The 1 July 2026 deadline has passed - am I too late?

Not yet, but the window is closing fast. Since 1 July 2026 registration has been mandatory for every SIL provider under the NDIS Amendment (Getting the NDIS Back on Track No. 1) Act 2024 and the Integrity and Safeguarding Bill 2025. The hard cut-off is 1 October 2026: if you have not commenced a registration application by then, you must stop delivering SIL. Lodge now to keep operating. There are no size-based carve-outs.

What if my existing registration is only Tier 2 or Tier 3?

If you currently deliver - or plan to deliver - SIL, you need full certification under the highest tier of NDIS registration. The Commission expects you to have upgraded or applied - and you must have your application in by 1 October 2026 to keep delivering SIL.

How long does the certification audit take?

Typically 6–12 weeks end-to-end: several weeks for Stage 1 (off-site document review), then scheduling and conduct of Stage 2 (on-site assessment), then findings and closure. Industry bodies are warning that auditor capacity is tightening.

Can I pick my own auditor?

Yes - from the list of NDIS Commission-approved quality auditors. Lock one in now; the market is crowded for mid-2026 slots.

What happens if I'm mid-application on 1 October?

Providers who have commenced a registration application in good faith by 1 October 2026 can keep delivering SIL while their application is assessed. If you have not lodged by then, you must stop delivering SIL. Confirm your specific position directly with the Commission.

Do the new SIL Practice Standards replace the Core Module?

No. The SIL Practice Standards are a new module layered on top of the Core Module, specifically covering shared accommodation and daily-living supports.

Is there a grace period?

The only transition relief is for providers who have commenced an application by 1 October 2026 - they can keep operating while it's assessed. There is no open-ended grace period. Delivering SIL unregistered, without a lodged application, exposes you to civil penalties of up to $1.6M per contravention (companies).

What about providers who only deliver platform services?

Platform providers - tech platforms connecting participants with workers - sit inside the same mandatory-registration scope as SIL: mandatory since 1 July 2026, with the 1 October 2026 application cut-off applying to them too.

NDIS Reform

Registration is now mandatory for SIL providers. Apply by 1 October 2026.

Since 1 July 2026 every Supported Independent Living and platform provider must hold - or have commenced applying for - NDIS Commission registration. The hard deadline is 1 October 2026: if you haven't applied by then, you must stop delivering SIL. Here's the certification pathway, the evidence you'll need, and how to get ready fast.

Last updated 23 April 2026 · 8 min read

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What's changed - and the deadline that still matters

Where things stand now: the 1 July 2026 deadline has passed - registration is already mandatory for every SIL and platform provider. The live deadline is 1 October 2026: if you haven't commenced a registration application by then, you must stop delivering SIL.

Three linked reforms came into effect together. First, registration with the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission is now mandatory for every provider delivering Supported Independent Living or platform services, under the NDIS Amendment (Getting the NDIS Back on Track No. 1) Act 2024 and the Integrity and Safeguarding Bill 2025.

Second, the Commission's tiered registration model is in force. SIL providers sit in the highest-risk tier, which requires a full certification audit rather than the lighter verification pathway.

Third, the SIL Practice Standards are now in force. They apply as a supplementary module alongside the NDIS Practice Standards Core Module, and auditors are assessing SIL providers against them today.

Who this affects

Any provider delivering SIL supports, registered or not today.
Platform providers connecting participants with workers.
SDA providers delivering behaviour support with restrictive practices.
Small and regional providers - no size-based carve-out.

If you deliver any Supported Independent Living under the NDIS, this affects you - registered or not.

What the SIL certification audit actually requires

The SIL certification audit runs in two stages. Understand both before you start collecting evidence.

Stage 1

Off-site document review

Your approved auditor requests a structured evidence set: governance documents, policies and procedures, staff training records, incident logs, sample participant files, risk registers, quality-improvement records. Expect a 2–3 week turnaround.

Stage 2

On-site assessment

The auditor visits your office and at least one SIL house, interviews staff, speaks with participants, observes service delivery and tests whether your systems actually work - not just that the paperwork exists.

Get SIL audit-ready before 1 October

You have until 1 October 2026 to apply before you must stop delivering SIL. Book a demo to see how Checkbase helps SIL providers get registration-ready.

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Are you audit-ready?

Take the 2-minute readiness check. We'll email you a personalised gap report showing exactly what's missing.

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Governance & documentation

Staff records

Incident & complaint handling

Continuous improvement

Restrictive practices & behaviour support

Deep dive · free guide

The full 38-document SIL certification catalogue

Every participant and staff document the NDIS Commission will ask for - with triggers, tags, expandable detail and a printable PDF. The reference every SIL provider should bookmark.

20 participant docs18 staff docsFree PDF download

Open the guide

Penalties

What happens if you miss the deadline

$1.6M

per contravention (companies)

$330k

per contravention (individuals)

Banning

orders + criminal offences under the 2025 Bill

Penalties are civil - the Commission doesn't need to prove criminal intent. The new Integrity and Safeguarding Bill 2025 introduces additional criminal offences for the most serious breaches.

How Checkbase helps

Checkbase is purpose-built for the evidence side of SIL certification - not a generic document manager. We cover the ~70% of audit artefacts that live in documents: worker records, participant files, SIL house records, policies, governance. Your rostering and claims tools stay where they are.

Staff compliance

Staff compliance, auto-scored

18 staff document types preconfigured — 100-point ID, NDIS Worker Screening, WWCC, CPR, infection control and more. 30-day expiry warnings. Auto-generated onboarding sequences. Every status rolled up into one readiness number.

app.checkbase.com.au/staff

Staff member	WWCC	NDIS Screening	CPR	Infection Control	ID
Aroha Tua Team Lead
Danh Nguyen Support Worker
Priya Sharma Support Worker
James O'Brien Support Worker
Mei Lin Chen Support Worker
Tui Ngata Casual

6 of 12 staff 2 expiring· 1 expired

01 / 04

Your SIL evidence pack, one click away

Checkbase generates a branded evidence pack PDF covering staff, participant, and house artefacts. Try it free for 14 days.

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A practical 12-week timeline

From today (8 July 2026) to the 1 October application cut-off. Tight, but achievable if you start this week.

Weeks 1–2
Lodge your NDIS Commission registration application. Pick an approved quality auditor and secure a Stage 1 slot before the capacity crunch.
Weeks 3–4
Gather governance, insurance, and policy documentation. Set up Checkbase. Import your staff + participant data.
Weeks 5–6
Bring staff records up to certification standard: every worker with 100-point ID, NDIS Screening, WWCC, CPR, infection control. Close gaps via targeted onboarding sequences.
Weeks 7–8
Participant files and SIL house documentation. Safe Environment Assessments, Emergency Plans, Fire Safety per house.
Week 9
Internal dry-run using your SIL evidence pack. Close any remaining gaps.
Week 10
Submit Stage 1 evidence. Schedule Stage 2 on-site assessment with your auditor.

Frequently asked questions

Sources and further reading

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