Texas home care license requirements
Bottom line: Yes — HHSC HCSSA license – Personal Assistance Services category.
WATCH Watch item: HHSC proposed HCSSA rule amendments published Sept 18, 2026 (Texas Register); not adopted.
- License required?
- Yes
- License / pathway
- HHSC HCSSA license – Personal Assistance Services category
- Fees (initial / renewal)
- $2,625 initial; $2,625 per 3-yr renewal
From the 50-state summary. Fees shown as stated in the state entry; see each entry for conditions, conflicts, and sources.
Texas 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 license is required for an agency providing paid personal assistance services (PAS), subject to statutory exemptions. Sitter-companion or chore/household services alone are exempt if they do not involve personal care or health-related services; an individual hired and paid directly by the client or family is also exempt. [1][2] |
| License type / name | Home and Community Support Services Agency (HCSSA) license with the Personal Assistance Services (PAS) category. This applies to personal care; companion/chore-only services meeting the statutory exemption do not require this license. [1][2] |
| Licensing agency | Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) licenses HCSSAs. The cited statute’s definition still names the Department of Aging and Disability Services. [3][2][1] |
| Agency website | HHSC website: hhs.texas.gov. The sources reviewed identify TULIP as the online system for submitting long-term care licensure applications. [4][5] |
| Initial application / license fee | $2,625 initial license fee (includes change of ownership), per 26 TAC §558.3 as amended effective Apr 25, 2021; the same $2,625 appears in HHSC's Sept 18, 2026 proposed amendment text. Statute allows $600–$2,625. Applications are not reviewed until payment shows as received in the online portal (proposed text). [6][7] |
| Renewal fee | $2,625 for a three-year renewal (26 TAC §558.3). Late renewal fee is one-half the renewal fee (proposed text). Branch offices pay separate fees. [6][7] |
| Renewal cycle | The license expires three years after issuance. [1] |
| Typical approval timeline | Renewal submissions are due 45 days before expiration, according to the provided 2021 HHSC letter. [8] |
| Administrator qualifications | For a PAS agency, the administrator and alternate administrator must meet at least one listed qualification. The provided FAQ lists, among other qualifications, a high school diploma/GED plus at least one year of experience or training caring for individuals with functional disabilities, or two years of full-time study in a health-related field. [2] |
| Caregiver background checks | The FAQ states agencies must complete criminal history checks for staff upon hire and may not employ a person with a disqualifying conviction or an agency-determined contraindication. The statute also calls for identifying information on the owner, administrator, and chief financial officer for criminal history checks. [2][1] |
| Caregiver training hours | For a first-time administrator or alternate administrator, the provided 2021 training material states 24 clock hours of agency-administration training: 8 hours before designation and 16 additional hours within the first 12 months. This is administrator training, not a stated caregiver-training-hour requirement. [9] |
| Registry checks | Not confirmed in official sources — check with the state agency |
| 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 confirmed in official sources — check with the state agency |
| Rule changes 2025–2026 | Effective September 1, 2025, Acts 2025, 89th Legislature, R.S., Chapter 410 (H.B. 2510) made providing personal assistance services without a required license to a resident of an assisted living facility an offense: a Class A misdemeanor, or a third-degree felony after a prior conviction. Sept 18, 2026: HHSC published proposed amendments to 26 TAC Chapter 558 (HCSSA) in the Texas Register to implement 2023 and 2025 legislation (abuse/neglect investigation process, workplace-violence plans) and to update license-fee rules (removing two-year renewal fees because all renewals are now three-year). Proposed only; not yet adopted. [1][7] |
Source notes and conflicts
The statute’s quoted definition names the Department of Aging and Disability Services, while the more current provided agency materials identify HHSC as the HCSSA licensing agency. The statute also describes an exemption for people providing services only to recipients of specified Medicaid programs, while other provided program materials say HCSSAs providing services through listed programs must be licensed; the facts do not establish whether these statements apply to different provider arrangements.
Sources
- HEALTH AND SAFETY CODE CHAPTER 142. HOME AND COMMUNITY SUPPORT SERVICES
https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/HS/htm/HS.142.htm - HCSSA FAQs July 2024
https://www.hhs.texas.gov/sites/default/files/documents/hcssa-faqs.pdf - 4000 Cases Involving HHSC or Other Settings
https://www.dfps.texas.gov/handbooks/APS/Files/APS_pg_4000.asp - Texas Long-Term Service and Supports (LTSS) Waiver Programs
https://www.hhs.texas.gov/sites/default/files/documents/doing-business-with-hhs/providers/resources/ltss-waivers.pdf - HCSSA Pre-Survey Computer-Based Training
https://apps.hhs.texas.gov/providers/hcssa/cbt/module1/HCSSA_PresurveyCBT_Module_1_05032021_print.html - 26 Tex. Admin. Code §558.3 – License Fees
https://www.law.cornell.edu/regulations/texas/26-Tex-Admin-Code-SS-558-3 - Texas Register, Sept 18, 2026 – Proposed Rules, Title 26
https://www.sos.state.tx.us/texreg/archive/September182026/Proposed%20Rules/26.HEALTH%20AND%20HUMAN%20SERVICES.html - Long - Term Care Regulatory Provider Letter 1.0 Subject and Purpose 2.0 Policy Details & Pro…
https://www.hhs.texas.gov/sites/default/files/documents/providers/communications/2021/letters/PL2021-03.pdf - HCSSA Presurvey Computer-Based Training
https://apps.hhs.texas.gov/providers/hcssa/cbt/module2/HCSSA_PreSurveyCBT_Module_2_05132021_print.html
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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