Pennsylvania personal care home license: Chapter 2600 rules and the DHS process

Who needs a personal care home license

Chapter 2600 defines a personal care home as “a premise in which food, shelter and personal assistance or supervision are provided for a period exceeding 24 hours, for four or more adults who are not relatives of the operator, who do not require the services in or of a licensed long-term care facility, but who do require assistance or supervision in activities of daily living or instrumental activities of daily living.”⁠¹ Four parts of that definition decide most cases:

• Four or more residents. The count includes only adults who are not the operator’s relatives. The rule’s list of relatives runs from spouse and parents through aunts, uncles, nieces and nephews.⁠¹
• ADLs or IADLs. Pennsylvania counts help with IADLs too: laundry, shopping, transportation, managing finances, making appointments, using the telephone and similar tasks done on a resident’s behalf.⁠¹ Help with these alone, on top of room and board, is enough.
• Not nursing-home level. Residents must not need the services of a licensed long-term care facility.⁠¹
• Holding out. The license also covers a premises that “has held or presently holds itself out as a personal care home” and gives food and shelter to four or more adults who need personal care services, even if they are not receiving them.⁠¹

The chapter does not apply to commercial boarding homes that give only food, shelter and hotel-type services, or to homes run by a religious organization only for clergy and members of religious professions.⁠¹ A 2018 statement of policy also excludes two arrangements: premises where the property owner has no ownership, control or affiliation with the home care provider serving residents there, and independent living units on a continuing care retirement community campus where residents can get personal care from an unaffiliated home and community-based provider.⁠¹

Operating without the license costs $500. If the operator has not applied within 14 days of the citation, DHS adds $20 per resident for each day.⁠¹⁠³ Article X separately makes unlicensed operation punishable in a summary proceeding by a fine of $25 to $300, with each day a separate offense.⁠³

Fewer than four residents

Below four unrelated adults, no PCH license is needed. The nearest small-scale arrangement is a domiciliary care home. That is not a DHS license. It is a premises certified by a local Area Agency on Aging (AAA) for clients the AAA places there, under the Department of Aging’s rules in 6 Pa. Code Chapter 21.⁠¹³

Personal care home or assisted living residence?

DHS licenses two residential models for adults who need help with daily life, and the same bureau, BHSL in the Office of Long-Term Living, handles both.⁠⁴ DHS’s January 2026 prospective licensee guide says Pennsylvania licenses about 1,000 personal care homes and 100 assisted living residences (ALRs).⁠⁶ Choose between them before you design the building, because the physical rules differ.

The statute draws the line at health care. Under 62 P.S. § 1057.3(a)(13), a personal care home may “not provide supplemental health care services to residents.” It may only help residents get health care, through the rules on hospice, assistance with health care and medications.⁠³ An ALR must show it can provide supplemental health care services itself or by contract. Residents who need a long-term care facility’s level of services may live there if those services are provided and the building allows safe evacuation.⁠³ DHS’s guide describes ALRs as focused on self-determination and aging in place. They carry heavier physical site requirements, including larger construction, air conditioning and private bathrooms, plus staffing that includes a licensed nurse and a dietitian.⁠⁶

Sources: ⁠¹⁠³⁠⁶⁠¹¹⁠¹⁴

Section 2800.11(d) bars any person or program from using the term “assisted living” in a name or written material unless licensed under Chapter 2800.⁠¹¹ A personal care home that markets itself as “assisted living” breaks that rule.

The two licenses can sit side by side. A licensed PCH may apply for dual licensure if the PCH and an ALR are collocated in the same building, each in a distinct part. A dually licensed facility may not segregate or transfer residents between the two based on payment source, and it may ask DHS to let one administrator cover both.⁠¹¹ On fees, § 2800.11(c) sets a $300 ALR fee plus a $75 per-bed fee that DHS may adjust by the Consumer Price Index.⁠¹¹ DHS’s initial application checklist lists ALR fees of $300 ($450 with a special care unit) plus $35 per bed collected when the license is issued.⁠⁷

A PCH fits if your residents need personal care, supervision and medication administration but not nursing, and you want to work in an existing residential building. An ALR fits if you want residents to stay as their needs reach nursing-home level, and you can build or renovate to Chapter 2800’s standards. See our Pennsylvania assisted living residence license guide for the ALR rules.

The building: certificate of occupancy first

DHS’s guide puts the certificate of occupancy at the front of the process. One is required before a PCH can be licensed, and DHS sends applicants to local code enforcement officials or the Department of Labor and Industry.⁠⁶ The certificate goes in with the application. Its address must match the address on the HS 633 form, and it must be new or current. If it does not show your legal entity or the current year, you need a new certificate or a letter from the local building authority saying the existing one is current.⁠⁷ The HS 633 also states that a DHS certificate of compliance does not remove the need to comply with local zoning.⁠⁸

The occupancy classification matters if any resident has mobility needs. Under a 2010 statement of policy, a new applicant that intends to serve one or more residents with mobility needs should hold a certificate of occupancy with a use and occupancy classification under the Uniform Construction Code that fits the number and needs of residents served.⁠¹ Chapter 2600 defines a resident with mobility needs as someone who cannot move from one place to another, has difficulty understanding and carrying out instructions without continued full help, or cannot independently operate an ambulation device such as a wheelchair or walker to exit the building.⁠¹

Chapter 2600’s physical site rules are specific:⁠¹

• Bedrooms. At least 80 square feet for a single room and 60 square feet per resident in a shared room, measured wall to wall. A resident with mobility needs gets 100 square feet unless a physician’s order says the resident can manage with less. No more than four residents to a bedroom, an average ceiling height of at least 7 feet, a window with natural light, and a door. Cots, portable beds and bunk beds are prohibited, and mattresses must be fire retardant.
• Bathrooms. At least one flush toilet and one sink with mirror for every six users, and one tub or shower for every ten. “Users” includes residents, staff and household members. Grab bars, hand rails or assist bars and slip-resistant tub and shower surfaces are required.
• Common space. Living room or lounge space that seats all residents at one time.
• Exits. At least two independent, accessible exits from every floor, unless Labor and Industry, the Department of Health or the local building authority regulates otherwise.
• Smoke detection. A smoke detector within 15 feet of each bedroom door. From nine residents, interconnected detectors on each floor or an interconnected alarm system. From five residents with mobility needs, an alarm connected to the fire department or an approved 24-hour monitoring service, where available.
• Fire drills. An unannounced drill every month and a sleeping-hours drill every 6 months. Each year a fire safety expert must run a fire safety inspection and drill, and an expert who is not on your staff must set in writing the time allowed for evacuation.
• Emergency supplies. A 3-day supply of nonperishable food and drinking water. Written emergency procedures go to the local emergency management agency every year.

The pre-inspection checklist asks for a floor plan showing every bedroom’s size and ceiling height, each bathroom’s fixtures, exit paths, kitchens and dining rooms. It also asks for a water bill or DEP well permit and a sewer bill, and homes for nine or more residents on private sewage need written approval from the local sewage enforcement officer.⁠⁹

The administrator

Hire the administrator early. DHS reviews the administrator’s education and training before it schedules the initial inspection.⁠⁹ Section 2600.53 requires one of these credentials:⁠¹

• a Pennsylvania registered nurse license;
• an associate’s degree or 60 college credit hours;
• an LPN license plus 1 year of work experience in a related field;
• a nursing home administrator license;
• for a home with 8 or fewer residents only, a high school diploma or GED plus 2 years of direct care or administrative experience in human services.

The administrator must be 21 or older and be in the home an average of at least 20 hours a week in each calendar month.⁠¹ Before starting as administrator, the candidate must complete a DHS-approved orientation, a 100-hour standardized DHS-approved course, and a competency test with a passing score.⁠¹ The course covers 18 topics, from fire prevention and medications to dementia care, resident-home contracts and cultural competency. After the first year, the administrator needs 24 hours of training each year from DHS-approved sources or an accredited college.⁠¹ A licensed nursing home administrator hired after October 23, 2006 must still pass the PCH competency test.⁠¹ DHS’s PCH & ALR page lists free fall 2026 annual training sessions for administrators at Temple Harrisburg and Northampton Community College.⁠⁴

Staffing in hours, not ratios

Chapter 2600 sets minimum personal care hours rather than a staff-to-resident ratio:⁠¹

• Always someone in charge. Whenever a resident is home, a direct care staff person aged 21 or older must be present as the administrator’s designee. The administrator can fill this role if he or she gives direct care.
• Daily care hours. Direct care staff must be available to give at least 1 hour of personal care per day to each mobile resident and 2 hours per day to each resident with mobility needs. At least 75% of those hours must fall during waking hours.
• Awake overnight. With 16 or more residents, every direct care staff person on duty must be awake. With fewer than 16 residents, at least one must be awake if any resident has mobility needs.
• First aid and CPR. At least one staff person trained in first aid and certified in CPR and obstructed airway techniques for every 50 residents must be present at all times.
• More if needed. DHS may require more staff based on residents’ assessments and support plans and on the building’s design.

For a 10-bed home with all mobile residents, that works out to at least 10 personal care hours a day, 7.5 of them during waking hours, and a direct care staff person aged 21 or older must still be present whenever residents are home.

Direct care staff must be 18 or older and hold a high school diploma, a GED or active status on the Pennsylvania nurse aide registry. Sixteen- and seventeen-year-olds may work but may not handle medications.⁠¹ Before giving unsupervised ADL help, staff hired after April 24, 2006 must pass the DHS-approved direct care training course and competency test. They also need fire safety orientation on day one, a further orientation within 40 scheduled working hours, and at least 12 hours of training every year, with orientation counting toward the first year’s 12.⁠¹ Staff training starts before you open: the pre-inspection checklist asks for a staff training plan covering the first 12 months.⁠⁹ Criminal history checks follow the Older Adult Protective Services Act. BHSL asks for them for owners, officers, board members and all hired staff, and requires FBI checks for anyone who has not lived in Pennsylvania for the past two years.⁠¹⁠⁹

Medications

A PCH may administer medications, but only through qualified people. Prescription medication that a resident does not self-administer must be given by a licensed professional, such as a nurse or physician, or by a staff person who has passed a DHS-approved medication administration course and performance-based test within the past 2 years.⁠¹ Trained staff may give oral, topical and eye, ear and nose drop medications and epinephrine injections. Insulin injections also require a DHS-approved diabetes patient education program completed within the past 12 months.⁠¹ Your medication administration policy and medication administration record form are reviewed before inspection.⁠⁹

Secured dementia care units

A PCH that locks its doors for residents with Alzheimer’s disease or other dementia runs a secured dementia care unit (SDCU), with extra rules in §§ 2600.231-2600.239:⁠¹

• Send a written request to the regional office at least 60 days before opening a unit, adding one, raising its capacity, or changing its locks, exit doors or floor plan. DHS inspects and approves the unit first.
• Locks that prevent immediate exit need written approval from Labor and Industry, the Department of Health or the local building authority. You also need the manufacturer’s statement that the locks release on fire alarm, power failure or keypad override.
• No more than two residents to a bedroom, and indoor and outdoor exercise space.
• Each resident counts as having mobility needs for staffing, so the 2-hour daily minimum applies to everyone in the unit.
• Direct care staff need 6 more hours of dementia training each year, on top of the standard 12.
• Admission requires a medical evaluation within 60 days before admission documenting the dementia diagnosis, and a cognitive preadmission screening within 72 hours before admission.

On the HS 633, capacity is broken out by unit, for example 120 personal care plus 20 in the SDCU.⁠⁸

The application, in DHS’s order

1. Pick the license type

   DHS’s guide starts here, since PCH and ALR rules differ.⁠⁶

2. Get the certificate of occupancy

   You need it with the application.⁠⁶⁠⁷

3. Hire a qualified administrator

   The orientation, 100-hour course and competency test must be finished before the person starts as administrator.⁠¹⁠⁶

4. File the HS 633 packet with DHS/BHSL Licensing Administration

   at Forum Place, Harrisburg, by mail or courier. The owner signs it; for a corporation or LLC, a corporate officer or board member signs.⁠⁷ Include the fee as a check or money order payable to the Department of Human Services; DHS’s fee page says initial PCH applications cannot be paid electronically.⁠⁵⁠⁷ Attach an affidavit (DHS’s Verification of Affiliations template) listing every member of the legal entity and every licensed human services facility any owner has been affiliated with in the past 3 years. Ownership chains must be traced up to natural persons.⁠⁷ Also attach approved Department of State filings (articles, LLC operating agreement, fictitious name or foreign registration), the certificate of occupancy, any 501(c)(3) letter, and the HS 2126 civil rights compliance form. Copies of pending applications are not accepted. An incomplete packet is returned.⁠⁷

5. Send the pre-inspection documents

   BHSL contacts you with a checklist.⁠⁶ The PCH list runs to 18 items, including staffing patterns, the 12-month training plan, the floor plan, policies (reportable incidents, quality management, accepted forms of payment, emergency preparedness, medication administration, description of services, discharge) and your forms (resident-home contract, preadmission screening, assessment, support plan). BHSL also asks for a list of any consultants who helped prepare the application.⁠⁹ DHS says processing time starts only once this review finds the application complete.⁠⁷

6. Pass the initial inspection

   The regional licensing office schedules it. If violations are cited, you submit an acceptable plan of correction.⁠⁶⁠⁷ No home may open or admit residents before DHS inspects it and finds it compliant.⁠¹

7. Receive the certificate of compliance

   DHS’s guide says to expect “a minimum of 90 days from the date of application.”⁠⁶ DHS reinspects within 3 months of initial licensure.⁠¹

BHSL has five regional offices (Central, Northeast, Northwest, Southeast and Southwest) and an operator support hotline at (866) 503-3926.⁠¹²

Fees, license terms and inspections

Sources: ⁠¹⁠⁷

The same fee is due with each renewal. DHS sends the renewal packet 130 days before the certificate expires, and renewal fees can be paid online.⁠⁵ Licenses expire one year after issue and cannot be transferred.⁠³ A buyer of a home files its own new-facility application.⁠⁸

If a home is in substantial but not complete compliance, DHS issues a provisional license. Each one lasts up to 6 months, and at most four may be issued in a row for one facility.⁠²⁠³ DHS must make at least one unannounced inspection each year, and homes are also subject to complaint inspections.⁠¹⁠²

Penalties per resident per day for violations:⁠¹

• Class I: $20, and the violation must be corrected within 24 hours.
• Class II: $5 to $15, suspended for 5 days to allow correction.
• Class III: none unless uncorrected after 15 days, then up to $3.

Resident paperwork from day one

Each admission requires five documents:⁠¹

• a preadmission screening on DHS’s form, done within 30 days before admission;
• a medical evaluation within 60 days before or 30 days after admission;
• an assessment within 15 days after admission;
• a support plan within 30 days after admission;
• a resident-home contract signed before admission or within 24 hours after.

The contract must list actual rates for every service and give 30 days’ notice of changes. The resident may rescind it within 72 hours.⁠¹ A home may discharge a resident only on the grounds listed in § 2600.228, with 30 days’ written notice in most cases, and must give DHS 60 days’ notice before closing.⁠¹ Owners, administrators and staff may not be assigned power of attorney or guardianship for any resident.⁠³

How residents pay: SSI and the PCH supplement

DHS’s pre-inspection checklist asks for a policy on accepted forms of payment and lists SSI, private pay and third-party payment through Medicaid- or Medicare-funded programs. Its examples are the LIFE program, In Lieu of Services (ILOS) and Resident Habilitation.⁠⁹ Article X mentions home and community-based waiver funding only for ALR services.⁠³ None of the DHS sources reviewed sets a Medicaid daily rate for personal care home care.

If you admit SSI recipients, the rules cap your charges. Rent and service charges may not exceed the resident’s actual monthly income minus the personal needs allowance. You must provide basic hygiene items, personal laundry and personal care services at no extra charge.⁠¹ DHS’s June 3, 2026 operator guide explains that SSI recipients in licensed PCHs can also receive Pennsylvania’s Personal Care Home Supplement. It was then $639.30 a month, on top of SSI, and residents keep an $85 personal needs allowance.⁠¹⁰ Residents apply on form PA-761 through the local AAA, with a copy of the PCH license and an MA 51 medical evaluation. The AAA forwards the application to the County Assistance Office.⁠¹⁰ DHS notes that SSI and supplement amounts are typically updated each year, so contracts need annual updates.⁠¹⁰

What changed recently

• January 20, 2026: DHS published a Prospective Licensee Guide setting out its order of steps and the 90-day minimum processing time.⁠⁶
• January 2025: BHSL revised the PCH pre-inspection checklist (dated 1/14/25). Its items include policies on voice-controlled electronic devices and real-time location tracking, and a list of outside consultants.⁠⁹
• June 3, 2026: DHS issued its SSI and PCH Supplement guide for operators.⁠¹⁰
• May 27, 2026: DHS posted the closeout of the Pennsylvania Long Term Care RISE program.⁠⁴

The Pennsylvania Code site showed Chapter 2600 current through 56 Pa.B. 5370 (August 8, 2026). No pending Chapter 2600 rulemaking appeared on DHS’s licensing page as of 2026-10-12.⁠¹⁠⁴

Other Pennsylvania guides: older adult daily living center, home care agency and home health agency licenses, or the Pennsylvania overview.

Sources

1. 1
   Pennsylvania Code and Bulletin, 55 Pa. Code Chapter 2600 (Personal Care Homes) Checked 12 Oct 2026 · Back to text ↑
2. 2
   Pennsylvania Code and Bulletin, 55 Pa. Code Chapter 20 (Licensure or Approval of Facilities and Agencies) Checked 12 Oct 2026 · Back to text ↑
3. 3
   Pennsylvania Department of Human Services, Article X of the Public Welfare (Human Services) Code, 62 P.S. §§ 1001-1088 Checked 12 Oct 2026 · Back to text ↑
4. 4
   Pennsylvania Department of Human Services, PCH & ALR Licensing Checked 12 Oct 2026 · Back to text ↑
5. 5
   Pennsylvania Department of Human Services, Application for Human Services Licensure Checked 12 Oct 2026 · Back to text ↑
6. 6
   Pennsylvania Department of Human Services, Prospective Licensee Guide (January 20, 2026) Checked 12 Oct 2026 · Back to text ↑
7. 7
   Pennsylvania Department of Human Services, Checklist for the Initial Application for a Certificate of Compliance in a Human Services Setting Checked 12 Oct 2026 · Back to text ↑
8. 8
   Pennsylvania Department of Human Services, Application for Certificate of Compliance (HS 633, 3/24) Checked 12 Oct 2026 · Back to text ↑
9. 9
   Pennsylvania Department of Human Services, Bureau of Human Services Licensing, Pre-Inspection Checklist for New Personal Care Homes (revised 1/14/25) Checked 12 Oct 2026 · Back to text ↑
10. 10
    Pennsylvania Department of Human Services, Guidance for Personal Care Home Operators: SSI and Pennsylvania's Personal Care Home Supplement (June 3, 2026) Checked 12 Oct 2026 · Back to text ↑
11. 11
    Pennsylvania Code and Bulletin, 55 Pa. Code § 2800.11 (Assisted living residences: licensure, special care designation and dual licensure) Checked 12 Oct 2026 · Back to text ↑
12. 12
    Pennsylvania Department of Human Services, PCH & ALR Licensing Contact Information Checked 12 Oct 2026 · Back to text ↑
13. 13
    Pennsylvania Code and Bulletin, 6 Pa. Code Chapter 21 (Domiciliary Care), § 21.2 Definitions Checked 12 Oct 2026 · Back to text ↑
14. 14
    Pennsylvania Code and Bulletin, 55 Pa. Code § 2800.64 (Assisted living residences: administrator training and orientation) Checked 12 Oct 2026 · Back to text ↑

Was this information accurate? Report an errorPrint or save as PDF