NDIS Registration for SIL Providers (Updated October 2026)

Mandatory registration for Supported Independent Living (SIL) providers began on 1 July 2026, and the 1 October 2026 deadline for existing unregistered providers to apply has now passed.

Since I first wrote this article in early 2026, the NDIS Commission has published detailed transition arrangements, a formal definition of SIL, and specific pathways for providers depending on their registration status, which I'll work through below.

I'll keep updating this article as things develop, but here's where things stand as of October 2026.

Much of the information explored below can be found on the Commission's website here.

What's been confirmed

In December 2025, the Australian Government confirmed that mandatory registration for SIL providers (as well as platform providers) would begin from 1 July 2026, and the NDIS Commission published the operational detail behind that announcement.

On 1 July 2026, a new registration group 0138 Assistance with Supported Independent Living took effect, along with a new SIL-specific supplementary module of the NDIS Practice Standards. All registered SIL providers need to comply with these new standards, and will be audited against them at their next audit (whether that's a mid-term or renewal audit).

Multiple independent reviews, including from the Disability Royal Commission, the NDIS Review, and the NDIS Provider and Worker Registration Taskforce, have identified significant quality and safety issues for participants in SIL settings, and the Commission's Own Motion Inquiry into supported accommodation found that 85% of all reportable incidents occurred in group home settings.

How SIL is now defined

The Commission has published a formal definition of supported independent living, which determines whether you fall within it and whether you require registration.

Under the definition, SIL is a package of home and living support for people with higher support needs where:

the participant requires support at all times of the day, or for most of the day
the assistance helps the participant live in their home as autonomously as possible and access the community, by assisting with or supervising daily life tasks
the provider is managing and delivering the SIL supports, including making sure the participant receives home and living support in accordance with their package.

It is not SIL if:

the participant only receives a few hours of support a day or week, or
the participant chooses and manages their own support workers (including directing, planning, and rostering their own workers).

If you're unsure whether what you deliver meets this definition, the full wording is in the amended Provider Registration Rules. It's worth checking the Rules directly against your specific service model if you're in a grey area.

What mandatory registration means for you

All registered SIL providers need to:

complete a Certification audit (not Verification)
comply with the Core Module of the NDIS Practice Standards
comply with the new SIL supplementary module
meet all other conditions of registration.

SIL is a higher-risk support category. The audit covers 22+ practice standards, involves mandatory site visits, participant and worker and management interviews, and file reviews. Registration is not a quick or cheap process.

Transition pathways

The Commission published six transition pathways depending on your registration status and when you applied. The full pathways with downloadable maps are on the Commission's mandatory registration page. Now that 1 July and 1 October have both passed, here's how they apply.

Already registered with 0115

If you were registered for registration group 0115 (Assistance with Daily Life Tasks in a Group or Shared Living Arrangement), you didn't need to do anything to maintain your registration, and the Commission updates your certificate to include the new registration group 0138.

You must comply with the new SIL supplementary module, and you'll be audited against it at your next audit (mid-term or renewal). You can continue delivering SIL throughout.

Registered but without 0115, planning to deliver SIL

If you're a registered provider who doesn't hold 0115 or 0138 but wants to start delivering SIL, you'll need to apply for a variation of registration. Applications now reference 0138, and the audit will include the new SIL supplementary module.

If you applied for a variation before 1 July 2026 and were audited before that date, the Commission may place conditions on your registration requiring additional audits against the new standards later.

If the variation isn't approved, you cannot deliver SIL.

Unregistered, already delivering SIL before 1 July 2026

Unregistered providers who were already delivering SIL had until 1 October 2026 to apply for registration.

If you applied by 1 October, you can continue delivering while your application is processed. If you applied between 1 July and 1 October, your application references 0138 and the audit will include the new SIL supplementary module.

If you didn't apply by 1 October 2026, you must stop delivering SIL. Providing SIL without registration carries a maximum penalty of 2 years' imprisonment, a fine of 120 penalty units, or both.

New providers, or unregistered providers planning to deliver SIL

If you're not currently delivering SIL but plan to, you apply for 0138 and the audit will include the new SIL supplementary module. You cannot deliver SIL until your application is approved. There is no grace period for new entrants. The ability to continue delivering during the application process only applied to providers who were already delivering SIL before 1 July 2026 and applied by 1 October.

What the audit will cover

SIL providers are assessed against the Core Module of the NDIS Practice Standards, which covers rights and responsibilities, provider governance and operational management, provision of supports, and the provision of supports environment.

They're also audited against the new SIL supplementary module. The final standards cover four areas: Supported Decision-Making, Safeguarding, Practice Governance, and Agreements about tenancy, housing and support arrangements.

Audit costs and timing

Certification audits are not cheap. SIL providers will have participants, staff, and potentially multiple sites, all of which increase audit duration and cost under the legislated sampling methodology. A small SIL provider with a handful of participants and staff and a single site should budget a minimum of $7k to $10k for a Certification audit, and larger providers should expect significantly more.

The Commission doesn't set audit prices and can't control auditor availability, so I strongly recommend getting quotes from multiple Approved Quality Auditors early.

What you should do now

If you're registered with 0115 or 0138: Focus on understanding the new SIL supplementary module and reviewing your systems against it before your next audit.

If you're registered without 0115 and want to deliver SIL: Apply for a variation. Your audit will cover the new SIL standards from the start, so prepare your documentation against the SIL supplementary module as well as the Core Module.

If you're unregistered and applied by 1 October 2026: Keep your application moving. Engage an Approved Quality Auditor if you haven't already, and prepare for an audit against both the Core Module and the SIL supplementary module.

If you're unregistered and didn't apply by 1 October 2026: You must stop delivering SIL. If you want to deliver SIL in future, you'll need to apply as a new provider, and you can't deliver it until your registration is approved.

If you're planning to deliver SIL in future and aren't currently: You cannot start delivering SIL until your registration is approved. Factor in six to twelve months from starting preparation to holding a Certificate of Registration, and plan your timeline accordingly.

The bigger picture

Mandatory registration for SIL is a significant reform. The evidence of harm in unregulated SIL settings is not theoretical and has been documented across multiple national inquiries. Participants in SIL arrangements are among the most vulnerable people in the NDIS, and the case for consistent minimum standards and independent oversight is strong. This is a big change for a lot of providers, but good for the sector overall.

SIL was the first stage. Mandatory registration will expand to other higher-risk supports from July 2027, which our article on mandatory registration covers.

This article reflects information available as of October 2026.