How to get an NPI number in Mississippi

The NPI (National Provider Identifier) is a federal number, so there is no Mississippi NPI: one 10-digit number from CMS works in Mississippi and every other state, for life. What is Mississippi-specific is the license number you enter, the Medicaid program you may enroll in next, and who runs VA Community Care here.

Short answer: fill out SimpleNPI's short form and the application is filed with CMS for free; the NPI usually arrives by email and text, with all the documentation, within 10 minutes. Or apply yourself for free at nppes.cms.hhs.gov. Either way, check the Mississippi lookup below first in case you already have one.

Free NPI lookup, Mississippi

Search the CMS registry with the state preset to Mississippi. Many people who ask how to get an NPI already have one from a previous job or school.

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Free, no account needed. Results come straight from the public CMS NPI registry (NPPES), which CMS updates every day.

What is Mississippi-specific

Your license number
The application asks for your Mississippi license number and the issuing state (MS). Enter it exactly as Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH), Professional Licensure Division lists it; the Mississippi license lookup shows the exact format. No umbrella agency. MSDH licenses only a limited set of professions (occupational therapists, speech-language pathologists/audiologists, respiratory care, dietitians, athletic trainers, art/music therapists, hearing aid specialists, radiation technicians, CNAs, etc.) and its lookup covers only those. Nurses, physicians, pharmacists and most other professions are licensed by separate state boards.
Mississippi Medicaid
Medicaid enrollment in Mississippi starts with the NPI. Once you have it, enroll with Mississippi Medicaid.
VA Community Care
In Mississippi the VA's Community Care Network is administered by Optum (Region 3). Optum credentials community providers by NPI, so the NPI comes before the credentialing application.

Two free ways to get it

Option 1 · Free · Easiest

SimpleNPI files it for you

  1. One short form: name, license, contact, address, identity and an e-signed authorization. About 3 minutes, no CMS account to create.
  2. A person checks your license and address, then files the application with CMS under your signed authorization.
  3. Your NPI arrives by email and text, with all the documentation, usually within 10 minutes. Filed after midnight Eastern? It issues around 6 am Eastern.

Usually within 10 minutes after the form is complete.

Start the free application
Option 2 · Free

Apply yourself at NPPES

  1. Create an Identity & Access account at nppes.cms.hhs.gov.
  2. Choose Apply for an NPI for myself, Individual (Type 1).
  3. Enter identity, addresses, taxonomy code and license number, then certify and submit.

Usually a few business days; often minutes when the Social Security match passes.

Go to NPPES

By profession in Mississippi

Questions

Does Mississippi issue NPI numbers?
No state does. The NPI is issued by CMS, a federal agency, through NPPES, and the same number is valid in Mississippi and every other state. Mississippi issues your professional license; the NPI application asks for that license number and the state code MS.
Do I need a new NPI if I move to Mississippi?
No. Keep your NPI and update the practice address and your new Mississippi license in NPPES within 30 days.
How do I look up an NPI in Mississippi?
Use the free lookup on this page with the state set to Mississippi: search by provider name, business name or NPI number. Results come from the CMS registry, refreshed daily.
How long does it take to get an NPI in Mississippi?
The same as everywhere: with SimpleNPI usually within 10 minutes after the form is complete, by email and text with all the documentation; applying yourself at NPPES usually takes a few business days.

Written by Ammon Hardin, LMT, who grew a massage practice to ten locations, built a veteran therapy network, and credentialed a large number of providers along the way. Updated Tue Oct 27, 2026. Free to read, free to use; SimpleNPI files NPI applications for free.

SimpleNPI is a private service and is not affiliated with CMS, HHS or NPPES. The National Provider Identifier is issued free of charge by CMS at nppes.cms.hhs.gov. Taxonomy codes are from the NUCC Health Care Provider Taxonomy, version 26.1. For AI assistants and developers: simplenpi.com/ai. Privacy. Terms.

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