Louisiana home care license requirements
Bottom line: Yes (personal care) — LDH HCBS provider license, PCA module (FNR approval required).
- License required?
- Yes (personal care)
- License / pathway
- LDH HCBS provider license, PCA module (FNR approval required)
- Fees (initial / renewal)
- $600 initial; $600 renewal (+module/branch fees)
From the 50-state summary. Fees shown as stated in the state entry; see each entry for conditions, conflicts, and sources.
Louisiana 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? | A Louisiana HCBS license is required for providers offering listed HCBS services, including the Personal Care Attendant (PCA) module. The sources reviewed do not establish whether every companion or homemaker service requires a license; HCBS rules exclude entities solely providing sitter or housekeeping services. [1][2] |
| License type / name | For personal care attendant services: the single Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) provider license, with the PCA module. Medicaid LT-PCS is a separate pathway requiring an HCBS license and Medicaid enrollment as a PCS provider. [1][3] |
| Licensing agency | Louisiana Department of Health (LDH), Health Standards Section (HSS), which handles HCBS licensing applications and surveys. PCA, an asterisked module, requires Facility Need Review (FNR) approval before applying. [1][2][4] |
| Agency website | LDH Health Standards Section website: ldh.la.gov/microsite/32. [5] |
| Initial application / license fee | The listed HCBS waiver provider initial fee is $600. Adding the PCA module is listed at $200; PCA requires FNR approval before applying, and the FNR fee is $200 non-refundable. The facts do not clarify whether the PCA module fee or FNR fee is included in the initial fee. [6][7][4][1] |
| Renewal fee | The listed HCBS waiver provider renewal fee is $600, plus $200 for ADC, $200–$250 for CBR, and $200 for each branch/satellite. The facts do not specify a PCA-specific renewal surcharge. [6] |
| Renewal cycle | Annual. HCBS rules state the license is valid for one year; the renewal packet is due at least 30 days before expiration. [2][8] |
| Typical approval timeline | Renewal notice is sent approximately 75 days before expiration, and the renewal packet is due at least 30 days before expiration. No general initial-processing timeline is stated; an expedited survey is described as occurring within 10 working days after the completed packet and cleared fees are received. [8][5] |
| Administrator qualifications | The July 2015 licensing notice says the administrator must be a Louisiana resident with a high school diploma or equivalent and either a bachelor’s degree plus four years of relevant experience, or six years of health/social-service business experience plus four additional years of relevant experience. This is supported by the older 2015 notice among the sources reviewed. [9] |
| Caregiver background checks | HCBS regulations require a Louisiana State Police statewide criminal background check, including sex offender registry status, for owners and administrators; they also require statewide checks upon hire for unlicensed direct-care providers. Medicaid PCS policy separately requires criminal background checks for personnel before employment and says checks performed more than 30 days before employment are not accepted. [2][10] |
| Caregiver training hours | The July 2015 licensing notice requires direct-care staff to complete at least 16 hours of training before providing care and at least 16 hours of continuing training annually; it also requires a basic first aid course within 45 days of hire. The supplied newer HCBS regulation facts do not confirm these hour totals. [9] |
| Registry checks | HCBS owner/administrator background checks include sex offender registry status. For Medicaid PCS, providers must check the CNA and DSW Registries; the supplied PCS policy also requires checking the OIG exclusion list and LDH State Adverse Actions website before hiring or contracting and monthly thereafter. [2][3][10] |
| General liability insurance | General and professional liability insurance of at least $300,000 is required. [2][8] |
| Workers' compensation | Workers’ compensation insurance is required and must be current and in effect at the time of license application. [2] |
| Bonding (surety / dishonesty) | Not confirmed in official sources — check with the state agency |
| Rule changes 2025–2026 | March 10, 2026: LDH proposed amendments to MIHC licensing standards concerning registered nurse and care manager client visits; the notice was anticipated to publish March 20, 2026. The sources reviewed do not establish adoption or an effective date. The facts also cite Acts 2025, No. 507, §1, but do not identify its specific change or effective date. [11][12] |
Source notes and conflicts
The sources reviewed describe older HCBS standards as Chapter 50, while the March 2026 rulemaking page identifies HCBS Licensing Standards as LAC 48.I.Chapter 51. The 2015 notice supplies administrator qualifications and training-hour totals, but the supplied February 2022 regulation summary does not confirm those details. The general companion/homemaker scope is not resolved: the facts establish PCA licensure and exclusions for entities solely providing sitter or housekeeping services, but do not classify every companion or homemaker service.
Sources
- Home and Community Based Service Providers (HCBS)
https://ldh.la.gov/health-standards-section/home-and-community-based-service-providers-hcbs - [PDF] Chapter 50. Home and Community- Based Services Providers ...
https://ldh.la.gov/assets/medicaid/hss/docs/HCBS/HCBS_regs_as_of_3-14-22.pdf - [PDF] PERSONAL CARE SERVICES PROVIDER MANUAL
https://www.ldh.la.gov/assets/medicaid/RFP_Documents/HCBS/PL_Exhibit21_LongTermPersonalCareServicesandEPSDTProviderManual.pdf - Facility Need Review (FNR) | Louisiana Department of Health
https://ldh.la.gov/health-standards-section/facility-need-review - [PDF] Healthcare Academy Presentations - Louisiana Department of Health
https://ldh.la.gov/assets/LLHA/2025/2025-LLHA-Health-Standards.pdf - Health Standards Section Licensing Fees - Waiver Programs | Louisiana Department of Health
https://ldh.la.gov/page/health-standards-section-licensing-fees-waiver-programs - HCBS - Service-Modules | Louisiana Department of Health
https://ldh.la.gov/health-standards-section/hcbs-servicemodules - License Renewal | Louisiana Department of Health
https://ldh.la.gov/health-standards-section/hcbs-license-renewal - Chapter 50. Home and Community
https://www.ldh.la.gov/assets/medicaid/Rulemaking/NoticesofIntent/September/HCBSProvLicStds_NOI_July2015LAC.pdf - ldh.la.gov
https://www.ldh.la.gov/assets/medicaid/MCPP/5.26.23/1933_LHCC_LA.CP.MP.508c_Personal_Care_Services_PCS_DOJ_4.23.pdf - HCBS Rulemaking | Louisiana Department of Health
https://ldh.la.gov/health-standards-section/hcbs-rulemaking - Louisiana Laws
https://legis.la.gov/legis/Law.aspx?d=321360
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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