Florida Home Care / Homemaker-Companion license — Fixed-Price Application Support
$2,495.00
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Southeast
Florida Home Care, Home Health & Hospice Licensing
Florida's home care market is open to new entrants — but hospice demands a Certificate of Need and a federal Medicare moratorium has frozen new HHA and hospice Medicare enrollments as of May 2026.
RegulatorAHCA
Typical timelineFor a Homemaker-Companion registration, expect 30 to 45 days from a complete application submission. For a Home Health Agency license, the state review and survey process typically runs 60 to 90 days from a complete, deficiency-free application; preparation of financials, policies, and screening can add two to three months. Hospice is the longest path: a CON application batches twice per year, AHCA renders its initial decision roughly 60 days after an application is declared complete, and the subsequent licensure survey adds additional weeks — total elapsed time from initial CON letter of intent to first patient admission is commonly 12 to 18 months.
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Delivery100% Virtual
Licensing in Florida
Florida licenses home health agencies and registers homemaker-companion providers through the Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) under Chapter 400, Part III and Chapter 408, Part II, Florida Statutes, with no Certificate of Need required for home health agencies — HHAs have never been subject to Florida's CON program. Hospice providers face an additional regulatory gate: a mandatory CON issued through AHCA's competitive batching cycle process before any licensure application may be filed. Critically, as of May 13, 2026, CMS imposed a nationwide six-month moratorium on all new Medicare enrollment for home health agencies and hospices — meaning new providers can obtain a Florida state license but cannot simultaneously enroll in Medicare until the moratorium lifts or expires.
License routes we cover in Florida
Home Health Agency (HHA) License
Agencies employing staff to provide skilled nursing, therapy, personal care, and related home health services; required for Medicare/Medicaid participation and the broadest scope of in-home care.
Homemaker and Companion Services Provider Registration
Individuals or organizations providing non-medical support such as light housekeeping, meal preparation, transportation, and companionship to elderly or disabled adults; no skilled care or hands-on personal care allowed.
Nurse Registry License
Referral-only businesses that match clients with independent contractor nurses, CNAs, home health aides, and companions; does not qualify for Medicare reimbursement but avoids the employment-model requirements of an HHA.
Hospice License (with Certificate of Need)
Providers delivering end-of-life palliative and supportive care; both a CON and an AHCA license are required before serving patients, making hospice the most time-intensive entry path in Florida.
How we get you licensed
- 1Form your Florida business entity
Register a corporation or LLC through Florida's Division of Corporations (SunBiz). If your legal name includes terms that imply medical services (e.g., 'health,' 'nursing,' 'medical') and you intend to operate as a homemaker-companion provider only, you must also register a fictitious name through SunBiz to avoid implying out-of-scope services.
- 2Register an AHCA Portal account and prepare your application package
All initial and renewal applications must be submitted electronically through the AHCA Online Licensing System (Rule 59A-35.060, F.A.C., effective March 2024). Paper submissions are no longer accepted. Gather AHCA Form 3110-1011 (HHA) or Form 3110-1003 (homemaker-companion), CPA-prepared proforma financials, draft policies and procedures, insurance certificates, and administrator credentials before logging in.
- 3Initiate Level 2 background screening for all required personnel
All owners with 5% or more ownership interest, officers, administrators, and direct-care staff must complete a Level 2 background check — FDLE and FBI fingerprint search — through the AHCA Clearinghouse under Chapter 435 and Section 408.809, Florida Statutes. Livescan results typically clear within one to two weeks; clearance must be confirmed before AHCA will approve the license.
- 4Submit application with fee and supporting documents
For a Home Health Agency, submit AHCA Form 3110-1011 with the application fee (set by rule and not to exceed $2,000 per biennium per Section 400.471, F.S.; the current rule-established fee has been reported at approximately $2,255 biennial), proof of general and professional liability insurance with at least $250,000 per-claim coverage, and CPA-prepared proforma financials including a contingency reserve equal to at least one month of projected average operating expenses. For a homemaker-companion registration, submit Form 3110-1003 with the $50.75 biennial fee.
- 5Pass the AHCA initial licensure survey
AHCA conducts an on-site survey before issuing a Home Health Agency license to verify compliance with Chapter 400 Part III and Rule 59A-8, Florida Administrative Code. Skilled-care HHAs must also submit proof of accreditation from an AHCA-recognized organization (CHAP, ACHC, The Joint Commission, or DNV GL Healthcare). Agencies that maintain full accreditation may subsequently request exemption from routine state surveys.
- 6Pursue Medicare/Medicaid enrollment (post-moratorium)
Once the state license is in hand, a Home Health Agency seeking Medicare participation must enroll with its Medicare Administrative Contractor and undergo a separate CMS certification survey. As of May 13, 2026, CMS imposed a six-month nationwide moratorium on new HHA and hospice Medicare enrollments; applications submitted on or after that date are denied until the moratorium lifts. Plan your Medicare enrollment strategy accordingly and track Federal Register notices for the moratorium's status.
Key Florida requirements
- Level 2 background screening (FDLE/FBI fingerprints via AHCA Clearinghouse) for all owners with 5%+ interest, officers, administrators, and direct-care staff, governed by Chapter 435 and Section 408.809, Florida Statutes.
- CPA-prepared proforma financial statements (balance sheet, income/expense, and cash flow) for the first two years of operation, plus a contingency reserve equal to at least one month of average projected operating expenses, per Rule 59A-35.062, F.A.C.
- Minimum liability and malpractice insurance of $250,000 per claim, with proof submitted at initial application and each renewal.
- Qualified administrator and director of nursing available to the public for any eight consecutive hours between 7:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m., Monday through Friday (excluding legal and religious holidays) and reachable within one hour of an unannounced AHCA survey visit, per Rule 59A-8.003, F.A.C.
- Proof of accreditation from an AHCA-approved accrediting organization (CHAP, ACHC, The Joint Commission, or DNV GL Healthcare) required for agencies providing skilled care.
- Hospice providers must obtain a Certificate of Need through AHCA's competitive batching cycle process before filing a licensure application; CON application fees are $10,000 plus 1.5% of proposed expenditure, up to a $50,000 maximum, per Section 408.039, F.S.
Traps that catch new owners
- Confusing state licensure with Medicare enrollment: Florida's AHCA license and federal Medicare enrollment are separate processes with separate timelines. As of May 13, 2026, a nationwide CMS moratorium blocks new HHA and hospice Medicare enrollment for at least six months — a new agency can be fully licensed by AHCA but still unable to bill Medicare until the moratorium expires.
- Business name compliance for homemaker-companion providers: if your entity name contains words such as 'health,' 'nursing,' 'medical,' 'patient care,' or similar terms, AHCA may require a fictitious name registration or may interpret the name as implying services beyond the non-medical scope allowed under the homemaker-companion registration — a deficiency that can delay or void an application.
- Incomplete financial documentation triggering a 21-day cure clock: AHCA's application review process gives applicants only 21 days to cure identified deficiencies. If the CPA-prepared proforma financials are missing, incomplete, or project a year-one operating margin of 15% or greater in any month of the first year, AHCA will issue a deficiency notice and the clock starts immediately — missing it results in application denial.
Florida licensing packages
Fixed price, agreed in writing before any work begins. Each package is prepared and submitted for you, fully online.
Florida licensing FAQs
Does Florida require a Certificate of Need to open a home health agency?
No. Florida home health agencies have never been subject to the state's Certificate of Need program — HHAs were excluded from CON requirements from the outset of Florida's CON program and that exclusion remains in place today. A new HHA needs only an AHCA license and, separately, Medicare/Medicaid enrollment. CON is still required for hospice programs and freestanding hospice inpatient facilities.
Can I start serving clients while my Medicare enrollment is pending?
Yes for private-pay and Medicaid (subject to Medicaid enrollment separately), but not for Medicare. Since May 13, 2026, CMS has imposed a six-month nationwide moratorium on new HHA and hospice Medicare enrollment. Your Florida state license from AHCA is unaffected by the federal moratorium, so you can legally operate and serve private-pay clients with a valid state license — but you cannot bill Medicare until the moratorium lifts.
What is the difference between a Homemaker-Companion registration and a Home Health Agency license, and which do I need?
A Homemaker-Companion registration (biennial fee of $50.75) authorizes non-medical services only — housekeeping, meal prep, companionship, and transportation. Staff may not bathe clients, assist with medication, or provide any hands-on personal or nursing care. A Home Health Agency license is required if you want to provide personal care, skilled nursing, therapy, or any medical services, and is necessary for Medicare or Medicaid participation. If your business will offer both non-medical and medical/personal care, you need the HHA license.
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