Massachusetts home care license requirements
Bottom line: Yes – new law, not yet implemented — EOHHS Home Care Agency license (Ch. 180, Acts of 2026).
CHANGED SINCE MARCH 2026 Change flag: Chapter 180 of 2026 (approved Aug 6, 2026) creates a home care agency license that will become mandatory on a date EOHHS has not yet set; regulations pending. As of October 15, 2026, no license was being issued.
- License required?
- Yes – new law, not yet implemented
- License / pathway
- EOHHS Home Care Agency license (Ch. 180, Acts of 2026)
- Fees (initial / renewal)
- Not yet set (Not confirmed in official sources — check with the state agency)
From the 50-state summary. Fees shown as stated in the state entry; see each entry for conditions, conflicts, and sources.
Massachusetts 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, once implemented. Chapter 180 of the Acts of 2026 ("An Act to Improve Massachusetts Home Care," approved Aug 6, 2026) adds G.L. c. 6A §16II: no entity may operate or hold itself out as a home care agency, provide home care services, or use "home care" to describe its services without an EOHHS home care agency license. Applies to agencies that directly employ home care workers and to agencies that contract with entities that employ them. Exempt: government operators, house-cleaning-only businesses, ASAPs, licensed hospices, and home health agencies (§16HH). Until EOHHS sets the mandatory licensure date, no license is yet being issued. [1] |
| License type / name | Home Care Agency license issued by the Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS); 3-year term, non-transferable. Temporary licenses are to be issued first (automatically to applicants already contracted with an Aging Services Access Point or MassHealth). [1] |
| Licensing agency | Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS) issues the home care agency license. [1] |
| Agency website | EOHHS website; the sources reviewed do not give its specific URL. The act requires EOHHS to post a list of licensed home care agencies there. [1] |
| Initial application / license fee | Not confirmed in official sources — check with the state agency — Fees will be set under G.L. c. 7 §3B; no amount has been published in the sources reviewed. [1] |
| Renewal fee | Not confirmed in official sources — check with the state agency — Fees will be set under G.L. c. 7 §3B; no amount published. [1] |
| Renewal cycle | 3 years, renewable for like terms. [1] |
| Typical approval timeline | Implementation schedule in the act: EOHHS must issue temporary licenses within 180 days of the act's effective date; adopt licensing regulations within 1 year of the effective date; and set a mandatory licensure date no later than 1 year after the regulations are adopted. The act's effective date is not stated in the act text (No official timeline published — check with the agency). Individual application processing time: No official timeline published — check with the agency. [1] |
| Administrator qualifications | Not confirmed in official sources — check with the state agency |
| Caregiver background checks | Regulations must require background checks for all home care workers, including Massachusetts criminal checks; state/county checks for every place lived or worked in the prior 5 years; OIG exclusion list; nurse aide registry; credential checks; and, for drivers, license, auto insurance, and 5-year driving record. Owners with 5%+ interest must submit a completed background check during the suitability review. [1] |
| Caregiver training hours | Regulations must set annual and ongoing training/competency requirements covering, at minimum: confidentiality, infection control, emergencies/falls, observing and reporting changes, abuse/neglect reporting, Alzheimer's/dementia care, and wage-and-hour rights. Hours: Not confirmed in official sources — check with the state agency (not set in statute). [1] |
| Registry checks | Worker checks must include the nurse aide registry and OIG exclusion list; the act references the existing home care worker registry (G.L. c. 19A §4D). EOHHS must publicly post a list of licensed agencies. [1] |
| General liability insurance | Regulations must set minimum liability insurance coverage; amount not yet set (Not confirmed in official sources — check with the state agency). [1] |
| Workers' compensation | Regulations must set minimum workers' compensation coverage; amount not yet set (Not confirmed in official sources — check with the state agency). [1] |
| Bonding (surety / dishonesty) | Not confirmed in official sources — check with the state agency |
| Rule changes 2025–2026 | Aug 6, 2026: Chapter 180 of the Acts of 2026 approved, creating the first Massachusetts home care agency license (EOHHS), a home care oversight advisory council, enforcement fines up to $500/day, and a licensure timeline. Regulations not yet issued. [1] |
Source notes and conflicts
Older DLS information says agencies directly employing domestic workers do not need licensure or registration under the DLS employment/placement-agency program, and a 2021 report says no state agency then licensed home care agencies. Chapter 180, approved August 6, 2026, establishes a separate EOHHS home care agency license that applies to directly employing agencies as well as agencies contracting with entities that employ workers. The sources reviewed do not state the act’s effective date.
Sources
- Mass. Acts of 2026, Chapter 180 – An Act to Improve Massachusetts Home Care
https://malegislature.gov/Laws/SessionLaws/Acts/2026/Chapter180
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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