NDIS registration checklist: what to have before you apply
What to have in place before you apply for NDIS registration: registration groups, policies, worker screening, evidence and an approved auditor.
- 01
Lock in your provider groups
Every registration decision below depends on which support types you're applying for.
- 02
Build governance and safeguarding
Who's accountable, how complaints and incidents are handled, how risks are managed.
- 03
Sort worker screening
Key personnel and everyone in a risk-assessed role needs a current clearance.
- 04
Assemble your evidence
Policies your staff actually use and can explain.
- 05
Engage the auditor
Only approved auditors can run your verification or certification audit.
- 06
Apply, then keep it current
Audits, renewals and ongoing improvement start from day one of registration.
Start with your provider groups
Your registration groups are the types of support you'll be approved to deliver. Almost everything else depends on them: which audit you need, which Practice Standards apply, which worker screening rules apply, and what your audit is likely to cost.
Only choose groups for services you'll actually deliver. Adding extra groups means a bigger audit and more work to stay compliant. You can apply to add groups later.
Worker screening before you apply
Sort screening in this order
01Identify your roles
Map every role — paid and volunteer — and mark which are risk-assessed.
02Identify key personnel
Directors, the CEO, and anyone with significant authority over the business.
03Get clearances in place
Run the screening applications before you lodge. The outcome is part of your application.
04Keep the records
A written register of roles, workers, and clearance status is part of compliance itself.
The evidence binder
The audit is about evidence. A written policy on its own isn't enough. Auditors want to see it being used: meeting minutes, logs, completed forms, and staff who can explain the policy in their own words.
Set up your systems early and use them. By the time the auditor arrives, the evidence will already be there.
Interactive checklist
The full registration readiness checklist
Work through it in order — your progress is saved on this device, and you can download or print the finished checklist to take into your audit.
Tick items as you work through them — your progress is saved on this device. Download or print when you're ready.
Governance and safeguarding — the foundations auditors look for
Tick every box before you lodge
Only tick a box when the system is actually running, not just planned. When every box is ticked, the application is mostly paperwork and the audit goes much more smoothly.
Once registered, the work shifts from getting it to being found. Being registered doesn't bring clients on its own.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need everything perfect before I apply?
You need the systems real and working before the audit, not just before the application. The difference between a smooth audit and an expensive one is whether your policies were written from use or written for the occasion.
What documents should I have ready for the auditor?
Your policies and procedures, records that show you use them (incident and complaint logs, meeting minutes, training records), your worker screening register, a sample service agreement, and your self-assessment against the Practice Standards.
Do key personnel need worker screening before applying?
Yes. Key personnel and anyone working in a risk-assessed role must hold a current NDIS worker screening clearance, and you need records proving it. It's assessed as part of the application itself.
How much does registration cost?
The NDIS Commission does not charge a registration fee. You pay an approved quality auditor, whose price depends on your organisation, services, locations, and audit type. Certification providers may also need a mid-term audit, and renewal normally involves another audit.
What happens after I'm registered?
The obligations continue: worker screening, applicable Practice Standards, incident reporting, complaints management, required audits, renewal, and continuous improvement. Registration is an ongoing obligation, not a one-off certificate.
Official sources
This guide is checked against these official pages.
- Apply for provider registrationThe official application pathway for new providers.
- NDIS provider quality audit processOfficial audit types, sequence, and cost guidance, including that the Commission does not charge a registration fee.
- About NDIS provider registrationWhat registration covers — provider groups, practice standards, and the Code of Conduct.
- Worker screening for registered providersRisk-assessed roles and the screening responsibilities for providers.
- NDIS Commission Provider PackProvider obligations, practice standards, and the Code of Conduct.
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