Section A — Licensing Application Forms ~60 min

California Residency & FBI Clearance for Home Care License

The applicant or CEO must provide evidence of being a California resident for the last five consecutive years. If you have lived outside California at any point in the past five years, you must also submit an FBI background check.

Proof of Residency

The responsible entity requires evidence that the applicant/CEO has been a California resident for the last five consecutive years.

Acceptable Documents

Any one (or combination) of the following is acceptable:

1. Valid California Driver's License or State ID

Your license must show a California address. If you have had multiple licenses over the years, older copies or renewal records can help establish the five-year timeline.

2. Notification of Registration as an Elector

Official voter registration confirmation from a California county showing your registered address.

3. Filed Federal or State Tax Return

A copy of an officially filed federal (IRS) or California state (FTB) tax return that identifies your permanent California residence address. W-2s alone are generally not sufficient — use the actual filed return (Form 1040 or CA 540).

4. Other Documentation

Any other documentation the responsible entity considers acceptable that clearly shows evidence you have been a California resident for the past five years (e.g., utility bills, lease agreements, mortgage statements, official correspondence from government agencies).

> Tip: If a single document does not cover the full five-year period, combine multiple documents to collectively cover the timeline (e.g., a tax return from 5 years ago + your current driver's license).

FBI Background Check

Who Needs It

If you have lived outside of California at any point in the past five years, you are required to submit an FBI background check in addition to the state Live Scan results from step CA_1_8.

How to Request Your FBI Identity History Summary

1. Go to the FBI Identity History Summary Request portal.

2. Submit your request electronically (preferred) or by mail with a fingerprint card.

3. Electronic: Results are typically returned in 3–5 business days.

4. Mail: Results can take 8–12 weeks — if you lived out of state, start this immediately.

5. Once received, upload the official results document here.

Why This Matters

CDSS conducts criminal background screening through both the California DOJ (via Live Scan in step CA_1_8) and the FBI. The FBI check fills the gap for any history that occurred in states outside California's DOJ database. If you have exclusively lived in California for the past five years, the Live Scan already covers the full FBI check — no separate request is needed.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • 1Submitting only a current driver's license when it was issued within the last 5 years — add a supplemental document (tax return, voter registration) to cover the earlier years.
  • 2Waiting too long to request the FBI check if you lived out of state. The mail-in option takes 8-12 weeks. Request it on day one.
  • 3Using a W-2 or 1099 as your tax document — the requirement is for a filed return (Form 1040 or CA 540) that shows your permanent residence address.
  • 4Forgetting to include the FBI check if you spent even a brief period living in another state within the past 5 years.

Tips

  • Your IRS tax transcripts (available free at irs.gov/individuals/get-transcript) can serve as proof of filed returns and show your address of record for prior years.
  • Voter registration confirmation is instant if you register online at registertovote.ca.gov and print your confirmation — useful for quickly establishing California residency.
  • Keep copies of all residency documents in your master application folder — CDSS may request additional documentation during review.

What You Need to Do

  1. 1
    Gather at least one document proving 5 years of California residency (driver's license, tax return, voter registration, etc.)
  2. 2
    If you lived outside CA in the past 5 years, submit your FBI Identity History Summary request at edo.cjis.gov
  3. 3
    Upload your proof of residency document(s) below
  4. 4
    Upload FBI background check results (if applicable)

Information You Will Need

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

Which document(s) are you using for proof of residency?

List the document types you are submitting. You can upload them below.

Have you lived outside of California at any point in the last 5 years?

If yes, you must also submit an FBI background check.

Required

Documents Needed

  • Proof of Residency (at least one document showing 5 years of CA residency)
    RequiredPDF, JPG, PNG · Max 10MB
  • FBI Background Check Results (only if you lived outside CA in the past 5 years)
    PDF · Max 10MB

Official Resources

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