Oregon home care license requirements
Bottom line: Yes — OHA In-Home Care Agency license (4 classes).
CHANGED SINCE MARCH 2026 Change flag: ODHS caregiver certification and public caregiver registry rules effective July 1, 2026.
- License required?
- Yes
- License / pathway
- OHA In-Home Care Agency license (4 classes)
- Fees (initial / renewal)
- $2,000–$3,000 initial; $1,000–$1,500 annual
From the 50-state summary. Fees shown as stated in the state entry; see each entry for conditions, conflicts, and sources.
Oregon 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. Oregon requires an In-Home Care Agency license for agencies providing in-home care/personal care services. Businesses providing only housekeeping and supportive services such as laundry, shopping, and errands do not need to be licensed. [1][2] |
| License type / name | In-Home Care (IHC) Agency license. Classifications are Limited, Basic, Intermediate, and Comprehensive; the classification depends on the services provided. [1][3] |
| Licensing agency | Oregon Health Authority (OHA), Public Health Division, Health Facility Licensing and Certification (HFLC), In-Home Care Program. [2][4] |
| Agency website | Apply through the online licensing portal at www.hflclicensing.oregon.gov. Program information is listed at www.healthoregon.org/hflc. [2] |
| Initial application / license fee | Parent license: Limited $2,000; Basic $2,250; Intermediate $2,500; Comprehensive $3,000. Initial subunit license: $1,250 for all classifications. [2] |
| Renewal fee | Yearly parent renewal: Limited $1,000; Basic $1,000; Intermediate $1,250; Comprehensive $1,500. Yearly subunit renewal: $1,000. [2][1] |
| Renewal cycle | Annual/yearly. Renewal is due at least 30 days before license expiration. [1][2] |
| Typical approval timeline | The SOS License Directory, last updated 02/23/2026, gives a 2–6 month processing time. The initial-applicant FAQ, updated 08/01/2025, says processing is currently taking six to nine months; after a successful survey, the license is issued within ten business days. [1][2] |
| Administrator qualifications | An administrator must have a high school diploma or equivalent and at least two years of professional or management experience in a health-related field or program. The January 2026 update says a designee must meet full administrator qualifications. [5][6] |
| Caregiver background checks | The IHC applicant FAQ requires a background-check request form for owners or administrators who will have direct client contact. IHC interpretive guidance states direct-contact subject individuals must have a criminal records check before hire and every three years thereafter. Under rules effective 07/01/2026, caregivers seeking initial certification must have an approved Department Background Check Unit check and maintain approved status for continuing eligibility. [2][7][8] |
| Caregiver training hours | The 2026 rules effective 07/01/2026 require at least 8 hours of caregiver training and competency evaluation; caregivers administering medication need at least 4 hours of non-injectable medication training. Older IHC guidance also states caregivers receive at least 6 hours of annual education, plus 1 additional annual hour for medication administration. [8][7][1] |
| Registry checks | Rules effective 07/01/2026 establish a public caregiver registry operated by ODHS, including caregiver certification and criminal-records-check status. Employers must submit caregiver information and training verification at least quarterly. [8] |
| General liability insurance | Not confirmed in official sources — check with the state agency |
| Workers' compensation | Not confirmed in official sources — check with the state agency |
| Bonding (surety / dishonesty) | Not required / N/A — The SOS License Directory states that bonding requirements are none. [1] |
| Rule changes 2025–2026 | Effective 05/12/2025, initial applications must be submitted through the online licensing portal; paper submissions are no longer accepted. Rules effective 07/01/2026 establish caregiver certification, a public caregiver registry, and employer training-verification requirements. [2][8] |
Source notes and conflicts
Processing-time sources differ: the SOS License Directory, updated 02/23/2026, says 2–6 months, while the FAQ updated 08/01/2025 says six to nine months. Training sources describe both 8 hours of training and competency evaluation under 2026 rules and 6 hours of annual education under older guidance; they appear to describe different training requirements or periods.
Sources
- Business Xpress License Directory
https://apps.oregon.gov/SOS/LicenseDirectory/LicenseDetail/1000 - IHC Initial Applicant FAQ
https://www.oregon.gov/oha/PH/PROVIDERPARTNERRESOURCES/HEALTHCAREPROVIDERSFACILITIES/HEALTHCAREHEALTHCAREREGULATIONQUALITYIMPROVEMENT/Documents/IHCInitialApplicantFAQ.pdf - In-Home Care Agency Licensing Survey Tool
https://www.oregon.gov/oha/PH/PROVIDERPARTNERRESOURCES/HEALTHCAREPROVIDERSFACILITIES/HEALTHCAREHEALTHCAREREGULATIONQUALITYIMPROVEMENT/Documents/IHCChecklist.pdf - Survey and Certification
https://www.oregon.gov/oha/PH/ProviderPartnerResources/HealthcareProvidersFacilities/HealthcareHealthCareRegulationQualityImprovement/Pages/forms.aspx - IHC Change of Administrator Request Instructions
https://www.oregon.gov/oha/PH/PROVIDERPARTNERRESOURCES/HEALTHCAREPROVIDERSFACILITIES/HEALTHCAREHEALTHCAREREGULATIONQUALITYIMPROVEMENT/Documents/IHCChangeofAdministratorRequestInstructions.pdf - [PDF] In-Home Care (IHC) Update - Oregon.gov
https://www.oregon.gov/oha/PH/PROVIDERPARTNERRESOURCES/HEALTHCAREPROVIDERSFACILITIES/HEALTHCAREHEALTHCAREREGULATIONQUALITYIMPROVEMENT/Documents/IHCQuarterlyUpdate.PDF - [PDF] IHC Interpretive Guidelines - Oregon.gov
https://www.oregon.gov/oha/PH/PROVIDERPARTNERRESOURCES/HEALTHCAREPROVIDERSFACILITIES/HEALTHCAREHEALTHCAREREGULATIONQUALITYIMPROVEMENT/Documents/IHCInterpretiveGuidelines.pdf - [PDF] OAR 411-003 Permanent Rulemaking - Oregon.gov
https://www.oregon.gov/odhs/rules-policy/apdrules/411-003-perm-filing-2026-06-30.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.
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