New NPI numbers by enumeration date: where CMS publishes them
Updated · Rotomal
An NPI's enumeration date is the date the NPI was assigned, so new providers are the NPIs with a recent enumeration date. CMS publishes them free in weekly incremental NPPES files, plus a monthly full file, at download.cms.gov. On 3 November 2026 the download page was back after a maintenance notice on 29 October: the monthly file dated 2 November 2026 downloaded, but the weekly file link returned 404. The NPI Registry API works and is current, but it cannot search by enumeration date and returns at most 1,200 records per query, so a weekly list from it takes many state and specialty queries.
Where CMS publishes new NPIs
| Source | What it contains | Status on 3 November 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Weekly Incremental NPI File | NPPES data for a given week; free to download | Listed (26 October to 1 November 2026, 6.03 MB), but the link returned 404 |
| Full Replacement Monthly NPI File | All FOIA-disclosable NPPES data; free | Available: file dated 2 November 2026, 1,078 MB zipped |
| Full Replacement NPI Deactivation File | Deactivated NPIs and their deactivation dates | Available: file dated 2 November 2026, 2,627 KB |
| NPI Registry API, version 2.1 | Real-time search of NPPES public data, retrieved from NPPES daily; no key needed | Working (our 29 October test returned providers enumerated that day) |
The NPPES download page: maintenance, then partly back
On 29 October 2026 at 12:25 UTC, https://download.cms.gov/nppes/NPI_Files.html held a single heading, "Important Information: This site will be down for maintance until further notice" (spelling as published), and no links to files.
On 3 November 2026 the page was back. It listed the Version 2 monthly file of 2 November 2026 (1,078.11 MB zipped), the monthly deactivation file of the same date and one weekly file, "Weekly Update - 102626_110126". The monthly and deactivation files downloaded; the weekly file's link returned 404 Not Found. The page also notes that since 3 March 2026 NPPES supports only Version 2 of the monthly and weekly files.
What "enumeration date" means
In the NPI Registry, the enumeration date is the date the NPI was assigned. It is in the weekly and monthly files and in every API result as basic.enumeration_date, next to the last updated date. A recent enumeration date usually means a provider new to billing under that NPI, such as a newly licensed clinician or a new practice organization, but CMS notes that an NPI does not prove a provider is licensed or credentialed.
What the NPI Registry API can and cannot do
- CMS runs a free NPI Registry API at npiregistry.cms.hhs.gov, with no key needed. It searches the same NPPES data as the registry website, which CMS refreshes from NPPES daily.
- It searches by NPI number, name, organization name, entity type (individual or organization), specialty (taxonomy) and location. It has no enumeration-date search, so new providers have to be picked out of the results afterwards.
- One search returns at most 1,200 records, and a state cannot be searched on its own: it needs a second criterion such as a specialty or ZIP code.
- A search that reaches the 1,200-record cap silently leaves the rest out, so a full week for a large state takes many searches split by specialty and ZIP code, each checked against the cap.
Our API test, 29 October 2026
We ran three state and specialty searches and counted providers by enumeration date. The Colorado search shows the problem: it hit the 1,200-record cap, so its October count is incomplete.
| Search | Records returned | Hit the 1,200 cap? | Newest enumeration date | Enumerated 1–28 Oct 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wyoming, nurse practitioners | 934 | No | 29 Oct 2026 | 4 |
| Vermont, dentists | 747 | No | 20 Oct 2026 | 3 |
| Colorado, dentists | 1,200 | Yes | 14 Oct 2026 | 1 (incomplete) |
Fields you get for each provider
- NPI number and enumeration type: NPI-1 for individuals, NPI-2 for organizations.
- Enumeration date, last updated date and status.
- Provider first and last name, or organization name with other names such as a DBA.
- For organizations, the authorized official's name, title and phone.
- Primary practice location and mailing address, with phone and fax numbers.
- Up to 15 taxonomies, each with a primary flag, license number and license state where provided.
- Other identifiers (up to 50), additional practice locations and any endpoints the provider listed.
What an NPI does and does not tell you
- CMS notes that issuing an NPI does not ensure or validate that a provider is licensed or credentialed.
- CMS publishes NPPES data as FOIA-disclosable and says there is no way to opt out or suppress the record of a provider with an active NPI.
- Marketing rules still apply to how you contact providers: CAN-SPAM for email, and the TCPA for autodialed or prerecorded calls and texts to mobile numbers. This is not legal advice.
Paid weekly NPI feeds
Apify actors resell NPPES data as scheduled feeds. One we checked on 29 October 2026 sells weekly lists of newly enumerated organizations (Type 2 NPIs only) built from CMS's weekly archives: a free 10-record preview, $9 per complete weekly edition for one state or territory, or $29 nationwide.
Getting a weekly list without the file work
NPI Weekly builds the list for you. When CMS's weekly file downloads we use it; when it does not, we rebuild the week from CMS's monthly file or from the NPI Registry API for your states and specialties, and label each list with how it was built. Individuals and organizations are both included, and every row links to its NPI Registry record. We confirm your states and specialties by email before you pay.
Questions
How often does CMS publish new NPI numbers?
CMS offers a weekly incremental NPI file with data for a given week and a full replacement file each month, both free. On 3 November 2026 the monthly file of 2 November downloaded, while the listed weekly file's link returned 404.
What is the enumeration date of an NPI?
The date the NPI was assigned. It appears in the NPI Registry, in every API result and in CMS's weekly and monthly files, and it is the field to filter on for new providers.
Is the NPPES download page down?
It showed only a maintenance notice on 29 October 2026. On 3 November 2026 it was back with monthly files that downloaded, but the weekly file link returned 404.
Can the NPI Registry API search by enumeration date?
No. CMS's API documentation lists no date among the search criteria (checked 3 November 2026). Each result carries the enumeration date, so new providers are filtered out after the search.
How many records can one NPI Registry API query return?
At most 1,200 records per search. Larger result sets, such as one specialty in a big state, have to be split into smaller searches, for example by ZIP code.
Is NPPES data public?
Yes. CMS says the NPPES data it disseminates is FOIA-disclosable and required to be disclosed under FOIA, and that providers with active NPIs cannot opt out. How you use it for marketing is still governed by CAN-SPAM and the TCPA; this is not legal advice.
Sources
- CMS: NPPES NPI Files download page Source: download.cms.gov
- CMS: Data Dissemination (NPPES downloadable files and FOIA) Source: cms.gov
- CMS: NPPES NPI Registry API help Source: npiregistry.cms.hhs.gov
- CMS: NPPES NPI Registry (help text: "Enumeration Date: The date the NPI was assigned") Source: npiregistry.cms.hhs.gov
- Apify: New US Healthcare Organizations, weekly NPI feed Source: apify.com
- FTC: CAN-SPAM Act compliance guide for business Source: ftc.gov
- US Code: 47 U.S.C. 227 (TCPA) Source: law.cornell.edu