Illinois home care license requirements
Bottom line: Yes — IDPH Home Services Agency license.
- License required?
- Yes
- License / pathway
- IDPH Home Services Agency license
- Fees (initial / renewal)
- $1,500 (form); annual fee capped at $1,500
From the 50-state summary. Fees shown as stated in the state entry; see each entry for conditions, conflicts, and sources.
Illinois 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. An Illinois Home Services Agency must obtain an IDPH license to operate. A Home Services Placement agency is a separate category and must also be licensed by the Illinois Department of Labor as a Private Employment Agency. [1][2] |
| License type / name | Home Services Agency license for non-medical services; this license does not permit skilled services. Agencies providing placement services use the Home Services Placement Agency license, and must also obtain the Private Employment Agency license from IDOL. [3][2][4] |
| Licensing agency | Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH). [1][5] |
| Agency website | https://dph.illinois.gov/topics-services/health-care-regulation/health-care-facilities/home-services.html [3] |
| Initial application / license fee | The Home Services Agency initial application form lists a $1,500 license fee. The current rule states the annual fee may not exceed $1,500; the available facts do not separately label the form’s amount as an initial fee. [3][6] |
| Renewal fee | The current rule sets an annual Home Services Agency licensure fee not to exceed $1,500. The application form lists $1,500 but does not distinguish initial from renewal fees. [6][3] |
| Renewal cycle | Renewal application must be filed 60–90 days before the current license expires; the application form says it is due 60 days before expiration. The sources do not specify the license term. [7][3] |
| Typical approval timeline | IDPH conducts an initial review within 30 days; approval or denial of provisional licensure should take no more than 90 days from submission. An approved provisional license is valid for 240 days. [8] |
| Administrator qualifications | IDPH advisory-committee minutes from October 13, 2021 state that there were no Agency Manager qualifications at that time; the sources reviewed do not establish whether this remains current. [9] |
| Caregiver background checks | Workers must meet Health Care Worker Background Check Act requirements, including not having a disqualifying background check without a waiver. For eligible new hires or rehires, IDPH guidance says another background check may not be needed, but the employer must check the six registries in the web portal. [10][11] |
| Caregiver training hours | Home Services Agencies must provide or arrange 10 initial hours: five before the worker’s first assignment and five within the first 30 days of employment. Workers must complete at least 10 hours during each year of employment and pass competency evaluations before assignments. [10][11] |
| Registry checks | Initial applicants must provide proof of access to the IDPH Health Care Worker Registry. Employers must perform required registry checks and provide employment verification and update employee demographic information at least annually. [12][7][11] |
| General liability insurance | Initial application must include proof of liability coverage; the rule requires minimum coverage of $1 million per occurrence and $3 million in the aggregate. [7][3] |
| 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 | March 25, 2025: Part 245 worker rules were amended; the provided rule text includes 10 hours of initial training, annual training, and competency requirements. September 2, 2025: the licensure-fee rule was amended and states an annual Home Services Agency fee not to exceed $1,500. January 30, 2026: Part 245 was amended, but the sources reviewed do not describe the substance of that amendment. [10][6][13] |
Source notes and conflicts
The 2022 initial application says applicants for multiple licenses pay the higher applicable fee, while the September 2025 rule says applicants for multiple licenses pay the applicable fee for each license. The newer rule is later; this conflict concerns multiple licenses, not the stated standalone Home Services Agency fee. The form lists $1,500 but does not distinguish initial and renewal amounts.
Sources
- HEALTH FACILITIES AND REGULATION (210 ILCS 55/) Home ...
https://www.ilga.gov/Legislation/ILCS/Articles?ActID=1227&ChapterID=21 - Home Services/Home Nursing Placement
https://dph.illinois.gov/topics-services/health-care-regulation/health-care-facilities/home-services-nursing-placement.html - Home Services application (initial- renewal and or change of ...
https://dph.illinois.gov/content/dam/soi/en/web/idph/forms/topics-services/health-care-regulation/health-care-facilities/home-health/hs-application-092024.pdf - Home Services/Home Nursing Placement Frequently Asked Questions
https://dph.illinois.gov/topics-services/health-care-regulation/health-care-facilities/home-services-nursing-placement/faq.html - Home Services Agencies - Illinois Department of Public Health
https://dph.illinois.gov/topics-services/health-care-regulation/health-care-facilities/home-services.html - Section 245.95 License Application Fee, Single or Multiple Licenses
https://ilga.gov/commission/jcar/admincode/077/077002450C00950R.html - Section 245
https://ilga.gov/commission/jcar/admincode/077/077002450C00900R.html - Home Services Agencies Frequently Asked Questions
https://dph.illinois.gov/topics-services/health-care-regulation/health-care-facilities/home-services/faq.html - [PDF] MEETING MINUTES - Illinois Department of Public Health
https://dph.illinois.gov/content/dam/soi/en/web/idph/events/home-health-home-services-and-home-nursing-advisory-committee/minutes/10.2021_HHA-Meeting-Minutes.pdf - Section 245.71 Qualifications and Requirements for Home Services ...
https://www.ilga.gov/ftp/JCAR/AdminCode/077/077002450B00710R.html - Guidance for Common Deficiency Findings
https://dph.illinois.gov/topics-services/health-care-regulation/health-care-facilities/guidance-for-common-deficiency-findings.html - [PDF] Home Services Placement Application DUE DATE IS 60 DAYS ...
https://dph.illinois.gov/content/dam/soi/en/web/idph/forms/topics-services/health-care-regulation/health-care-facilities/hs-placement-application-092024.pdf - ADMINISTRATIVE CODE
https://ilga.gov/agencies/JCAR/EntirePart?titlepart=07700245
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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