Private home care providers in Georgia must hold a license or provisional license from the Georgia Department of Community Health (DCH), Healthcare Facility Regulation, under Rule 111-8-65 and O.C.G.A. 31-7-300 et seq. A family checking a provider can use the facility lookup linked from DCH’s Private Home Care Program page, then compare the listing with the name on the proposed agreement. This page covers the license itself: who needs one, how it is obtained, how to look one up and where to complain. Staff screening and training are covered in the guide to Georgia caregiver requirements.
What counts as private home care?
DCH’s private home care rules cover services delivered at the patient’s residence. The work may involve clinical care, help with personal needs, or companionship and household assistance. The service category matters because a family should understand both what help is offered and who is qualified to provide it.
- Nursing: services provided by a registered nurse or licensed practical nurse.
- Personal care: assistance from a personal care assistant with bathing, toileting, grooming, shaving, dental care, dressing, or eating.
- Companion or sitter services: transportation and escort, meal preparation, and essential household tasks.
These categories come from DCH’s private home care rules. Under the rule definitions, a “private home care provider” is any person or entity, for-profit or not, that provides these services through its own employees, through independent licensed health professionals, or through referrals in which the referrer has an ownership or financial interest. A “residence” is where a person permanently or temporarily lives; hospitals, nursing homes, hospices and other licensed health care facilities are excluded. A description such as “help at home” does not establish which services a provider is licensed and staffed to deliver. Families can compare the proposed tasks with the written agreement and ask how changes in care needs would be handled.
The distinctions between private home care, home health, and hospice can be confusing. The guide to types of care in Georgia explains how their purposes differ.
Which arrangements need this license?
The exemptions in DCH’s private home care rules mean that care at home does not always require a Private Home Care license. The following table summarizes the licensing framework. An exemption from this license does not establish whether other requirements apply.
| Situation | Does it need a Private Home Care license? | Note |
|---|---|---|
| A provider arranging covered nursing, personal care, or companion services at a residence | Yes, unless an exemption applies | DCH requires a license or provisional license. |
| An individual providing care directly | Exempt when the direct-service conditions are met | The exemption excludes arrangements involving agents, employees, contractors, or referrals with a financial interest. |
| A state-licensed home health agency | Exempt from this particular license | A separate DCH home health licensing chapter applies. |
| A hospice | A separate licensing category applies | DCH licenses hospices under its hospice chapter. |
| Home infusion or pharmacy practice | Listed exemptions apply | Verify how DCH classifies the specific arrangement. |
| Temporary placement of professionals outside a residence | Exempt under the described arrangement | The location and nature of the work matter. |
| Care delivered in a personal care home by its own staff | Exempt from this particular license | This exemption concerns the home’s own staff. |
Hiring an individual directly
A family hiring an individual directly is in a different position from a family contracting with an agency. The direct-service exemption concerns how care is actually provided, including whether intermediaries or financially interested referral arrangements are involved. The label “independent caregiver” alone does not settle that question.
If the arrangement is unclear, verify its licensing classification with DCH. This page is general information and not medical, legal, or financial advice; DCH determines whether an arrangement requires a private home care license.
Home health and hospice have separate rules
Under DCH’s licensing framework, home health agencies are licensed under Chapter 111-8-31, which involves certificate of need, and hospices under Chapter 111-8-37. A certificate of need is not required for a private home care license. These distinctions help explain why a search must match the kind of service being offered.
How to check a Georgia home care license
Start with the DCH Private Home Care Program page. It links to GaMap2Care, labeled “Find a Facility,” and to complaint information. Use the official listing to check the business identity and licensing status.
GaMap2Care is DCH’s mapping application for facilities and programs licensed by its Healthcare Facility Regulation Division. According to DCH, its icons lead to facility listings, inspection reports, license verification, rules and regulations, and complaint forms. The GaMap2Care Find a Facility page gives access to the tool.
- Get the exact legal name. Compare the name used in conversation or advertising with the entity named in the proposed service agreement.
- Search the official facility lookup. Follow “Find a Facility” from DCH’s program page and look for the matching provider and service category.
- Read the status carefully. Check whether the entry shows a license or provisional license. An unfamiliar or unclear status deserves clarification from DCH.
- Review inspection information if shown. Read the findings and any available follow-up information. Consider what they mean for the services your relative needs.
- Compare the listing with the contract. Resolve differences in names or service descriptions before relying on the match.
If a search produces no clear result, avoid assuming either that the provider is licensed or that it is operating unlawfully. A naming difference, a different licensing category, or an exemption may need clarification. DCH is the official source for resolving the licensing question. The Private Home Care Program page lists a program phone line of (404) 657-5700 and the Department’s general line, (404) 656-4507, Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Eastern.
Why a provider may not appear under the name you know
- Trade name versus legal name. The rules treat the owner or governing body as the applicant and licensee, so the license may sit under a company name that differs from the brand on a website.
- Several offices. Under the rules, each location with a separate office must be licensed separately, so a branch should be matched by its own address.
- Recent changes. Licenses are not assignable or transferable and must be returned when the name, location, ownership or governing body changes. A recently renamed or sold business may therefore appear under new details.
- A different category. A home health agency or hospice is licensed under other DCH chapters, as the table above shows.
Checking Medicare certification
For a home health agency offering Medicare-covered services, also use Medicare Care Compare. Medicare certification and Georgia private home care licensing answer different questions. According to Medicare’s home health coverage information, covered home health services must be delivered by a Medicare-certified home health agency and meet Medicare’s coverage conditions.
A license alone does not establish that Medicare pays for the proposed help. The guide to Medicare’s home care coverage limits explains the distinction between covered skilled services and ongoing personal assistance. Licensing also says nothing about price; typical charges are covered in home care costs in Georgia, and public programs that may help pay are described in the guide to Georgia Medicaid waivers for home care.
How to apply for a Georgia private home care license
Anyone planning to operate a private home care business starts with DCH’s Private Home Care Application packet (PDF). DCH’s program page does not give step-by-step instructions or fee amounts; it says the current fees appear at the end of the application, and licensure fees are paid through the DCH Payment Portal. Under Rule 111-8-65-.06, an initial application includes:
- the application on department forms, with an application fee and a license fee;
- an owner records check application, because the owner must comply with Chapter 111-8-12 before a new license is issued;
- a description of the services offered and the geographic area served.
The rules also set several conditions that affect how a license works in practice.
- Provisional license: issued conditionally to a newly established provider that needs limited time to show compliance, or to an existing provider that submits an acceptable improvement plan. The rule text consulted does not state its length.
- Location and display: each location with a separate office is licensed separately, and the license must be displayed prominently at the licensed location.
- Changes: a license cannot be assigned or transferred. DCH must receive 15 days’ advance notice of a location change.
- Renewal: applications are renewed periodically with a renewal fee, and fee amounts are set by the Board of Community Health. The rule does not state a renewal interval.
- Accuracy: DCH may refuse to issue or renew a license if an application is untrue or incomplete.
What a license means for a client
Licensing is tied to inspection and to written commitments. Applying for or renewing a license consents to inspection during regular business hours. After an inspection, a provider receives a written report and must submit a plan of correction within ten days of receiving it. DCH can refuse, limit or restrict a license for an applicant, and after notice and a hearing can reprimand, limit, suspend, fine, refuse to renew or revoke a provider’s license.
Several client-facing rules come from the same chapter.
- Service agreement: required for all services, covering the services, frequency and duration, charges, client rights, and provider and DCH phone numbers. It must be completed by the second visit if that is on a different day, or within seven calendar days, whichever is earlier.
- Cancellation: a client may cancel at any time and pay only for services rendered, plus reasonable travel and staff time if notice is late.
- Supervision: home visits by a supervisor at least every 92 days for personal care clients and at least every 122 days for companion or sitter clients. Nursing services require supervision by a fully licensed Georgia registered nurse.
- Service plan: completed by the service supervisor within seven working days after the first service. Nursing plans are reviewed every 62 days.
How these documents look in practice is explained in the guide to care plans and service agreements.
What to review beyond the license
A licensing check is a starting point. Families also need a clear description of the work, supervision, charges, and complaint process. Under DCH’s private home care rules, clients receive written notice of rights, including participation in planning, accepting or refusing services, knowing charges, confidentiality, and contacting the licensing authority. Complaints must be accepted without retaliation.
Ask how staff are screened, prepared for assigned tasks, and supervised. Discuss practical situations such as a caregiver absence, a change in mobility, or a task that falls outside the agreed services. The page on questions before signing a home care agreement provides a framework for that discussion.
How to file a complaint about a licensed provider
Under the rules, clients may complain to the provider orally or in writing, and the provider must address the complaint promptly and give its phone number. A complaint can also go to DCH. DCH’s page for filing a complaint about a licensed facility lists an online option, the complaint intake line at (800) 878-6442, a fax at (404) 657-8935, and a visit address of 2 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive SE, East Tower, Atlanta, GA 30334. Hours are Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Eastern. That page does not say what to include in a complaint, so a written timeline of dates, names and service records is a sensible way to prepare before calling.
Verify the current rule text
DCH proposed revisions to Rule 111-8-65 covering definitions, licenses, and administration. Its synopsis states that the proposal was presented to the Board of Community Health for initial adoption on May 14, 2026. Adoption is unconfirmed in the information available for this page. Verify the current rule text with DCH before relying on a particular provision.
Sources for this page were last checked in November 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does companion care require a license?
Companion or sitter services fall within Georgia’s private home care categories. A provider arranging these services needs a license or provisional license unless an exemption applies.
Does a directly hired caregiver need this license?
An individual providing care directly may fall within the direct-service exemption. DCH can clarify whether the actual arrangement meets the exemption’s conditions.
Where can readers check a provider’s status?
DCH’s Private Home Care Program page links to GaMap2Care through “Find a Facility.” Match the official entry with the legal name on the proposed agreement.
Where can a licensing complaint be directed?
DCH’s Private Home Care Program page links to its complaint information. DCH’s complaint intake line is (800) 878-6442, Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Eastern. Keep a clear account of the concern and relevant service records.
Is a private home care license transferable if a business is sold?
No. Under Rule 111-8-65-.05, licenses are not assignable or transferable and must be returned when the name, location, ownership or governing body changes. A buyer should confirm with DCH how the license is handled before relying on the seller’s listing.
What does a provisional license mean?
A provisional license is conditional. The rules allow it for a newly established provider that needs limited time to show compliance, or for an existing provider that submits an acceptable improvement plan. A provisional status is a reason to ask DCH what conditions apply.
How much does a Georgia home care license cost?
DCH does not list fee amounts on its program page. It refers applicants to the fee schedule at the end of the Private Home Care Application and notes that licensure fees are paid through the DCH Payment Portal. Fees are set by the Board of Community Health and may change.