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Section B — Supplemental Documents ~120 min

Insurance Requirements for California Home Care Agency (2026)

You need general liability and professional liability insurance, plus workers' comp for your aides. The law sets the limits at $1,000,000 per occurrence and $3,000,000 aggregate (HSC §1796.37(a)(2)).

What CDSS requires (HCS 281 B6)

1 and 2. General and professional liability insurance

The law asks for proof of "general and professional liability insurance in the amount of at least one million dollars ($1,000,000) per occurrence and three million dollars ($3,000,000) in the aggregate" (HSC §1796.37(a)(2)). HCS 281 B6 says the same.

Our reading: get both coverages, and ask for those limits on each. Confirm with CDSS or your broker how the limits apply to your policies. 3. Workers' compensation

A policy that covers your affiliated Home Care Aides (HSC §1796.37(a)(3)).

What each certificate must show (HCS 281 B6)

  • The policy number
  • The effective and expiration dates
  • The name and address of the insurance company (carrier)
  • The name and address of the broker or agent
  • The policy limits

Check each certificate before you upload it.

The bond is separate

The employee dishonesty bond is covered in the HCS 402 step. Upload a copy of the bond certificate here too.

Keep it all in force

You must keep the bond, workers' comp, and liability insurance while you are licensed (HSC §1796.42(b)-(d)).

Tips for getting quotes

  • Say "non-medical home care agency." This helps you get the right quote.
  • Plan ahead. Quotes can take a week or two (our estimate).
  • Workers' comp cost is based on your expected payroll.
Your aides are employees. The law defines an affiliated home care aide as someone "employed by" a home care organization (HSC §1796.12(a)). Talk to a lawyer before you treat any caregiver as a contractor.

Auto insurance (optional)

CDSS does not ask for it. If you or your aides drive clients, ask your broker about business-use coverage.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • 1Buying only general liability. You also need professional liability (HSC §1796.37(a)(2)).
  • 2Limits below $1M per occurrence and $3M aggregate (HSC §1796.37(a)(2)).
  • 3A certificate missing the policy number, dates, carrier or broker address, or limits (HCS 281 B6).
  • 4A business name on the certificate that does not match your HCS 200. CDSS may ask you to fix it.
  • 5Workers' comp that does not cover your aides.

Tips

  • Start with: 'I am opening a non-medical home care agency in California.'
  • Ask your broker for $1M per occurrence and $3M aggregate. Confirm with CDSS how the limits apply.
  • Get quotes from 2 or 3 places to compare prices.

What You Need to Do

  1. 1
    Contact a specialized home care insurance broker
  2. 2
    Provide your Exact Legal Name and a low estimated initial payroll for quotes
  3. 3
    Review quotes and bind coverage (pay initial premiums)
  4. 4
    Upload your Employee Dishonesty Bond certificate below
  5. 5
    Upload your General Liability, Professional Liability, and Workers Comp certificates below
  6. 6
    If caregivers transport clients, upload your commercial auto or business-use auto insurance certificate
  7. 7
    Check your general and professional liability limits ($1M per occurrence, $3M aggregate)

    HSC §1796.37(a)(2). Confirm with CDSS or your broker how the limits apply.

  8. 8
    Check each certificate lists policy number, dates, carrier and broker names and addresses, and limits

Information You Will Need

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

Which broker or carrier are you using?
Do you have your employee dishonesty bond?

Required by HSC §1796.37(a)(4). At least $10,000, with third-party coverage.

Required

Documents Needed

  • General Liability Insurance Certificate
    RequiredPDF, JPG, PNG · Max 10MB
  • Professional Liability Insurance Certificate
    RequiredPDF, JPG, PNG · Max 10MB
  • Employee Dishonesty Bond Certificate
    RequiredPDF, JPG, PNG · Max 10MB
  • Workers' Compensation Certificate
    RequiredPDF, JPG, PNG · Max 10MB
  • Auto Insurance Certificate (commercial auto or business-use policy)
    PDF, JPG, PNG · Max 10MB

Official Resources

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John Helmy

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John Helmy, Founder of HomeCareAtlas

Building tools and resources to help home care agency owners navigate licensing, compliance, and growth.