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Texas HCSSA starter checklist
The order things actually happen in when you open a licensed home care agency in Texas. Work down it. Anything you cannot tick is what to do next.
Before you apply
- Decide your service category. Non-medical personal care is Personal Assistance Services (PAS)
- Form your business and have a Texas address for the place of business
- Decide the counties you will serve, which is your licensed service area
- Name an administrator and an alternate administrator in writing
- Check both against the PAS qualification routes in 26 TAC §558.244
- Both complete the HHSC Presurvey Training (§558.13)
- A first-time administrator and alternate each complete 8 clock hours of administration training in the 12 months before designation (§558.259)
- Gather proof: diplomas, transcripts, employment letters with dates and duties, training certificates
Documents to have ready
- Written policies covering every service you will deliver, and only those services
- A policy for every topic 26 TAC Chapter 558 requires, not a generic "any state" manual
- Client forms: service agreement, client rights, service plan, complaint statement
- Personnel file structure: application, qualification evidence, registry checks, orientation, competency
- Logs you will actually keep from day one: incidents, complaints, corrective action
The application
- Create a TULIP account, the HHSC online licensing portal. Paper applications are no longer accepted
- Pay the initial licence fee in full, $2,625. It is not refunded if you withdraw or are denied, and the application is not reviewed until payment shows as received
- Upload every document the portal asks for before submitting
- Watch for an incomplete-application notice. You have 30 days to respond and HHSC sends one notice (§558.12)
- Do not admit clients or advertise personal assistance services until the licence is issued
After the licence arrives
- Display the licence at your place of business (§558.211)
- Admit and serve at least one client
- Within 6 months of the licence effective date, send HHSC Form 2020, Notification of Readiness for Initial Survey (§558.521)
- Administrator and alternate finish 24 hours of training in total by the end of their first 12 months (§558.259)
- Start the records a surveyor asks for: client list, client records, personnel records, policies
Rules referenced: 26 Texas Administrative Code, Chapter 558. Rule text last checked September 2026. ApexCare Governance™ provides operational documentation and educational guidance. It is not a law firm and not a licensed regulatory consultant. It does not provide legal advice, interpret regulations, certify compliance, or guarantee any licensing or inspection outcome. Verify all current requirements directly with Texas Health and Human Services.
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Working through it?
The full Texas licensing guide explains each step. The Texas Licensing Starter Bundle has the policies and checklists themselves, as editable Word files.