Georgia home care license requirements
Bottom line: Yes — DCH/HFRD Private Home Care Provider (PHCP) license.
WATCH Watch item: GCHEXS fingerprint policy added for Consumer Directed Care employers, effective July 1, 2026 (Medicaid program).
- License required?
- Yes
- License / pathway
- DCH/HFRD Private Home Care Provider (PHCP) license
- Fees (initial / renewal)
- $300 application + $250 per service per year
From the 50-state summary. Fees shown as stated in the state entry; see each entry for conditions, conflicts, and sources.
Georgia 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 private home care provider generally may not operate without a Georgia DCH license or provisional license, subject to listed exemptions. [1] |
| License type / name | Private Home Care Provider (PHCP) license or provisional license. The fee schedule lists companion sitting and personal care services as PHCP service categories. [1][2] |
| Licensing agency | Georgia Department of Community Health (DCH), Healthcare Facility Regulation Division (HFRD). [1][3][4] |
| Agency website | PHCP application portal: https://gahles.dch.georgia.gov/ [3][4] |
| Initial application / license fee | $300 application processing fee for a new application. The initial license fee is submitted before issuance and varies by program; the provided schedule does not state the PHCP initial license-fee amount. [2] |
| Renewal fee | $250 annually for each listed PHCP service: companion sitting, personal care services, and nursing services. The schedule also allows an eligible currently accredited provider a 25% discount on the annual license fee if it submits the required current accreditation decision at renewal. [2] |
| Renewal cycle | Annual; the fee schedule lists the PHCP service fees as payable annually. [2] |
| Typical approval timeline | The state's packet says initial application review takes 30 business days from submission; this is the state's stated review period, not a guaranteed timeline. An approved initial application results in a provisional license active for three months; the provider must become operational, admit at least three clients, and request an initial survey before that period ends. The packet says re-licensure surveys occur approximately every 18–24 months. [3][4] |
| Administrator qualifications | The application requires the administrator’s name, qualifications, and job description, with full authority and responsibility for PHCP operations; administrator orientation training under Rule 111-8-65-.09(6)(a) is required. The checklist says an RN is required to open a PHCP, while the application packet says an administrator and at least one other employee are required and that an RN may serve as administrator. [3][4] |
| Caregiver background checks | Administrators and individual owners with at least 10% ownership must complete a fingerprint-based GCHEXS background check; the determination letter must be satisfactory and dated within 12 months of submission. DCH also describes state and federal fingerprint checks for prospective owners, owners, administrators, directors, managers, and direct-access applicants at covered facilities, including private home care. [3][4][5] |
| Caregiver training hours | The PHCP application requires administrator orientation under Rule 111-8-65-.09(6)(a), but the supplied application materials state no hours. Older personal-care guidance (June/July 2002) specifies 40 hours of core training for uncredentialed personal care assistants—20 hours before client work and 20 within six months—and at least 8 clock hours annually after the first year. [3][4][6] |
| Registry checks | For HCBS caregiver determinations, providers/case managers retrieve eligibility determinations through the Caregiver Registry. The sources reviewed do not establish a separate general PHCP agency registry requirement. [5] |
| General liability insurance | Older personal-care guidance says the provider agency must maintain appropriate and adequate liability coverage on employees connected with service delivery. For the ICWP Medicaid pathway, the October 2026 handbook requires at least $1,000,000 per occurrence and $3,000,000 per aggregate in general liability coverage. [6][7] |
| Workers' compensation | For private home care providers in the ICWP Medicaid pathway, proof of agency workers’ compensation insurance coverage must be submitted. The sources reviewed do not establish a separate general PHCP application requirement. [7] |
| Bonding (surety / dishonesty) | Not confirmed in official sources — check with the state agency |
| Rule changes 2025–2026 | Effective July 1, 2026, a fingerprint-based GCHEXS background-check policy was added for Consumer Directed Care employers. The sources reviewed do not identify a 2025–2026 change to the general PHCP license or fee schedule; the April 1, 2026 skilled-nursing handbook revision record says no changes were made that quarter. [7][8] |
Source notes and conflicts
The PHCP application checklist says an RN is required to open a PHCP; the application packet instead says an administrator and at least one other employee are required and that an RN may serve as administrator. These supplied statements do not align. The older 2002 personal-care document refers to DHR as the state licensing authority, while current PHCP materials identify DCH/HFRD.
Sources
- Private Home Care Program | Georgia Department of Community ...
https://dch.georgia.gov/divisionsoffices/hfrd/facilities-provider-information/private-home-care-program - Microsoft Word - Annual Licensing Fee Information - 10 04 2024.docx
https://dch.georgia.gov/document/document/schedule-licensure-activity-fees-oct2024/download - PRIVATE HOME CARE PROVIDERS APPLICATION CHECKLIST
https://dch.georgia.gov/document/document/private-home-care-provider-application-checklist/download - PRIVATE HOME CARE PROVIDERS APPLICATION CHECKLIST
https://dch.georgia.gov/document/document/private-home-care-provider-application-packet/download - Georgia Criminal History Check System (GCHEXS)
https://dch.georgia.gov/office-inspector-general/georgia-criminal-history-check-system-gchexs - Section 300 Individual Service Requirements
https://aging.georgia.gov/document/document/personalcarepdf/download - PART II - mmis.georgia.gov
https://www.mmis.georgia.gov/portal/portals/0/staticcontent/public/all/handbooks/independent%20care%20waiver%20services%20-%20q4%20october%202026%2020260918153746.pdf - Georgia MMIS provider manuals
https://www.mmis.georgia.gov/portal/PubAccess.Provider%20Information/Provider%20Manuals/tabId/17/Default.aspx
The Q2 2026 edition cited has since been replaced by a later quarterly edition.
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