Georgia verified state authority guide
Georgia Home Care License Requirements: Private Home Care Provider Guide
Georgia regulates qualifying in-home nursing, personal care, and companion or sitter services through the Department of Community Health Private Home Care Provider pathway. Medicaid waiver participation and EVV add separate program requirements when applicable.
Does a non-medical home care agency need a license in Georgia?
Generally, yes when the business falls within Georgia's definition of a Private Home Care Provider. Current Rule 111-8-65-.05 states that no private home care provider may operate without a license or provisional license issued by the Georgia Department of Community Health. DCH identifies limited exemptions, so the actual service and business model should be classified before operations begin.
HCTP routing rule
Service scope → DCH Private Home Care Provider pathway → Rule 111-8-65 → service category → Medicaid/waiver overlay where applicable → EVV where applicable → policy → procedure → responsible role → record/proof → review/correction.
What services fall under Georgia's Private Home Care Provider rules?
Rule 111-8-65 recognizes three private-home-care service categories: nursing services, personal care tasks, and companion or sitter tasks. The PHCP definition covers entities that directly provide or make provision for private home care through their own employees, qualifying contractual arrangements, or financially interested referrals.
Personal care includes assistance such as bathing, toileting, grooming, dressing and eating and may include nutrition, home management, housekeeping, ambulation and transfer, and certain medically related activities within the rule. Companion or sitter services are a separate category. Nursing services require appropriately licensed nursing personnel.
Are any services exempt from PHCP licensing?
DCH lists specific exclusions, including care provided directly by an individual rather than through that individual's agents, employees, contractors or referral arrangements; certain home-infusion arrangements; temporary placement outside a person's residence; licensed home health agencies; services provided by staff of a personal care home; services within pharmacists' scope; and services provided by the federal government.
An exemption should be matched to the actual facts. Calling an agency “private pay,” “companion care,” or a referral business does not by itself establish an exemption.
What must the operating system prove?
Georgia's PHCP rules make the governing body responsible for policies, procedures and compliance. The application identifies services and geographic area, while Rule 111-8-65 establishes operating standards for administration, personnel, service delivery, client records and oversight. The system should show who performed each required action, when it occurred, which policy and procedure controlled it, what record proves it, and how the agency reviews and corrects deficiencies.
How do personal care and companion services affect staffing?
Under Rule 111-8-65, personal care tasks must be performed by a qualified personal care assistant under required supervision and according to the client's service plan. The rules separately address companion or sitter tasks. Job descriptions, qualifications, competency evidence, supervision, assignments and service records should match the category actually delivered.
How does Georgia Medicaid change the pathway?
Georgia Medicaid adds program-specific requirements when an agency participates in Medicaid-funded home and community-based services. CCSP and SOURCE within the Elderly and Disabled Waiver Program include personal care and other community services. Other waiver pathways include the Independent Care Waiver Program and NOW/COMP services.
Medicaid enrollment, waiver manuals, authorization, billing and program requirements are additional layers. They do not replace the underlying DCH Private Home Care Provider licensing analysis when PHCP licensure applies.
Does Georgia require Electronic Visit Verification?
Georgia Medicaid requires EVV for specified Medicaid-financed services. DCH identifies applicable personal-care and community-living-support services across programs including CCSP/SOURCE, ICWP, NOW/COMP and GAPP. EVV verifies the service, member, worker, date, location, and beginning and ending time.
Current 2026 update: Georgia is also implementing EVV for applicable Medicaid Home Health Care Services. DCH states that applicable HHCS claims with dates of service on or after September 14, 2026 must be submitted through EVV.
This is a Medicaid service-and-claim requirement; it is not a blanket EVV mandate for every private-pay PHCP.
What should a Georgia agency build first?
Determine the exact service scope and whether the DCH Private Home Care Provider pathway applies. Identify nursing, personal care, companion/sitter services, or the permitted combination. Build Rule 111-8-65 into the operating system. Then attach only the Medicaid waiver, EVV, payer and program requirements that apply to actual services and contracts.
Official Georgia sources used for this guide
HCTP uses current government sources for state-specific regulatory claims rather than competitor summaries.
- Georgia DCH — Private Home Care Program
- Georgia Rules — Subject 111-8-65 Private Home Care Providers
- Georgia DCH — Licensure Forms & Applications
- Georgia DCH — Private Home Care Provider Application Checklist
- Georgia Medicaid — Long Term Services and Supports
- Georgia Medicaid — Waiver Programs
- Georgia Medicaid — Electronic Visit Verification
- Georgia Medicaid — EVV Service Providers
Build the Georgia pathway before building the paperwork
Determine the PHCP service category first, then connect each requirement to policy, procedure, responsible role, operating record, proof and review.