Connecticut home care license requirements
Bottom line: Yes (registration) — DCP Homemaker-Companion Agency registration.
- License required?
- Yes (registration)
- License / pathway
- DCP Homemaker-Companion Agency registration
- Fees (initial / renewal)
- $375 vs $450 (conflict); $375 annual renewal per DCP
From the 50-state summary. Fees shown as stated in the state entry; see each entry for conditions, conflicts, and sources.
Connecticut 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. A non-medical homemaker-companion agency must obtain a Connecticut certificate of registration before operating. The registration covers all locations where services are offered. [1][2] |
| License type / name | Homemaker-Companion Agency (HCA) certificate of registration, issued through the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection (DCP). [1][2] |
| Licensing agency | Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection (DCP), through the Commissioner of Consumer Protection. [1][2] |
| Agency website | Use https://www.elicense.ct.gov to verify an agency or registry registration. The application instructions also list www.ct.gov/dcp/apply for online applications. [3][4] |
| Initial application / license fee | Conflicting official figures — confirm current fee with the agency. — Conflict: the 2025 published statute (C.G.S. §20-672(b)) states $375; Public Act 25-156 (SB 1468, signed 7/8/2025) — per the OLR bill analysis — raised the fee from $375 to $450 effective Oct 1, 2025. DCP's registration page still lists $375 for renewal. Confirm the current amount with DCP before filing. [2][5][6][7] |
| Renewal fee | DCP page: annual renewal fee $375 (statute ties renewal fee to the application fee, which P.A. 25-156 raised to $450 — confirm with DCP). All registrations expire annually on October 31. [7][2][5] |
| Renewal cycle | Annual; all registrations expire October 31. [7] |
| Typical approval timeline | No official timeline published — check with the agency |
| Administrator qualifications | Legal entities, whether in-state or out-of-state, must register with the Connecticut Secretary of State before applying. Registration applicants are also subject to state and national criminal-history checks. [1][2] |
| Caregiver background checks | Applicants must submit to state and national criminal-history checks. Before offering employment or contracting with a prospective service-providing employee, the agency must require a comprehensive background check; DCP also states the agency must perform the check before hiring and maintain records. [2][1] |
| Caregiver training hours | DCP: starting January 1, 2027, homemaker-companion agencies must provide 8 hours of paid training for their employees (P.A. 25-156). Note: the earlier bill analysis described 10 hours; DCP's current page states 8. [8][5] |
| Registry checks | An HCA acting as a registry must give consumers written notice within four days of supplying, referring, or placing a homemaker companion, and before services unless an emergency waiver is signed. The required employee background check includes a check of the registry established under CGS § 54-257. [1][2] |
| General liability insurance | Not confirmed in official sources — check with the state agency |
| Workers' compensation | Not confirmed in official sources — check with the state agency |
| Bonding (surety / dishonesty) | Surety bond of at least $10,000, covering theft by an employee from a client (C.G.S. §20-672(a)(3), as amended by P.A. 17-77). DCP describes this as "a surety bond or insurance of not less than ten thousand dollars." [7] |
| Rule changes 2025–2026 | Public Act 25-156 (SB 1468), signed 7/8/2025: raises registration fee ($375 to $450 per bill analysis, eff. 10/1/2025) and adds mandatory employee training (DCP: 8 paid hours starting 1/1/2027; registrations issued on/after 1/1/2026 require certification of training). [6][5][8] |
Source notes and conflicts
Fees conflict: 2025 bill materials say the application fee rose from $375 to $450 effective October 1, 2025, while the supplied DCP registration page and 2025 published statute state $375; the statute says renewal equals the original application fee. Training also conflicts: the 2025 legislative analysis describes 10 hours, while a DCP page says 8 paid hours starting January 1, 2027.
Sources
- Homemaker Companion Agency Registration - CT.gov
https://portal.ct.gov/en/dcp/license-services-division/license-division/homemaker-companion-agency-registration - Chapter 400o
https://www.cga.ct.gov/2025/pub/chap_400o.htm - A Consumers Guide To Homemaker Companion Agencies - CT.gov
https://portal.ct.gov/dcp/education-and-outreach/education/a-consumers-guide-to-homemaker-companion-agencies - Instructions for Homemaker-Companion Agency Registration
https://portal.ct.gov/-/media/dcp/pdf/applications_added_2017/hca-application_17july.pdf - AN ACT CONCERNING GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY REGARDING AGENCY PURCHASE CARD USE AND REGISTRAT…
https://www.cga.ct.gov/2025/BA/PDF/2025SB-01468-R000496-BA.PDF - Connecticut General Assembly
https://cga.ct.gov/asp/CGABillStatus/cgabillstatus.asp?selBillType=Bill&bill_num=SB01468&which_year=2025 - Homemaker Companion Agency (HCA) Registration
https://portal.ct.gov/dcp/license-services-division/license-division/homemaker-companion-agency-registration - Homemaker-Companion Agencies - CT.gov
https://portal.ct.gov/dcp/homemaker-companion-agencies
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.
Want to talk through your state?
A free 15-minute clarity call with Home Care Agency Blueprint, the publisher of this site. Bring your state and your questions; you do not need to finish the checklist first.
Book a free 15-minute clarity call