API referenceProviders
Validate an NPI
GET /v1/providers/{npi}/validate
GET https://api.healthcare.dev/v1/providers/{npi}/validateFormat and check digit (Luhn with the 80840 prefix), whether CMS has issued it, whether it is active, and its deactivation history. Any string is accepted; a malformed NPI is reported, not rejected.
Requires an API key: Authorization: Bearer hdev_live_.... See Authentication.
Path parameters
| Name | Type | Required | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
npi | string | yes | NPI to check | 1234567893 |
Examples
curl
curl "https://api.healthcare.dev/v1/providers/1234567893/validate" \
-H "Authorization: Bearer $HDEV_API_KEY"TypeScript
const res = await fetch("https://api.healthcare.dev/v1/providers/1234567893/validate", {
headers: { Authorization: `Bearer ${process.env.HDEV_API_KEY}` },
});
const { data, meta } = await res.json();Python
import os
import requests
res = requests.get("https://api.healthcare.dev/v1/providers/1234567893/validate", headers={"Authorization": f"Bearer {os.environ['HDEV_API_KEY']}"})
body = res.json()Try it
Response
The result
{
"data": {
"npi": "string",
"valid_format": true,
"valid_check_digit": true,
"exists": true,
"status": "active",
"deactivation_history": [
{
"deactivated_on": "2026-10-01",
"reactivated_on": "2026-10-01"
}
]
},
"meta": {
"source": "cms-icd10",
"data_version": "2026.1",
"retrieved_at": "2026-10-24T12:00:00Z",
"license": "Public domain (CMS). Reference data, not medical advice."
},
"links": {
"self": "/v1/providers/1234567893/validate",
"next": null
}
}Fields
| Field | Type | Always present | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
npi | string | yes | |
valid_format | boolean | yes | |
valid_check_digit | boolean | yes | |
exists | boolean | yes | |
status | "active" | "deactivated" | null | yes | |
deactivation_history | object[] | yes |
Errors
Errors are application/problem+json (RFC 9457). Branch on type, not on title. See Errors.
| Status | type | When |
|---|---|---|
| 400 | invalid-request | A parameter or the body failed validation; errors lists each field. |
| 401 | unauthorized | Missing, malformed or revoked API key. |
| 404 | not-found | No record with that id (retired records are still returned). |
| 429 | rate-limited / quota-exceeded | Too many requests per second (retry after Retry-After), or the monthly quota is used up. |
| 503 | dataset-unavailable / unavailable | The dataset has no published version yet, or the service is degraded. |