Section A — Licensing Application Forms ~20 min

HCS 308 Form Guide — Designee Responsibility (California HCO)

The HCS 308 establishes your agency's chain of command. It formally names the Administrator (the person running daily operations) and requires you to list at least one "Substitute" who has the authority to make decisions if the Administrator is sick, on vacation, or unreachable.

Navigating the HCS 308 Chain of Command

This form is relatively short, but it carries legal weight regarding who can speak for your agency.

The Licensee vs. The Administrator
  • The Licensee is the legal owner of the business (e.g., your LLC, or you if you are a Sole Proprietor).
  • The Administrator is the person hired to run the day-to-day operations.
If you are starting this business yourself, you are likely both the Licensee AND the Administrator.* If so, you will just put your own name down as the Administrator. The "Substitute" Designees

The state requires you to name individuals who will step in when the Administrator is away.

  • Who can this be? It should be a trusted staff member, a business partner, or a manager.
  • What if I don't have staff yet? If you are a brand new solo-operator, you still need a backup. This can be a trusted family member, spouse, or friend who is familiar with your business and can be trusted to handle an emergency or speak to state inspectors until they can reach you.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • 1Naming a substitute who doesn't actually know they are listed as the backup. The state might actually call them!
  • 2Leaving the substitute section blank because you are a solo owner. The state requires an unbroken chain of command.
  • 3Putting down independent contractor caregivers as your substitutes. Your backup should generally be an administrative, trusted W-2 employee or a business partner.

Tips

  • Make sure your designated substitutes have access to important agency files (like client rosters and caregiver records) in case the state conducts an unannounced visit while you are away.
  • If your personnel changes, you are legally required to submit an updated HCS 308 to the state within 10 days.

What You Need to Do

  1. 1
    Determine who will be the primary Administrator and who will act as the Substitute(s)
  2. 2
    Complete the chain of command data fields above
  3. 3
    Generate, print, and sign the HCS 308

    Both the Licensee AND the Administrator must sign this form. If you are both, you will sign it twice in different boxes.

Information You Will Need

Have these details ready before you sit down to fill this out:

Home Care Organization Name

Your agency's public "Doing Business As" name.

Required
HCO Number

Leave this blank! You will not receive your HCO number until your application is approved.

HCO Street Address
Required
Full Name of Administrator

The person responsible for daily operations. If that is you, put your name.

Required
First Substitute (Primary Backup) Full Name

Who is in charge if the Administrator is out?

Required
First Substitute Title
Required
First Substitute Phone Number
Required
Second Substitute Full Name

Optional, but highly recommended if you have a larger team.

Second Substitute Title
Second Substitute Phone Number
Name of Licensee or Authorized Representative

The legal owner authorizing these appointments.

Required
Title of Licensee Representative
Required

Documents Needed

  • HCS 308 — Designation of HCO Responsibility (pre-filled)
    RequiredPDF · Max 10MB

Official Resources

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