Pennsylvania home care license requirements
Bottom line: Yes — DOH Home Care Agency (HCA) / Home Care Registry (HCR) license.
CHANGED SINCE MARCH 2026 Change flag: Applications online only since Mar 31, 2026; mail/email no longer accepted.
- License required?
- Yes
- License / pathway
- DOH Home Care Agency (HCA) / Home Care Registry (HCR) license
- Fees (initial / renewal)
- $100 initial; $100 annual
From the 50-state summary. Fees shown as stated in the state entry; see each entry for conditions, conflicts, and sources.
Pennsylvania 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 home care agency or registry must obtain a license before operating; entities established after December 12, 2009 must obtain one before providing home care services. The regulations state exceptions apply. [1][2] |
| License type / name | Pennsylvania Home Care Agency (HCA) license, Home Care Registry (HCR) license, or both. Each physical location must be separately licensed. [1][3] |
| Licensing agency | Pennsylvania Department of Health, Division of Home Health (DHH). [4][3] |
| Agency website | The FAQ lists this Pennsylvania Department of Health home care information URL: https://www.health.pa.gov/topics/facilities/home-care/Pages/Home%20Care.aspx [3] |
| Initial application / license fee | $100 application fee. A separate application and fee is required for each separately licensed agency or registry. [1][5] |
| Renewal fee | $100 renewal fee. The regulations also state that an annual licensing fee is collected. [1][2] |
| Renewal cycle | The renewal form must be submitted at least 60 days before license expiration. An annual licensing fee is collected; the license term itself is not specified in the sources reviewed. [1][2] |
| Typical approval timeline | The Department inspects before issuing an initial license or renewal. No application processing duration is stated. [1] |
| Administrator qualifications | Not confirmed in official sources — check with the state agency |
| Caregiver background checks | Criminal history reports are required for direct-care applicants, office-staff applicants, and owners. Pennsylvania residents of at least two years request a Pennsylvania State Police record; others obtain a federal record and Department of Aging eligibility letter. The FAQ also says a new administrator’s background-check results must be submitted when changing administrators and cannot be more than one year old. [1][3] |
| Caregiver training hours | No training-hour total is stated. Before assignment or referral, workers must meet competency requirements through a valid nursing license, a competency examination, or a qualifying training program; competency must be reviewed at least annually. [1][5] |
| Registry checks | If serving people under 18, the agency or registry must require ChildLine verification for direct-care and office-staff applicants. A person confirmed as a perpetrator of a founded or indicated child-abuse report may not be employed, rostered, or retained. [1][5] |
| General liability insurance | Commercial General Liability insurance is required for agencies providing Personal Assistance Services under the cited Act 150/waiver materials. The sources reviewed do not establish this as a general requirement for every non-medical home care agency. [6][7] |
| Workers' compensation | Workers’ Compensation insurance is required for agencies providing Personal Assistance Services under the cited Act 150/waiver materials, in accordance with state statute and Department policies. The sources reviewed do not establish this as a general requirement for every non-medical home care agency. [6][7] |
| Bonding (surety / dishonesty) | Not confirmed in official sources — check with the state agency |
| Rule changes 2025–2026 | Effective March 31, 2026, mailed or emailed submissions for the home care agency/registry application are no longer accepted; the Department provides a new online application process. [4] |
Source notes and conflicts
The regulations state a $100 application or renewal fee, while the home care regulations page separately says an annual licensing fee is collected without stating its amount. The sources reviewed do not establish a different fee amount.
Sources
- Chapter611.pdf
https://www.pa.gov/content/dam/copapwp-pagov/en/health/documents/topics/documents/facilities-and-licensing/Chapter611.pdf - Home Care Regulations | Department of Health
https://www.pa.gov/agencies/health/facilities/out-patient-healthcare-facilities/home-care/home-care-regulations - [PDF] Home Care Agency/Registry License FAQ
https://www.pa.gov/content/dam/copapwp-pagov/en/health/documents/topics/documents/facilities-and-licensing/HCA%20FAQ.pdf - Home Care | Department of Health - Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
https://www.pa.gov/agencies/health/facilities/out-patient-healthcare-facilities/home-care - [PDF] title 28. health and safety - Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
https://www.pa.gov/content/dam/copapwp-pagov/en/aging/documents/resources-for-aging-professionals/policy-and-procedure-manual/chapter-iv--options-program/appx%20e.2%2028%20pa%20code%20chapter%20611_home%20care%20agencies-home%20care%20registries%20regulations.pdf - [PDF] Act 150 Program Guidelines OLTL - Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
https://www.pa.gov/content/dam/copapwp-pagov/en/dhs/documents/docs/publications/documents/forms-and-pubs-omap/c_227397.pdf - Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
https://www.pa.gov/content/dam/copapwp-pagov/en/dhs/documents/services/documents/Act%20150%20Guidelines%20Final.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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