Pennsylvania · Step-by-step licensing guide
How to start a home care agency in Pennsylvania
To start a home care agency in Pennsylvania, you need a Home Care Agency license from the Pennsylvania Department of Health under 28 Pa. Code Chapter 611. The path: form a legal entity, meet the Chapter 611 worker-screening standards, write the policy and procedure manual, apply through the DOH online portal with the $100 fee, and pass the on-site licensure survey.
Informational summary of Pennsylvania regulations, not legal advice. We are not affiliated with any state agency. Verify current requirements with the Pennsylvania Department of Health, Division of Home Health.
Step 1: What legal entity do you need to form?
Form the business first: most new agencies file an LLC or corporation with the Pennsylvania Department of State (the Certificate of Organization for a domestic LLC is $125) and secure a physical Pennsylvania business address. The license is issued to a specific agency location, so each separately licensed location files its own application and fee under §611.2.
- File formation documents with the PA Department of State; the domestic LLC Certificate of Organization fee is $125 per the Department's published fee schedule.
- Decide your worker model now: a Home Care Agency employs its workers, while a Home Care Registry refers independent contractors. Both are licensed under Chapter 611, but as distinct license types, and §611.57(c) makes you disclose the worker's employee-vs-contractor status to consumers.
- Neither is the Chapter 601 home health license. A non-medical, private-pay personal-care startup wants the Chapter 611 Home Care Agency license, not the Medicare-certified home health license.
Step 2: What pre-license requirements do your workers have to meet?
Chapter 611 sets worker-level standards you must be able to document before the licensure survey: criminal background checks under §611.52, ChildLine clearance under §611.53 if you serve anyone under 18, competency verification under §611.55, and TB screening under §611.56, on top of the hiring-file standards of §611.51 and the provisional-hiring limits of §611.54.
- Criminal background checks (§611.52): a PA State Police report for workers who lived in Pennsylvania the prior 2 years, or an FBI/federal report otherwise, screened against the prohibited convictions in 6 Pa. Code §15.143 under the OAPSA framework.
- ChildLine child-abuse clearance (§611.53): required whenever the agency serves any consumer under 18.
- Provisional hiring (§611.54): allowed while checks are pending, subject to supervision and 30-day (resident) / 90-day (non-resident) clearance deadlines.
- Competency (§611.55): each direct care worker demonstrates competency through a PA nurse license, an agency exam, or approved training, reviewed at least annually.
- Health screening (§611.56): TB screening per CDC guidance within 1 year of the start date, updated every 12 months.
Step 3: What goes in the written policy and procedure manual?
Pennsylvania reviews your manual at the on-site licensure survey before the license issues. It must show, in writing, how you meet the worker standards of §§611.51 through 611.56, the consumer protections of §611.57 (the pre-service information packet, the 10-day termination-notice rule, and the prohibited-practices list), and the general health-facility provisions Chapter 51 incorporates via §611.4. Every mandated policy, with its citation:
Hiring / rostering of direct care workers: documented interview, at least two verifiable references, and the criminal-history and ChildLine submission process, with a complete worker file
28 Pa. Code §611.51
Criminal background checks: PA State Police report (or FBI/federal report for workers not PA-resident the prior 2 years), screened against the prohibited convictions in 6 Pa. Code §15.143
28 Pa. Code §611.52 (OAPSA, 35 P.S. §10225.501 et seq.)
Child abuse clearance: ChildLine verification when the agency serves consumers under 18
28 Pa. Code §611.53
Provisional hiring: conditions, supervision, and the 30-day (resident) / 90-day (non-resident) clearance deadlines while checks are pending
28 Pa. Code §611.54
Competency: how each worker demonstrates competency (PA nurse license, agency exam, or approved training) across the mandated core topics, with at least annual review
28 Pa. Code §611.55
Health screening: tuberculosis screening per CDC guidance within 1 year of start date, updated every 12 months
28 Pa. Code §611.56
Consumer information packet: the written disclosures given before services begin (services & worker identity, hours, fees, DOH contact, complaint hotline, ombudsman, employee-vs-contractor status)
28 Pa. Code §611.57(c)
Service termination: at least 10 calendar days’ advance written notice (shorter only if 14+ days in arrears or worker safety is at risk)
28 Pa. Code §611.57(a)
Prohibited practices: no acting as the consumer’s power of attorney/guardian; no requiring checks endorsed over to the agency
28 Pa. Code §611.57(b)
General health-facility operating standards incorporated by reference
28 Pa. Code §611.4 (incorporating Chapter 51)
Every policy above, written out to 28 Pa. Code Chapter 611 with the citation beside it:
Step 4: How do you submit the application?
Online only. The Division of Home Health stopped accepting mailed and emailed applications on March 31, 2026, so you apply through the Department of Health's online portal, select “Home Care Agency” (not Home Care Registry, and not the Chapter 601 home health license), and pay the flat $100 application fee under §611.2.
- The $100 fee is flat, with no refund or proration, and a separate application and fee for each separately licensed location (§611.2).
- Older guides still describe a mail-in packet; that path closed March 31, 2026. Start at the Department's home care page and follow its portal link.
Step 5: What happens at the licensure survey, and after?
The Department schedules an on-site licensure survey before issuing the license, and it publishes no guaranteed processing timeline, so survey scheduling and the completeness of your application, worker files, and written policies drive your start date. Surveyors review those files and policies against Chapter 611 and the incorporated Chapter 51 provisions.
- There is no published processing time; the controllable variable is filing complete, with the manual and worker compliance files ready for the surveyor.
- After issuance, calendar renewal: file the renewal at least 60 days before the expiration date printed on the license (§611.2).
Preparing for the survey? Everything the surveyor verifies, document by document.
Pennsylvaniasurvey checklist →What it costs to start a home care agency in Pennsylvania
| Item | Cost | Where the figure comes from |
|---|---|---|
| State application fee | $100 | Flat fee under 28 Pa. Code §611.2; no refund or proration. |
| Each additional licensed location | $100 | A separate application and fee per separately licensed location (§611.2). |
| Entity formation (domestic LLC Certificate of Organization) | $125 | PA Department of State published fee schedule. |
| Worker background checks | Varies, see PA State Police / ChildLine | Per-worker PSP or FBI/federal check (§611.52) and ChildLine clearance (§611.53) fees are set by those programs. |
| Business insurance | Varies, see your insurer | Chapter 611 publishes no required coverage amount; priced by your carrier. |
| Policy & procedure manual | $149 | Our made-to-order Chapter 611 manual; start-up consultants charge $1,000 to $4,000 for the same document. |
Only the figures with a citation are verified; “varies” cells are set by the named program or vendor, not by Chapter 611. Fees change, so confirm each with the PA Department of Health and Department of State before relying on it.
Common mistakes that stall Pennsylvania applications
Mailing a paper application
The Division of Home Health stopped accepting mailed and emailed applications on March 31, 2026, and most ranking guides still describe the old packet. Applications go through the Department's online portal only.
Applying for the wrong license type
Chapter 611 licenses both Home Care Agencies (employees) and Home Care Registries (independent contractors) as distinct types, and neither is the Chapter 601 home health license. Filing for the wrong one is the fastest way to stall, and the worker-status choice flows into the §611.57(c) consumer disclosures.
Bringing a generic template manual to the survey
Surveyors review the manual against Chapter 611's specific sections. National templates routinely miss the §611.57(a) 10-day termination-notice rule, the §611.57(c) information-packet contents including the DOH complaint hotline, and the OAPSA background-check structure of §611.52.
Incomplete worker files when the surveyor arrives
The survey precedes issuance, so missing background checks, competency documentation, or TB screenings under §§611.52 through 611.56, or blown provisional-hiring deadlines under §611.54, hold up the license itself.
A fraction of the start-up consultant’s price.
Start-up consultants charge $1,000–$4,000 to assemble these documents by hand, and instant template shops are instant because they sell everyone the same generic document. Every manual is made to order: built from your agency details, organized to your state's rules, and delivered within 3 business days, with a full refund anytime before delivery. Founding pricing is limited to the first 25 agencies; after that the State P&P Manual is $199.
Delivered within 3 business days, with a full refund anytime before delivery. This is a self-prepared operational document you adopt for your own agency, not legal advice, and not a guarantee of license approval.
Pennsylvania licensing FAQ
How much does it cost to start a home care agency in Pennsylvania?
The state application fee is a flat $100 under 28 Pa. Code §611.2, plus $125 to form a domestic LLC with the Department of State. Budget separately for per-worker background checks, insurance, and the written policy and procedure manual the Department reviews at the on-site licensure survey.
How long does it take to get a home care license in Pennsylvania?
The Department of Health publishes no guaranteed processing time. Applications go through the Division of Home Health online portal only (mailed and emailed submissions ended March 31, 2026), and an on-site licensure survey precedes issuance, so timing depends on survey scheduling and how complete your application, worker files, and policies are.
Do I need a policy and procedure manual in Pennsylvania?
Yes. Surveyors review your written manual at the on-site licensure survey before the license issues. It must document how you meet the worker standards of §§611.51 through 611.56, the consumer protections of §611.57, and the general health-facility provisions of Chapter 51 incorporated by §611.4.
Can I use a generic template manual?
You can try, but the Department reviews your manual against Chapter 611 specifically, and generic national templates miss Pennsylvania-only requirements like the 10-day termination notice of §611.57(a), the pre-service information packet of §611.57(c), and the OAPSA check structure of §611.52. A manual organized to the Chapter 611 citations is what the surveyor is looking for.
Do I need a license for non-medical home care in Pennsylvania?
Yes. Any organization that supplies, arranges, or schedules workers to provide home care services for a fee, including purely non-medical personal care and companionship, must be licensed by the Department of Health under 28 Pa. Code Chapter 611. It is a different license from the Medicare-certified home health license under Chapter 601.
Comparing states? Fees, timelines, and mandated policies for every state we cover, side by side.
Home care license requirements by state →Sources
- www.pa.gov/agencies/health/facilities/out-patient-healthcare-facilities/home-care
- www.pacodeandbulletin.gov/Display/pacode?file=%2Fsecure%2Fpacode%2Fdata%2F028%2Fchapter611%2Fchap611toc.html
- www.pa.gov/agencies/health/facilities/out-patient-healthcare-facilities/home-care/home-care-regulations
- www.legis.state.pa.us/WU01/LI/LI/US/HTM/2006/0/0069..HTM
- www.pa.gov/agencies/dos/programs/business/fees-and-payments
Last verified: July 15, 2026. Informational summary, not legal advice; not affiliated with any state agency. Regulations and fees change, so confirm current requirements with the Pennsylvania Department of Health, Division of Home Health before relying on them.
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