Florida home care registration requirements
Bottom line: Yes (registration) — AHCA Homemaker & Companion Services registration; HHA license for hands-on care.
- License required?
- Yes (registration)
- License / pathway
- AHCA Homemaker & Companion Services registration; HHA license for hands-on care
- Fees (initial / renewal)
- HCS registration $50.75 per 2 yrs (AHCA); statute base $50 per biennium. See the fee note below.
From the 50-state summary. Fees shown as stated in the state entry; see each entry for conditions, conflicts, and sources.
Florida 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. Florida requires providers of homemaker or companion services to register with AHCA; they are exempt from home-health licensure if they do not provide home health services. An APD-contracted person providing companion services only to people with developmental disabilities is exempt from registration. HCS registration does not authorize hands-on personal care. [1][2] |
| License type / name | Homemaker and Companion Services (HCS) registration with AHCA—not a separate non-medical home-care license. HCS registration does not permit hands-on personal care; the sources reviewed identify home health agency or nurse registry licensure for personal care. [2][3] |
| Licensing agency | Florida Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA), Long Term Care Services Unit. [2] |
| Agency website | AHCA online licensing system: https://ahca.myflorida.com/health-care-policy-and-oversight/online-licensure-information/online-licensing-system [4] |
| Initial application / license fee | Conflicting amounts are reported: AHCA’s information page and July 2024 application state $50.75 for a 2-year registration; the 2026 statute states $50 per biennium. [2][4][1] |
| Renewal fee | Conflicting amounts are reported: AHCA’s information page and July 2024 application state $50.75; the 2026 statute states $50 per biennium. AHCA also states a $25.38 late fee applies when renewal is not submitted at least 60 days before expiration. [2][4][1] |
| Renewal cycle | Biennial (2 years). AHCA says renewal applications should be submitted at least 60 days before expiration. [2][1] |
| Typical approval timeline | AHCA must notify applicants of apparent errors or omissions within 30 days and approve or deny a complete application within 60 days. Applicants have 21 days to respond to an omissions notice. Renewal applications should be submitted at least 60 days before expiration to avoid the stated late fee. [2][4] |
| Administrator qualifications | The supplied HCS facts state that the managing employee and financial officer require Level 2 background screening by scanned fingerprints; no other administrator qualifications are stated. [2] |
| Caregiver background checks | AHCA states Level 2 screening is required for employees, including the managing employee and financial officer; new homemakers and companions must be screened before hiring. The July 2024 application also specifies AHCA Clearinghouse screening for controlling interests. [2][4] |
| Caregiver training hours | Under the supplied 2026 statute, employees who provide personal care or have regular contact must complete 1 hour of department training within 30 days after beginning employment. Employees of a companion or homemaker provider who provide personal care must complete 2 additional hours within 7 months; the sources reviewed also set a before-July 1, 2026 deadline for people employed, contracted, or referred before July 1, 2023. HCS registration itself does not authorize hands-on personal care. [5][2] |
| Registry checks | Not confirmed in official sources — check with the state agency |
| General liability insurance | Not required / N/A — AHCA states that Florida law does not require insurance for HCS registration; liability insurance is optional. [2] |
| 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 | The supplied 2026 statute lists training deadlines: 1 hour within 30 days after employment begins, 2 additional hours within 7 months for specified personal-care employees, and a before-July 1, 2026 deadline for people employed, contracted, or referred before July 1, 2023. SB 1068 proposes additional disclosures, inspections, marketing, recordkeeping, incident-reporting, and enforcement requirements and states a July 1, 2026 effective date; the sources reviewed do not verify that the bill became law. [5][6] |
Source notes and conflicts
The 2026 statute states a $50 biennial fee, while AHCA’s information page and July 2024 application state $50.75 for a 2-year registration. A 2021 AHCA document says independently working individuals who hire no one need not register, while AHCA’s current general-information page and the 2026 statute describe registration as required for individuals/persons providing these services; the older statement is not treated as the current rule here. Some AHCA checklist wording says “license,” but the current statute and AHCA information describe the non-medical pathway as registration. Florida law (s. 408.805, F.S.) lets AHCA adjust licensing fees each year for inflation, which likely explains the $50.75 figure. Confirm the current amount with AHCA before filing.
Sources
- Florida Statutes §400.509 - Florida Legislature
https://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0400-0499/0400/Sections/0400.509.html - General Information | Florida Agency for Health Care ...
https://ahca.myflorida.com/health-quality-assurance/bureau-of-health-facility-regulation/long-term-care-services-unit/homemaker-companion-services-provider/general-information.html - Agency for Health Care Administration
https://ahca.myflorida.com/content/download/7254/file/Homemaker_Companion_Services_ST_I.pdf - RegistrationApplication - The Agency for Health Care ...
https://ahca.myflorida.com/content/download/26533/file/Health%20Care%20Licensing%20Application%20Homemaker%20and%20Companion%20Services%20Provider,%20AHCA%20Form%203110-1003,%20July%202024.docx - The Florida Senate
https://www.flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2026/430.5025 - flsenate.gov
https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2026/1068/BillText/Filed/PDF
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