Georgia Home Care License Guide

License routes we cover in Georgia

Private Home Care Provider (PHCP) License

Agencies giving personal care, companion, homemaker, or private-duty nursing in the home. No CON needed.

Home Health Agency License (with CON)

Agencies giving skilled nursing and therapy for Medicare/Medicaid. Needs CON before licensure under Rule 111-8-31.

Hospice License

Agencies giving comfort care to terminally ill patients. Licensed under Rule 111-8-37, but no CON needed (O.C.G.A. § 31-7-179).

How we get you licensed

Choose your license track

Decide if you are PHCP (non-medical), Home Health (skilled/Medicare), or Hospice. This decides if you need a CON first.

Get a Certificate of Need (Home Health only)

Submit a Letter of Intent through the DCH Office of Health Planning portal at least 25 days before the formal CON application. Phone, fax, and email are not accepted. File the formal CON within 30 days of the Letter of Intent. Fee is a flat $1,000 for projects under $1 million, or 0.1% of cost (capped at $50,000) for larger ones. DCH batches applications at least twice a year, with a 120-day review from when the application is complete. PHCP and Hospice applicants skip this step.

Form your entity and prepare

Register with the Georgia Secretary of State, get a local business license, buy liability insurance, name an administrator, and start GCIC/FBI fingerprint checks in GCHEXS.

Apply through GAHLES

Create an account at gahles.dch.georgia.gov. Upload business papers, notarized affidavits, administrator credentials, background clearances (dated within 12 months), RN license if you offer nursing, and staffing proof. Pay the fee online.

Pass the HFRD survey

HFRD schedules an on-site survey. Home health agencies with Medicare/Medicaid certification may use it instead. PHCPs accredited by a DCH-recognized body like CHAP may qualify for a waiver.

Enroll in Medicare (mind the moratorium)

After licensure, apply to CMS with Form 855A. A nationwide six-month moratorium started May 13, 2026, blocking new home health and hospice Medicare enrollment. Applications received before that date may continue; those on or after are denied. Check CMS Federal Register notices first.

Key Georgia requirements

PHCP applicants need a local business license and Georgia Secretary of State registration before applying to HFRD.

Home Health applicants must get CON approval from DCH before licensure. No workaround exists under O.C.G.A. § 31-7-155.

All owners and the administrator must pass GCIC and FBI fingerprint checks via GCHEXS. Eligibility follows O.C.G.A. § 31-7-350 et seq.; disqualifying convictions mean denial.

The Home Health administrator must be a physician, RN, or have at least one year of supervisory experience, per Rule 111-8-31.

PHCP agencies offering nursing must employ a licensed Georgia RN to supervise it, per Rule 111-8-65.

A CMS six-month moratorium started May 13, 2026, blocking new home health and hospice Medicare enrollment. Licensure can still proceed.

Traps that catch new owners

Mixing up PHCP and Home Health. Skilled nursing or therapy needs the Home Health license and CON, not PHCP. Skilled care under a PHCP license breaks Rule 111-8-65.

Missing the CON batching window. DCH batches competing home health CON applications, and the review clock resets when a competing application is filed within 30 days of yours, so a missed cycle can add six months or more. The Letter of Intent must go through the DCH portal at least 25 days early; phone, fax, and email are not accepted.

Filing Medicare paperwork for a new home health or hospice agency on or after May 13, 2026 without proof it was received before then. Those applications are denied under the CMS moratorium.

Georgia licensing packages

Fixed price, agreed in writing before any work begins. Each package is prepared and submitted for you, fully online.

Georgia Private Home Care Provider (PHCP) license: Fixed-Price Application Support

$2,495.00

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Georgia Home Health Agency license (Certificate of Need): Fixed-Price Application Support

$3,995.00

View details

Georgia licensing FAQs

Does Georgia hospice need a Certificate of Need?

No. Under O.C.G.A. § 31-7-179, a hospice with a valid Georgia HFRD license is exempt from CON. You need HFRD licensure only, not CON approval.

Can I start a home health agency now and bill Medicare?

You can start the CON and licensure process now, but billing faces two hurdles. CON approval must come before licensure under O.C.G.A. § 31-7-155, and a CMS six-month moratorium (May 13 to about November 13, 2026) blocks new home health Medicare enrollment. Applications received before May 13 may continue; later ones are denied. Licensure itself is not blocked.

What is the GAHLES portal and must I use it?

GAHLES (Georgia Healthcare Licensing, Enforcement, and Surveys) is the state's online platform at gahles.dch.georgia.gov. HFRD requires all PHCP, Home Health, and Hospice applications through it. It replaced the older GAMMIS system. You use it to upload documents, manage your application, submit Plans of Correction, and request hearings.

Georgia Home Care, Home Health & Hospice Licensing

Licensing in Georgia

Georgia Department of Community Health, Healthcare Facility Regulation Division (DCH / HFRD)