Arkansas home care license requirements
Bottom line: Yes — ADH Private Care Agency license.
- License required?
- Yes
- License / pathway
- ADH Private Care Agency license
- Fees (initial / renewal)
- $1,000 initial (2021 form); renewal Not confirmed in official sources — check with the state agency
From the 50-state summary. Fees shown as stated in the state entry; see each entry for conditions, conflicts, and sources.
Arkansas requirements, item by item
Bracketed numbers link to the official sources at the bottom of this page.
Not confirmed in official sources — check with the state agency We could not confirm this item on an official state source during our review, so we did not estimate it.
| Item | What the guide found |
|---|---|
| License required? | A Private Care Agency license from ADH is required for new Medicaid providers enrolling as Personal Care, ARChoices Attendant Care, or ARChoices Respite providers. The sources reviewed do not establish whether a state license is required for a non-Medicaid, private-pay companion or homemaker agency. [1][2] |
| License type / name | For the Medicaid pathway, obtain an Arkansas Department of Health Private Care Agency license for Medicaid Personal Care. The sources reviewed do not identify a separate license type for a non-Medicaid, private-pay agency. [1][2] |
| Licensing agency | Arkansas Department of Health (ADH), Health Facility Services, for the Private Care Agency license. The 2025 notice identifies ADH as the licensing agency. [1][2] |
| Agency website | https://healthy.arkansas.gov/programs-services/licensing-military-member-licensure-permits-plan-reviews/health-facility-services/ [1] |
| Initial application / license fee | $1,000 per facility for a Private Care Agency, according to application instructions revised June 30, 2021; the sources reviewed do not confirm whether this fee remains current. [3] |
| Renewal fee | Not confirmed in official sources — check with the state agency |
| Renewal cycle | Annual; the license is effective on a calendar-year basis and expires December 31. [2][3] |
| Typical approval timeline | An initial review or inspection is required before the license is issued. No application-processing duration is stated. [2] |
| Administrator qualifications | The administrator must be an agency employee and be a physician, registered nurse, or have at least one year of supervisory or administrative experience in home health care or related health provider programs. [2] |
| Caregiver background checks | For the Medicaid personal care pathway, national and state criminal background checks are required for owners, principals, employees, and contract staff, repeated at least every five years. The 2024 Private Care Agencies rules also require personnel records to include a criminal-history determination of eligibility for employment. [4][2] |
| Caregiver training hours | Aides must complete at least 40 hours of training, including classroom and clinical instruction, supervised by a registered nurse. Aides must also receive at least 12 hours of in-service training per 12 months. [2] |
| Registry checks | For Medicaid personal care providers, central registry checks include the Child Maltreatment Central Registry, Adult and Long-Term Care Facility Resident Maltreatment Central Registry, and Certified Nursing Assistant/Employment Clearance Registry. [4] |
| General liability insurance | At least $1,000,000 in liability insurance covering employees and independent contractors while they provide the specified personal and attendant care or covered Medicaid services. [2][4] |
| Workers' compensation | Not confirmed in official sources — check with the state agency |
| Bonding (surety / dishonesty) | Not confirmed in official sources — check with the state agency |
| Rule changes 2025–2026 | In 2025, Act 853 of the 95th Arkansas General Assembly changed the Medicaid provider process: DPSQA certification is no longer required for Personal Care, ARChoices Attendant Care, or ARChoices Respite providers; new providers in those categories must obtain an ADH Private Care Agency license. The supplied notices are dated September 18–25, 2025, and September 25–October 2, 2025. [5][1] |
Source notes and conflicts
Older Medicaid materials state that private care agencies must hold a Department of Labor license and/or DPSQA certification. The 2025 DHS notices say DPSQA certification is no longer required for Personal Care, ARChoices Attendant Care, and ARChoices Respite providers, and direct new providers in those categories to obtain an ADH Private Care Agency license. The sources reviewed do not establish whether the older Department of Labor requirement remains applicable. The separate Home Health Rule describes a Class B license, but the sources reviewed do not establish that it applies to the Private Care Agency Medicaid pathway.
Sources
- 9/25/25-10/9/25 - Arkansas Department of Human Services
https://humanservices.arkansas.gov/wp-content/uploads/250925.docx - Arkansas State Board of Health Rules for Private Care ...
https://healthy.arkansas.gov/wp-content/uploads/Private_Care_Agencies_Rule_2024.pdf - **INSTRUCTIONS**
https://healthy.arkansas.gov/wp-content/uploads/Application_Instructions.pdf - [PDF] SECTION II - PERSONAL CARE CONTENTS
https://codeofarrules.arkansas.gov/Rules/PartDocument?partID=1374 - 9/18/25-10/9/25 - Arkansas Department of Human Services
https://humanservices.arkansas.gov/wp-content/uploads/250918.docx
Limits: fees and forms change often. Agencies sometimes post conflicting figures (a statute vs. an older form); those conflicts are shown, not resolved by guessing. Confirm the current fee with the agency before filing. This guide is a research reference, not legal advice.
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