Washington home care license requirements
Bottom line: Yes — DOH In-Home Services Agency license – home care category.
CHANGED SINCE MARCH 2026 Change flag: New fee rule WAC 246-335-990 effective June 1, 2026.
- License required?
- Yes
- License / pathway
- DOH In-Home Services Agency license – home care category
- Fees (initial / renewal)
- $5,000 initial (12 mo); $2,400–$3,700 per 24-mo renewal
From the 50-state summary. Fees shown as stated in the state entry; see each entry for conditions, conflicts, and sources.
Washington 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 current Washington in-home services agency license is required before operating or advertising a home care agency, unless a statutory exemption applies. The rule covers a person employing or contracting with two or more individuals to provide in-home services. [1][2] |
| License type / name | Washington in-home services agency license, with the home care service category (nonmedical home care). [1][3] |
| Licensing agency | Washington State Department of Health (DOH). [1][4] |
| Agency website | https://doh.wa.gov/licenses-permits-and-certificates/facilities-z/home-care-agencies [4] |
| Initial application / license fee | $5,000 for each service category for an initial 12-month license. The statute provides for an application fee established by the department; the current fee schedule specifies the amount. [5][1] |
| Renewal fee | For a 24-month home care renewal, standard fees are $2,400 (5 or fewer FTEs), $2,800 (6–15), $3,000 (16–50), $3,500 (51–100), and $3,700 (101 or more). Reduced fees, if eligibility requirements are met, are $1,700, $2,000, $2,100, $2,500, and $2,600 for those same FTE tiers, respectively. [5] |
| Renewal cycle | The standard license term is 24 months; an initial license is effective for 12 months. Submit the renewal application at least 30 days before expiration. [1][6][5] |
| Typical approval timeline | After the department reviews and accepts application materials, it contacts the applicant to schedule an initial survey; applicants must pass the survey for licensure. The department may close an application without refund if all licensure steps are not completed within nine months. [7] |
| Administrator qualifications | The administrator must be a home care employee and meet the education and experience requirements in the agency’s policies. For the separate DSHS contract pathway, supervisory/administrative staff in each office in the service area must demonstrate experience caring for medically frail and/or functionally disabled persons. [8][9] |
| Caregiver background checks | For state licensing, WSP criminal history checks are required for the on-site administrator and supervisor of direct care services, dated within three months of the application. DOH’s updated-rules page also describes checks and disclosure statements for the administrator, direct-care supervisor, and employees providing care: initial hiring checks through DSHS BCCU and subsequent checks every two years through WSP. DSHS contracting adds checks for the contract signatory and covered employees, volunteers, and subcontractors. [7][10][9] |
| Caregiver training hours | Applicants must complete the free half-day In-Home Services Orientation Class before applying; the application requires its certificate of completion. The supplied licensing facts do not specify caregiver training hours. Separate long-term-care-worker training references include 75-hour, 70-hour, and 30-hour requirements, but their applicability and relationship are not resolved by these facts. [10][7][11][12] |
| Registry checks | Not confirmed in official sources — check with the state agency |
| General liability insurance | WAC requires commercial general liability coverage of at least $1 million per occurrence, or a $2 million combined single limit. The statute also requires professional liability, public liability, and property damage insurance in an amount established by the department. [6][1] |
| 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 | The home care fee rule, WAC 246-335-990, was filed February 3, 2026, and became effective June 1, 2026. WAC 246-335-310 was filed May 30, 2025, and became effective June 30, 2025; the sources reviewed do not specify the provisions changed by that filing. The supplied RCW text also describes a 2025 amendment adding an exemption for a qualifying DSHS-contracted financial services agency, but gives no effective date. [5][6][1] |
Source notes and conflicts
The supplied statute describes fees generally as established by the department, while the newer WAC 246-335-990 fee schedule gives specific amounts; the schedule is used for current amounts. Caregiver training references include 75-hour, 70-hour, and 30-hour requirements, but the sources reviewed do not explain how they relate. Background-check sources describe different scopes and processes; state licensing checks, the DOH updated-rules account, and additional DSHS contract checks are reported separately.
Sources
- Chapter 70.127 RCW
https://app.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=70.127&full=true&pdf=true - WAC 246-335-315: - WA.gov
https://app.leg.wa.gov/wac/default.aspx?cite=246-335-315 - Chapter 246-335 WAC:
https://app.leg.wa.gov/wac/default.aspx?cite=246-335 - Home Care Agencies | Washington State Department of Health
https://doh.wa.gov/licenses-permits-and-certificates/facilities-z/home-care-agencies - WAC 246-335-990: - WA.gov
https://apps.leg.wa.gov/WAC/default.aspx?cite=246-335-990 - [PDF] Chapter 246-335 WAC IN-HOME SERVICES AGENCIES - | WA.gov
https://app.leg.wa.gov/wac/default.aspx?cite=246-335&full=true&pdf=true - License Requirements | Washington State Department of Health
https://doh.wa.gov/licenses-permits-and-certificates/facilities-z/home-care-agencies/license-requirements - WAC 246-335-415:
https://app.leg.wa.gov/wac/default.aspx?cite=246-335-415 - Home Care Agencies - DSHS
https://www.dshs.wa.gov/sites/default/files/ALTSA/hcs/documents/Home%20Care%20Agencies.doc - Updated Rules | Washington State Department of Health
https://doh.wa.gov/licenses-permits-and-certificates/facilities-z/home-care-agencies/updated-rules - Home Care Agencies | DSHS
https://www.dshs.wa.gov/altsa/training/home-care-agencies - Chapter 388-71 WAC: - Washington State Government
https://app.leg.wa.gov/wac/default.aspx?cite=388-71
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.
Want to talk through your state?
A free 15-minute clarity call with Home Care Agency Blueprint, the publisher of this site. Bring your state and your questions; you do not need to finish the checklist first.
Book a free 15-minute clarity call