Care Facility, Intellectual Disabilities
  Definition

  An intermediate care facility providing services for individuals with intellectual disabilities.

  Find providers with this code

Popular taxonomy codes

Well-known codes for common specialties. Each one links to a provider search limited to that exact code.

How taxonomy codes work

The codes come from the Health Care Provider Taxonomy code set, which the National Uniform Claim Committee (NUCC) maintains and publishes twice a year, in January and July. Each code is a unique, ten-character alphanumeric identifier. NUCC organizes the set in three levels: a provider grouping, a classification within it, and, for some codes, an area of specialization within that.

Not every code has all three levels. Many stop at the classification, for example a code for Internal Medicine in general, with more specific codes for its subspecialties. In version 26.1, every code ends in the letter X. Beyond that, the characters have no meaning you need to decode: look codes up here rather than reading them.

Codes are self-selected by providers to describe their specialty area, not the services they render. To get an NPI, an application has to include a taxonomy code that reflects the applicant's classification and specialization. NUCC publishes new versions in January and July, and codes can be added, changed or retired. Retired codes show as “Inactive” in search results here and are left out of the browse list.

Primary and other taxonomy codes

A provider can list more than one taxonomy code, but has to mark one as the primary code. The NPPES data file has room for 15 codes per provider, and most providers fill in only a few. A physician might list internal medicine as primary and cardiovascular disease as a second code.

This affects searches. NPILayer's Provider Search and the API's taxonomy filter match a provider's primary taxonomy code only, so a provider who lists cardiology only as a secondary code does not appear when you search for the cardiology code. The free-text specialty search behaves the same way. It is a deliberate choice that keeps results focused on what each provider mainly does.

Browse all taxonomy codes

All 870 active codes, grouped as NUCC groups them. Open a grouping to see its codes. Each code links to a provider search for that exact code.

• Agencies (15)
• Allopathic & Osteopathic Physicians (238)
• Ambulatory Health Care Facilities (63)
• Behavioral Health & Social Service Providers (40)
• Chiropractic Providers (12)
• Dental Providers (20)
• Dietary & Nutritional Service Providers (13)
• Emergency Medical Service Providers (5)
• Eye and Vision Services Providers (17)
• Group (2)
• Hospital Units (5)
• Hospitals (18)
• Laboratories (4)
• Managed Care Organizations (4)
• Nursing & Custodial Care Facilities (13)
• Nursing Service Providers (59)
• Nursing Service Related Providers (13)
• Other Service Providers (38)
• Pharmacy Service Providers (19)
• Physician Assistants & Advanced Practice Nursing Providers (58)
• Podiatric Medicine & Surgery Service Providers (9)
• Residential Treatment Facilities (8)
• Respiratory, Developmental, Rehabilitative and Restorative Service Providers (82)
• Respite Care Facility (5)
• Speech, Language and Hearing Service Providers (9)
• Student, Health Care (1)
• Suppliers (31)
• Technologists, Technicians & Other Technical Service Providers (52)
• Transportation Services (17)

Taxonomy codes in the API

The same code set is available through the NPILayer API, so your software does not need its own copy. Search it by keyword or code:

curl -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
  "https://api.npilayer.com/v1/taxonomies/search?q=cardiovascular"

The provider endpoints accept a taxonomy parameter to filter by an exact code. See the taxonomy endpoint documentation and the provider endpoint documentation, or get a free API key.

Frequently asked questions

Where do I find a provider's taxonomy code?

On their NPI record. Our NPI lookup shows a provider's primary taxonomy code and specialty. The CMS NPI Registry shows the taxonomy details on a provider's record as well.

How do I choose the right taxonomy code for my own NPI application?

Pick the code that reflects your classification and specialization. CMS says you can select more than one, but you must mark one as primary. CMS also publishes a crosswalk on data.cms.gov that links Medicare provider and supplier types to taxonomy codes.

Is a taxonomy code the same as a specialty or a license?

No. It is the specialty area a provider chose to report. It does not show board certification, a license, or what services they actually perform.

Why does a provider have several taxonomy codes?

Providers may list more than one code, for example a general classification and a subspecialty, with one marked as primary.

Sources and attribution

• Health Care Provider Taxonomy, National Uniform Claim Committee
• Find Your Taxonomy Code, CMS