California Home Care Aide Registration: How It Works
Caregivers at licensed California Home Care Organizations must register with CDSS: $35 for two years, Live Scan, TB test, 5 hours of training before client contact and 5 hours a year.
By Caregiver Scheduling Team ·
Caregivers employed by a licensed Home Care Organization (HCO) in California must be registered Home Care Aides (HCAs) on the state’s Home Care Aide Registry, run by the California Department of Social Services (CDSS). Registration costs $35 and is valid for two years. It requires a Live Scan background check and a TB test, and the aide must finish 5 hours of entry-level training before client contact and 5 hours every year under the Home Care Services Consumer Protection Act (Health and Safety Code 1796.44).
Who has to register as a Home Care Aide?
Anyone 18 or older who is employed by an HCO to provide home care services to a client. The law calls them “affiliated home care aides” (HSC 1796.12). Home care services means nonmedical help such as bathing, dressing, meals, housekeeping, transportation and companionship.
Caregivers who contract directly with a client can register as “independent home care aides.” If you later hire one, your HCO can ask CDSS to transfer the existing clearance instead of starting over.
Office staff and volunteers with access to clients or client records also need a criminal record clearance, even if they never provide care (HSC 1796.43).
What are the steps to register?
Most applications now go through the Guardian portal. Paper form HCS 100 still works by mail.
| Step | Detail |
|---|---|
| Application | Online in Guardian using your HCO’s PIN, or form HCS 100 by mail. $35 fee, paid by card online or by check |
| Background check | Live Scan fingerprints (form LIC 9163) sent to the Department of Justice for state and FBI records |
| Clearance | CDSS posts the aide as cleared on the registry. No client contact until then |
| TB test | Exam within 90 days before or 7 days after starting work, then every two years (HSC 1796.45) |
| Entry-level training | 5 hours before client contact: 2 hours orientation, 3 hours safety |
| Annual training | 5 hours each year on core competencies |
| Renewal | Every two years, $35, in Guardian or on HCS 100 |
Applicants need a California driver’s license, a DMV ID card, a Permanent Resident Card or an out-of-state photo ID (HSC 1796.22). Any conviction beyond a minor traffic violation needs a criminal record exemption first, and CDSS keeps a list of crimes that cannot be exempted. See caregiver background check requirements.
How much does it cost and how long does it last?
$35 for two years per aide, nonrefundable. The Live Scan vendor charges its own rolling fee on top. The HCO license itself is $5,603 for two years, with $100 for a change of location and $200 for a change in corporation (CDSS fee schedule). An aide who has not paid shows as pending on the registry, not cleared.
What training do Home Care Aides need?
Five hours before client contact and five hours a year, under HSC 1796.44. Entry-level training is two hours of orientation to the role and your employment terms, plus three hours on safety: basic precautions, emergency procedures and infection control. Annual training covers client rights and safety, daily living needs, recognizing and reporting abuse and neglect, personal hygiene and, if you transport clients, safe transportation. Both can be done online.
A new requirement is coming. SB 412 (Chapter 414, Statutes of 2025) adds the special care needs of clients with dementia to the topics aides must cover in their annual 5 hours of training, starting January 1, 2027. It does not add hours. See caregiver training requirements by state and the training requirements tool.
What does the HCO have to track?
Proof for every aide, by date. Under HSC 1796.37, CDSS can ask for your full roster of affiliated aides and proof that each one meets the background, training and TB sections.
- Registry number, clearance date and expiration date for each aide
- Training certificates with hours and dates, entry-level and annual
- TB certificates, kept on file, renewed every two years
- Workers’ compensation covering all affiliated aides
- Liability insurance of at least $1,000,000 per occurrence and $3,000,000 aggregate, plus a $10,000 employee dishonesty bond
When an aide leaves, notify CDSS right away so the affiliation ends on the registry (HSC 1796.43). Surveyors check that every aide was cleared and trained on the date of every visit, so keep dates, not a yes or no.
Is IHSS different?
Yes. IHSS providers are hired by the recipient and enroll through the county IHSS program, and IHSS is excluded from the HCO licensing chapter (HSC 1796.17). An agency serving both tracks both sets of rules. See running an IHSS agency in California.
California also has daily overtime, meal and rest break and expense rules. See home care overtime rules and California caregiver meal and rest breaks.
How Caregiver Scheduling handles this
Credential tracking holds each caregiver’s registry number, clearance date, training hours and TB result with expiry alerts, and on Growth and up a caregiver with a missing or expired required credential cannot be assigned to a visit. California home care requirements come preconfigured, and IHSS authorizations are hard-capped. $199/month for up to 10 caregivers or $299/month for up to 50, free for 30 days.
FAQ
Do all California caregivers need to register as Home Care Aides? Those employed by licensed Home Care Organizations do. IHSS providers and independent aides follow separate rules, though independents may register.
How long does HCA registration take? CDSS does not publish a timeline. It depends on Department of Justice Live Scan results, so start as soon as you make an offer.
Can an aide start work before clearance? Not with clients. Registry clearance, the TB exam window and 5 hours of entry-level training come first.
How often do aides renew? Every two years, for $35, through Guardian or form HCS 100. The TB exam is also repeated every two years.
This article is general information, not legal advice. Check current CDSS guidance and your licensing analyst.