Renewing your NDIS registration: timing, process, and the lapse trap
Registration runs for a fixed period, and renewing it is its own audit — not a rubber stamp. The single most important thing is timing: start before your expiry date and you stay registered throughout; start after, and you don't.
Your certificate of registration has an expiry date, and you have to renew before it to keep operating as a registered provider. The renewal process mirrors your first application — including a fresh audit — so treat it as a project with a lead time, not a form to file the week it's due.
The timing rule that matters most
You can start your renewal any time in the 6 months before your expiry date. Whether you start before or after that date changes everything:
- Start before your expiry date — your current registration stays valid until the Commission decides on your renewal, even if that decision lands after the old expiry. You never have a gap.
- Start after your expiry date — your registration has already lapsed, and you have no valid registration while the application is processed. For a provider delivering supports that require registration, that gap is a compliance problem.
The practical rule: diarise your expiry date, and open the renewal comfortably inside the 6-month window — enough runway to engage an auditor and complete the audit before the date, not after.
What happens if your registration lapses
A registration lapses when it expires without renewal, or if you're deregistered. Once lapsed, you can't just pick up where you left off — you have to complete another full application and audit, and you're unregistered in the meantime. Where you apply depends on your ABN:
- Same ABN as your original registration — you apply through the registered providers portal to re-establish it.
- New ABN (for example, your business structure changed) — the Commission treats it as a brand-new provider, so you follow the full apply-for-registration process from scratch.
The renewal process — same steps as your first application
Renewal runs through the same stages as an initial application:
- confirm eligibility (ABN + ability to deliver your registration groups, with evidence);
- make sure your worker screening clearances are current;
- a self-assessment against the applicable NDIS Practice Standards plus suitability questions;
- an independent quality audit;
- Commission review, decision, and a new certificate of registration.
Two useful freedoms at renewal: you can add or remove registration groups or change your service delivery (which may change the type of audit you need), and you don't have to use the same auditor as last time — it's worth getting fresh quotes.
If you deliver SIL or a digital platform
From 1 July 2026, to deliver supported independent living or an NDIS digital platform service you must have the relevant registration group in your registration — 0138 (SIL) or 0137 (digital platform). If your current registration doesn't include it, adding it at renewal (or via a change to your registration) is how you get there, and because both are certification-level groups, expect a certification audit.
How to verify this information
Renewal rules and timing come straight from the Commission:
- Renew your registration (the 6-month window, lapsed-registration rules, same-ABN vs new-ABN).
- Apply for registration for the underlying steps.
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Frequently asked questions
When can I renew my NDIS registration?
You can start your renewal any time in the 6 months before your registration expiry date. If you start before the expiry date, your current registration stays valid until the Commission makes a decision. If you start after it, your registration has lapsed and you have no valid registration during the process.
What happens if my NDIS registration lapses?
A lapsed registration (from expiry or deregistration) means you have to complete another full application and audit, and you're unregistered in the meantime. If you still have the same ABN, you apply through the registered providers portal; if you have a new ABN, it's treated as a brand-new application via the standard apply-for-registration process.
Is renewing NDIS registration different from applying?
The steps are the same — eligibility, worker screening, a self-assessment against the Practice Standards, an independent audit, Commission review, decision and a new certificate. At renewal you can add or remove registration groups (which may change your audit type), and you don't have to use the same auditor as last time.
Do I need another audit to renew?
Yes. Renewal includes an independent quality audit, the same as your initial registration. The audit type depends on your registration groups, so if you add higher-risk (certification) groups at renewal, expect a certification audit.
I deliver SIL — what do I need at renewal?
From 1 July 2026 you must have registration group 0138 (Assistance with supported independent living) in your registration to deliver SIL. If it's not already there, add it at renewal or through a change to your registration; as a certification-level group it means a certification audit.