California home care license requirements
Bottom line: Yes — CDSS Home Care Organization (HCO) license.
- License required?
- Yes
- License / pathway
- CDSS Home Care Organization (HCO) license
- Fees (initial / renewal)
- $5,603 per 2-yr term (initial and renewal)
From the 50-state summary. Fees shown as stated in the state entry; see each entry for conditions, conflicts, and sources.
California 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? | Yes. California requires Home Care Organizations (HCOs) to be licensed; entities specified in Health and Safety Code section 1796.17 are exempt. [1][2] |
| License type / name | Home Care Organization (HCO) License. [3][1] |
| Licensing agency | California Department of Social Services (CDSS), Community Care Licensing Division, Home Care Services Branch (HCSB). [1][4] |
| Agency website | www.ccld.ca.gov (listed in the HCS 281 application booklet). [5] |
| Initial application / license fee | $5,603. The CDSS fee page lists the Home Care Organization License as a 2-year license with a $5,603 fee. [6] |
| Renewal fee | $5,603. The 2019 regulation states this amount for renewal applications; the CDSS fee page lists the license at $5,603 for 2 years. [6][2] |
| Renewal cycle | Every two years, on the anniversary of the license's effective date. [7] |
| Typical approval timeline | The Department must notify the applicant within 90 calendar days after receiving the application package whether it is complete or deficient. After accepting the application, it must provide written notice of approval, denial, or cessation of review within 90 calendar days; review cannot begin until the package, supporting documents, and payment are received. [2][7][5] |
| Administrator qualifications | The administrator is the licensee or an adult designated by the licensee to manage the HCO. [2][7] |
| Caregiver background checks | Fingerprinting is required for adults who work or reside in licensed HCOs and for Home Care Aide applicants. People subject to fingerprint requirements must have California DOJ clearance or a criminal record exemption before employment, residence, or initial presence in the organization, as required. [8][9] |
| Caregiver training hours | Affiliated Home Care Aides must complete at least 5 hours of entry-level training before presence with a client: 2 hours of orientation and 3 hours of safety training. They must also complete at least 5 hours of annual training. Dementia special-care-needs training becomes part of annual training on January 1, 2027. [10][5] |
| Registry checks | California maintains a public Home Care Aide Registry. The HCO must ensure affiliated aides are cleared on the registry before placing them in direct contact with clients. [1][11] |
| General liability insurance | General and professional liability insurance is required. The HCS 281 booklet specifies at least $1,000,000 per occurrence and $3,000,000 aggregate; 2019 regulations also require insurance certificates. [5][2] |
| Workers' compensation | Workers’ compensation insurance is required; the HCS 281 booklet specifies a policy covering affiliated Home Care Aides. [5][2] |
| Bonding (surety / dishonesty) | A Home Care Organization Dishonesty Bond (HCS 402) is required. The sources reviewed do not state the bond amount; they say it is specified in Health and Safety Code section 1796.37. [3][2] |
| Rule changes 2025–2026 | Stats. 2025, Chapter 414 (SB 412) amended the home-care-aide training statute effective January 1, 2026. The version adding annual training on clients’ dementia special-care needs is operative January 1, 2027. A CDSS 2026 notice is listed as superseding PIN 26-01-HCS, but the sources reviewed do not give its specific provisions or effective date. [10][12] |
Sources
- Home Care Services - California Department of Social Services
https://www.cdss.ca.gov/inforesources/community-care/home-care-services - oal.ca.gov
https://oal.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/166/2019/02/2019-0208-04EE-for-posting.pdf - Home Care Organization Application Process
https://www.cdss.ca.gov/inforesources/community-care/home-care-services/home-care-org-application-process - Resources for Home Care Organizations
https://www.cdss.ca.gov/inforesources/community-care/home-care-services/resources-for-home-care-organizations - Application Instructions for A Home Care Organization License
https://www.cdss.ca.gov/cdssweb/entres/forms/english/hcs281.pdf - Application Fees
https://www.cdss.ca.gov/inforesources/community-care/home-care-services/application-fees - [PDF] Manual of Policies and Procedures COMMUNITY CARE ...
https://cdss.ca.gov/portals/9/regs/hcscpman1.pdf?ver=2017-12-29-082929-037 - Guardian FAQs - California Department of Social Services
https://cdss.ca.gov/inforesources/cdss-programs/community-care-licensing/caregiver-background-check/guardian-faqs - [PDF] HCS 200 - CDSS
https://www.cdss.ca.gov/cdssweb/entres/forms/English/HCS200.pdf - https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_dis...
https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displayText.xhtml?lawCode=HSC&division=2.&title=&part=&chapter=13.&article=8. - 334700137-7-17-2024-47-HC-ALMA-D79URH-20240717154846
https://www.ccld.dss.ca.gov/transparencyapi/api/FacilityReports?facNum=334700137&inx=0 - Home Care Services - California Dept. of Social Services
https://www.cdss.ca.gov/inforesources/community-care-licensing/policy/provider-information-notices/home-care-services
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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