NDIS reportable incidents: 24 hours and 5 business days
The Incident Management Rules send priority reportable incidents within 24 hours with a 5 business day follow-up, and other reportable incidents within 5 business days.
Incident Rules s 20(2), (3)
NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission- to
- NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission
- by when
- within 24 hours after the provider became aware
- what it is
- a notice
- line key
- ndis20 for the Lodged column of a list
- raised by
- Incident
When the provider becomes aware of a death, serious injury, abuse or neglect, unlawful sexual or physical contact or assault, or sexual misconduct including grooming, it must notify the Commissioner within 24 hours with: its name and contact details; a description of the incident; the impact or harm to the person (except for a death); the immediate actions taken to ensure the health, safety and wellbeing of affected persons and whether police or another body was told; the notifier's name and contact details; the time, date and place if known; the names and contact details of those involved; and any other information the Commissioner requires. The notice may be by telephone or in writing on the approved form.
Held text: NDIS (Incident Management and Reportable Incidents) Rules, F2018L00633, as made; no amendments at 1 Oct 2026.
what an auditor asks to see Commission portal immediate notification records with submission timestamps; Incident register showing the awareness time against the notification time; Record of police or other agency reports made
where it usually falls short Notification made after 24 hours counted from when the provider became aware; Immediate safety actions not described
Incident Rules s 20(4)
NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission- to
- NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission
- by when
- within 5 business days after the provider became aware
- what it is
- a notice
- line key
- ndis20_4 for the Lodged column of a list
- raised by
- Incident
For every priority reportable incident the provider must also give the Commissioner, in writing within 5 business days after becoming aware of it, the names and contact details of any witnesses and any further actions it proposes to take.
Held text: NDIS (Incident Management and Reportable Incidents) Rules, F2018L00633, as made; no amendments at 1 Oct 2026.
what an auditor asks to see Written 5-day notifications on the approved form with witness details; Planned further actions linked to the incident action plan; Tracker showing each 24-hour notice paired with its 5-day notice
where it usually falls short 5-day notice missed because the 24-hour notice was treated as complete; Proposed actions vague or absent
Incident Rules s 21(2)
NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission- to
- NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission
- by when
- within 5 business days after the provider became aware
- what it is
- a notice
- line key
- ndis21 for the Lodged column of a list
- raised by
- Incident and Restrictive practice
A reportable incident that is not one of the 24-hour kinds in s 20(1)(b) (a death, serious injury, abuse or neglect, unlawful sexual or physical contact or assault, or sexual misconduct) must be notified to the Commissioner in writing within 5 business days after the provider becomes aware of it. In practice this is the use of a restrictive practice that is a reportable incident: a use not in accordance with a State or Territory authorisation (Act s 73Z(4)(f)), or an authorised use not in accordance with the person's behaviour support plan (s 16(3)), unless s 16(4) excludes it. The notice gives the provider's name and contact details; a description including impact or harm; the time, date and place if known; persons involved and witnesses; immediate actions taken and whether police or another body was told; further proposed actions; the notifier's details; and any other information the Commissioner requires, on the approved form.
Held text: NDIS (Incident Management and Reportable Incidents) Rules, F2018L00633, as made; no amendments at 1 Oct 2026.
what an auditor asks to see Commission portal 5-day notification records with the aware date and the lodgement date; Restrictive practice use records (each use tested against the State or Territory authorisation and the behaviour support plan) cross-checked to notifications; Notification timeliness report counted in business days from the aware date
where it usually falls short Unauthorised restrictive practice uses not notified; Authorised uses outside the behaviour support plan treated as not reportable; Notifications missing witness or further action details
Whether an incident is reportable, its priority, and whether an injury is a serious injury are your call: for aged care the Commission's SIRS decision support tool helps decide. Once you have decided, the checker runs the clock and keeps the register; the lines follow the kind you chose.
The Commission's own page: Notify us of changes or events.
How the clock is counted: from the date (and, for 24 hours, the time) the provider became aware, as the clause says. Business days are days that are not a Saturday, a Sunday or a public holiday in the place concerned (the Acts Interpretation Act definition the Rules rely on): the checker applies the public holidays of the state or territory you give, from each government's own list, and says so on the line; local and part-day holidays are not modelled, and a date past the end of the list is marked indicative. A duty with no fixed period (as soon as practicable) shows its trigger date and never a due date. A period that has ended reads "the clause's period ended on" its date, with a place to record when it was lodged.
Check one changeSee the specimen registerThe one-page sample register