NDIS Mandatory Registration for SIL Providers: What Changed on 1 July 2026?
If you deliver Supported Independent Living (SIL), the regulatory framework has changed. From 1 July 2026, mandatory NDIS registration applies to SIL providers, together with the new SIL Practice Standards.
From 1 July 2026, mandatory registration begins for SIL providers. If you deliver SIL supports, you'll need to be registered with the NDIS Commission and meet a new set of SIL-specific Practice Standards. This is the biggest regulatory shift the sector has seen in years, and the timeline is firm.
Depending on your situation, you may have less to do than you expect. The path to registration changes depending on where you're starting from, and some of the deadlines leave little room if you miss them. Working out which path is yours is the first thing to get right.
This guide is the big picture: what's changing, why it's happening, the dates that matter, and how to find the pathway that applies to you. It's general information to help you get your bearings, not legal advice, so always check the NDIS Commission's Reform Hub and speak with your approved quality auditor before you act.
What is changing for SIL providers?
Supported Independent Living is help with, and supervision of, everyday tasks so a person can live as independently as possible. It's usually delivered in a shared home, often includes overnight support, and goes to people who rely on it for the basics of daily life.
Today, many providers deliver SIL without being registered with the NDIS Commission. From 1 July 2026, SIL providers must be registered to deliver these supports. The same applies, separately, to platform providers.
According to the Commission, registration provides greater oversight and visibility of providers, so it can reduce risks to participants, identify and respond to wrongdoing and fraud, and reduce risks to the scheme as a whole.
Two things change at once:
- NDIS registration becomes mandatory. Providers delivering SIL must be registered with the NDIS Commission to continue providing SIL supports.
- The new SIL Practice Standards take effect. Registered SIL providers are assessed against these standards through certification audits and must continue meeting them to maintain their registration.
Why is mandatory registration happening?
Several independent reviews and inquiries examined how SIL is delivered, and found a recurring pattern: unregistered providers operated with limited oversight, and that left some of the most vulnerable participants exposed. SIL happens inside people's homes, often overnight, in shared settings, and frequently for people who can't easily raise a concern or move elsewhere. The Commission's position is that supports this intimate need consistent standards, worker screening, incident reporting, and a regulator that can see what's happening and step in when something goes wrong.
That's the case for the reform, and it's worth understanding, because it explains why the requirement is firm and unlikely to soften.
It's also worth being honest about the other side of it. Plenty of unregistered providers deliver excellent, safe support, and many feel they're being asked to carry the cost and paperwork of fixing problems caused by a minority. The expense is real. Registration brings an upfront audit cost, and then ongoing costs that don't go away: audits on a recurring cycle, plus the documentation, governance, worker screening and training needed to stay compliant in between. For sole traders and small providers this lands especially hard, because the framework applies to them in much the same way it applies to large organisations. Some worry the overhead will push good small operators out of SIL altogether, which would narrow the choices available to participants.
Those concerns are widely held across the sector, and they're reasonable. They don't change the requirement, but they do shape the smart response. The providers who come through this best are the ones who treat registration as a planned project, with a budget and a timeline, rather than a cost sprung on them at the last minute.
What are registration groups 0115 and 0138?
There are two registration groups worth knowing, because the whole transition applies to these.
- 0115, Assistance with Daily Life Tasks in a Group or Shared Living arrangement.
- Registration Group 0115 (Assistance with Daily Life Tasks in a Group or Shared Living Arrangement) remains for other support types such as Short Term Accommodation (STA), Medium Term Accommodation (MTA) and Individualised Living Options (ILO).
- 0138, Assistance with supported independent living. This is the new, dedicated SIL registration group introduced as part of the reform.
How you reach 0138 depends on your situation. For some providers the Commission adds it automatically. For others, you apply for it directly. The pathway pages below sort out which applies to you.
What are the new SIL Practice Standards?
Alongside registration, the Commission is introducing SIL-specific Practice Standards, co-designed with Inclusion Australia and pilot-tested with a group of registered providers in early 2026. They sit alongside the existing Core Practice Standards rather than replacing them, and they move the focus from documenting processes toward showing measurable outcomes for participants.
The new SIL Practice Standards are built around four domains:
- Supported decision-making: participants making genuine choices about their home and daily life, with the support to do so.
- Safeguarding: keeping participants safe from harm while preserving choice and dignity of risk, including risks that arise between people who share a home.
- Practice governance: the systems and oversight that keep quality consistent.
- Agreements about tenancy, housing and support arrangements: clarity and fairness in how living and support arrangements are set up.
Important for providers who are already registered: holding existing registration does not exempt you. The new standards apply to everyone delivering SIL from 1 July 2026, and you'll be assessed against them at your next audit, whether that's a mid-term audit or a renewal.
The final SIL Practice Standards are now available on the NDIS Commission Reform Hub.
What does registering involve?
Registration is a process with a few clear stages. The detail differs by pathway, but the shape is the same for everyone.
- Prepare. Review how you operate against the SIL Practice Standards and the Core Practice Standards, and get your documentation, policies and governance evidence in order.
- Apply. Submit a valid registration application to the NDIS Commission for the relevant registration group or groups. You then receive a scope of audit, which sets out what you'll be assessed against.
- Be audited. Engage an Approved Quality Auditor, an independent body approved by the Commission to assess providers against the Practice Standards, and complete a certification audit.
- Commission review. The Commission reviews your application and audit results, and may ask you for more information.
- Decision. If your application is approved, you receive a certificate of registration. If it isn't approved, you can't deliver SIL.
One point that catches providers out: registration is ongoing. Certification lasts for a set period, and you're audited again across the cycle, including a mid-term audit and a renewal. Audit fees are set by auditors rather than by the Commission, so they vary from provider to provider. Treating registration as a continuing commitment, rather than a single hurdle, is the realistic way to approach it.
Key dates for SIL mandatory registration
- 1 July 2026: mandatory registration commences. SIL providers must be registered, or have a valid application in progress under the transition arrangements below. The new SIL Practice Standards apply from this date.
- 1 October 2026: the transition cutoff for continuing to deliver while you apply. If you're currently delivering SIL, the Commission's transition arrangements let you keep delivering while your application is processed, but only if you've submitted a valid application by 1 October 2026.
- Your next audit: the point at which you're assessed against the new standards.
A word on consequences, in the Commission's own terms. Delivering SIL without registration on or after 1 July 2026 may breach the NDIS Act, and the Commission describes it as a serious offence. The maximum penalty is up to two years' imprisonment, a fine of 120 penalty units, or both. If you choose not to apply, or haven't applied by 1 October 2026, you'll need to stop delivering SIL and follow the Commission's notification and participant-transition steps.
The practical takeaway is simple: there is a path through this for every situation, and the cost of not taking it is high. The most useful thing you can do today is find the one that's yours.
Which SIL registration pathway applies to you?
Your path depends on two things: whether you're delivering SIL now or planning to, and your current registration status. Find yourself below.
I'm currently delivering SIL
- I'm already registered and previously held Registration Group 0115 → Your registration has been transitioned to Registration Group 0138. Prepare for assessment against the SIL Practice Standards at your next scheduled audit.
- I'm currently delivering SIL without registration → If you're relying on the transition arrangements, ensure you've lodged a valid application by 1 October 2026 to continue delivering SIL while your application is assessed.
I'm planning to deliver SIL
- I'm already a registered provider → Apply to vary your registration to add Registration Group 0138.
- I'm an unregistered provider → Apply for full NDIS registration before commencing SIL.
- I'm completely new to the NDIS → Apply for Registration Group 0138 together with any other applicable registration groups before delivering SIL.
Not sure if you're a SIL provider at all? If you're delivering, managing and coordinating a participant's supports that meet the Commission's definition of supported independent living, you're considered a SIL provider, including if you operate as a sole trader. Refer to the definition of supported independent living and the pathway that matches your registration status.
What happens now?
The mandatory registration requirements and SIL Practice Standards commenced on 1 July 2026. Providers should ensure they understand the registration pathway that applies to them and prepare for ongoing compliance with the SIL Practice Standards.
What should SIL providers do now?
- Find your pathway above and read it in full.
- Map your current state against the SIL Practice Standards and note where the gaps are.
- If you'll need to apply, start early. If you're relying on the transition arrangements, ensure your application is lodged before 1 October 2026.
- Bookmark this page. We're keeping it current as the final standards and transition details are confirmed.
Talk to Our Team
This guide is general information for SIL providers. It is not legal advice and is not a substitute for the NDIS Practice Standards, the NDIS Act, or guidance from your approved quality auditor. For the authoritative and current position, see the NDIS Commission Reform Hub.
We strive to keep our content accurate and up to date; however, NDIS Commission rules and requirements can change. For the latest information, visit the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission website or contact our team.
FAQs
SIL is help with, and supervision of, everyday tasks so a person can live as independently as possible. It's usually provided in a shared living arrangement and often includes overnight support.
Mandatory registration starts on 1 July 2026. From this date, new providers must be registered with the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission before delivering SIL supports. Existing unregistered SIL providers can continue operating during the transition period if they apply for registration by 1 October 2026.
Yes. From 1 July 2026, SIL becomes a registered support, and every provider delivering it must be registered, including sole traders. If you're already delivering, the transition arrangements let you keep operating provided you lodge a valid registration application by 1 October 2026; you don't need to be registered by 1 July.
Independent reviews and inquiries found that unregistered SIL providers operated with limited oversight, which created risk for some of the most vulnerable participants. Mandatory registration gives the NDIS Commission visibility of providers and the ability to enforce consistent quality and safety standards.
You prepare your documentation against the Practice Standards, submit a valid application to the NDIS Commission, receive a scope of audit, engage an Approved Quality Auditor to complete a certification audit, and then the Commission reviews your application and makes a decision.
0115 (Assistance with Daily Life Tasks in a Group or Shared Living arrangement) is the existing group many SIL providers hold or apply under. 0138 (Assistance with supported independent living) is the new, dedicated SIL registration group created by the reform.
They are SIL-specific quality and safety standards built around four areas: supported decision-making, safeguarding, practice governance, and agreements about tenancy, housing and support arrangements. They apply from 1 July 2026 and sit alongside the existing Core Practice Standards.
Delivering SIL without registration on or after 1 July 2026 may breach the NDIS Act. The Commission describes it as a serious offence, with a maximum penalty of up to two years' imprisonment, a fine of 120 penalty units, or both.
If you currently deliver SIL, you can keep delivering during your application, provided you submit a valid application by 1 October 2026.
Yes. The NDIS Commission has published the final SIL Practice Standards, which commenced on 1 July 2026.
Platform providers also move to mandatory registration from 1 July 2026. Mandatory registration for support coordination was proposed but is currently paused.
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