Compliance
What a Surety Bond Is and Which Home Care Agencies Need One
Most states do not require a surety bond for a home care license. Where one is required, by licensing or Medicaid, the amounts run from $5,000 to $50,000 and up.
Which states require a home care surety bond?
Bond requirements for non-medical home care agencies, for the states where we've verified them. Pick a state for who has to post the bond and the governing rule.
Last reviewed October 17, 2026
| State | Bond required | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| California | Yes | $10,000 |
| Colorado | No | $100,000 per occurrence / $300,000 aggregate (Class B, if used instead of liability insurance) |
| Connecticut | Yes | $10,000 |
| Louisiana | No | — |
| New Jersey | Yes | $10,000 |
| Ohio | Yes | $20,000 |
| South Carolina | No | $100,000 per occurrence / $300,000 aggregate |
| Virginia | No | $50,000 (fidelity bond) |
How Caregiver Scheduling handles this
Private-pay invoices built from verified visit data are coming soon, so what you bill will match the visits that happened, which is what bond and payer audits look at. See what’s coming for invoicing and QuickBooks.
Sources
Frequently asked questions
A guarantee, bought from a surety company, that your agency will follow licensing or Medicaid rules and repay money it owes. If it doesn’t, the state or payer can claim against the bond, and the surety then collects from the agency.
Agencies pay an annual premium that is a small percentage of the bond amount, set by the surety based on the owner’s credit and finances. Get quotes from more than one surety.
No. A fidelity or employee dishonesty bond protects clients against theft by caregivers. Many clients and referral sources expect one even where the state does not require any bond.
Related guides
Operations
Home Care Agency Insurance: Which Policies You Need
Home care agencies need general and professional liability, workers' comp, non-owned auto, a fidelity bond and cyber cover. What states require, with minimums.
General
Home Care Agency Startup Costs: A Line-by-Line Budget
What it costs to open a non-medical home care agency: real state license fees, insurance minimums, office, hiring, software and the working capital most owners underestimate.
These free tools are made by the team behind Caregiver Scheduling, caregiver scheduling software for home care agencies.
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