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Care business licensing, state by state

Try a license (“assisted living”), an agency (“AHCA”) or a topic (“background screening”).

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Licensing guides, page 3

Step-by-step guides to licensing a care business, each checked against the state agency’s own rules and dated with its last review.

Guides 41–60 of 301

  1. Texas child care center license: the HHSC permit, step by step

    How a Texas child care center gets licensed by HHSC Child Care Regulation: orientation, director credentials, space, ratios, training, fees, and 2025-2026 changes.

    Texas · Child care centerUpdated

  2. Virginia child day center license: how a center gets licensed by VDOE

    Opening a licensed child day center in Virginia: who must be licensed, VDOE orientation and application, space, ratios, director rules, fees and the pending 8VAC20-781.

    Virginia · Child care centerUpdated

  3. Wisconsin adult family home license: the 3-4 bed DHS 88 license, step by step

    How to license a 3-4 bed adult family home in Wisconsin: DHS 88 rules, the $171 fee, ambulatory designations, the DQA Provider Portal and the pending rule rewrite.

    Wisconsin · Small residential care homeUpdated

  4. Wisconsin CBRF license: opening a community-based residential facility

    How Wisconsin DHS licenses community-based residential facilities (CBRFs): size and class, plan review, zoning, administrator rules, training, fees and portal steps.

    Wisconsin · Assisted living facilityUpdated

  5. California Adult Residential Facility (ARF) license: board and care for adults 18 to 59

    How CDSS licenses board and care homes for adults 18 to 59 with disabilities: the 35-hour administrator certificate, zoning, the 300-foot rule, fees and regional centers.

    California · Small residential care homeReviewed

  6. Beyond the state license: the federal and business steps to open a care business

    The steps besides the state license: entity, EIN, caregiver pay rules, NPI, Medicare and Medicaid enrollment, EVV, background checks, CCDF and CACFP.

    All states · Business setupReviewed

  7. Opening a family day care home in Alabama: the DHR home license

    How Alabama licenses home child care: the 6-child and 12-child limits, how your own kids count, 24 training hours, fire marshal approval, background checks and Arise.

    Alabama · Family child care homeReviewed

  8. Alaska home health agency license: HFLC rules, FTE-based fees and Medicare

    How Alaska licenses home health agencies under AS 47.32 and 7 AAC 12: the in-house skilled nursing rule, FTE-based fees, provisional license, and the Medicare link.

    Alaska · Home health agencyReviewed

  9. Arizona child care facility license: how ADHS licenses a center

    Opening a child care center in Arizona: the ADHS license, who is exempt, director qualifications, ratios, square footage, fire and gas inspections, and fees.

    Arizona · Child care centerReviewed

  10. Arizona child care group home certificate: caring for 5 to 10 children at home

    How ADHS certifies Arizona child care group homes: the 5-to-10 child threshold, live-in provider, 30 sq ft per child, gas inspection and the $330 fee.

    Arizona · Family child care homeReviewed

  11. Arizona home health agency license: ADHS rules, fees and the Medicare freeze

    How ADHS licenses Arizona home health agencies: who needs it, owner fingerprint cards, the advisory group, $50 + $365 fees and the 2026 Medicare freeze.

    Arizona · Home health agencyReviewed

  12. Arkansas adult day care license: DPSQA rules, slots, staffing and the Act 905 question

    How to license an adult day care in Arkansas under 20 CAR Part 408: the 4-adult threshold, $5 per slot fee, 2-staff minimum, 40 sq ft rule, fire rules and ARChoices.

    Arkansas · Adult day careReviewed

  13. Arkansas assisted living facility license: Permit of Approval, Level I and Level II

    How Arkansas licenses assisted living: the bed-need Permit of Approval, Level I vs Level II, OLTC fees, apartment rules, staffing tables and the Living Choices waiver.

    Arkansas · Assisted living facilityReviewed

  14. Arkansas home health agency license: the Permit of Approval, Class A or B, and 2026 limits

    How Arkansas licenses home health agencies: the Permit of Approval and county caps, Class A vs Class B, ADH rules, aide training and the 2026 Medicare freeze.

    Arkansas · Home health agencyReviewed

  15. Arkansas child care center license: OEC rules, steps and fees

    How to license a child care center in Arkansas: the Office of Early Childhood process, pre-licensing class, insurance minimums, ratios, director rules, space and fees.

    Arkansas · Child care centerReviewed

  16. Opening a licensed child care family home in Arkansas

    When an Arkansas home daycare needs an OEC license, the 6-to-16 child range, ratios, 11-child fire and health trigger, background checks, $15 fee and the steps.

    Arkansas · Family child care homeReviewed

  17. Arkansas private care agency license: the Medicaid personal care route to in-home care

    How Arkansas licenses private care agencies for Medicaid personal care: Act 853 of 2025, the $1 million insurance rule, 40-hour aides, ADH inspections and enrollment.

    Arkansas · Non-medical home care agencyReviewed

  18. Arkansas residential care facility license: the 2005 bed moratorium and the buy-in route

    Arkansas RCF licensing: the bed moratorium since 2005, buying an existing RCF, the $5-per-bed fee, staffing by census, room sizes and Medicaid personal care.

    Arkansas · Small residential care homeReviewed

  19. California adult day program license: CDSS rules, plus the separate ADHC path

    How to license a non-medical adult day program with CDSS in California, and how the medical Adult Day Health Care license (CDPH) and CBAS certification differ.

    California · Adult day careReviewed

  20. California home care organization license: starting a non-medical home care agency

    How CDSS licenses California home care organizations: who needs an HCO license, the $5,603 fee, insurance and bond, the HCS 281 packet, aide rules and 2029 fees.

    California · Non-medical home care agencyReviewed