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How to Start a Non-Medical Home Care Agency in Texas: the HCSSA PAS License, Step by Step
In Texas, a non-medical home care agency that gives personal care is licensed as a Home and Community Support Services Agency (HCSSA) in the Personal Assistance Services (PAS) category. HHSC licenses it under 26 TAC Chapter 558. You can't admit clients until you hold the license.
The short version
- Confirm that PAS is the right license category for the services you plan to offer.
- Form your business, and get it registered and in good standing with the Texas Secretary of State and the Comptroller.
- Choose a qualified administrator and alternate administrator. If either is a first-time administrator, get their 8 hours of pre-designation training done.
- Have the administrator and alternate complete HHSC's presurvey training.
- Set up a permanent physical place of business in Texas.
- Write and adopt your policies and procedures, and set up your forms.
- Apply in TULIP (Form 2021), upload your documents and pay the $2,625 initial license fee.
- Once you're licensed, admit your first client and request your initial survey.
1. Confirm PAS is your category
Under 26 TAC §558.2, "personal assistance services" means routine, ongoing care or services that help a person in a residence or independent living environment with activities of daily living or the physical functions needed for independent living, including respite. That includes personal care such as bathing, dressing, grooming, feeding, exercising, toileting and positioning, and certain health-related tasks under Texas Board of Nursing rules. PAS is one of the six license categories an applicant can request under 26 TAC §558.13(b). If you plan to provide nursing or therapy services, look at the home health categories in the same rule.
If you plan to offer only services with no personal care, such as companionship or homemaking, ask HHSC Licensing and Certification (512-438-2630) whether you need a license at all. This guide doesn't cover that question.
2. Form the business and get it in good standing
On its How to Become a Licensed HCSSA Provider page, HHSC says an agency must be "registered with and be in good standing" with the State Comptroller of Public Accounts and with the Texas Secretary of State. An applicant must be at least 18 (26 TAC §558.11(f)). Before HHSC issues a license, it also reviews the background of the applicant, controlling persons, people with a disclosable interest, affiliates and the chief financial officer (26 TAC §558.11(g)).
3. Choose your administrator and alternate
Every HCSSA needs one administrator and one alternate administrator; the alternate must be designated in writing (26 TAC §558.243(a)). For a PAS-only agency, each must have at least one of the following (26 TAC §558.244(a)(3)):
- a high school diploma or GED plus at least one year of experience or training in caring for people with functional disabilities;
- two years of full-time study at an accredited college or university in a health-related field; or
- the home health or hospice administrator qualifications.
A first-time administrator needs 8 clock hours of training in agency administration before designation. See our administrator requirements guide for the full 8 + 16 + 12 hour rules.
4. Complete HHSC's presurvey training
The administrator and alternate administrator must complete HHSC's Presurvey Training before you submit the application (26 TAC §558.13(a)). It's a computer-based HHSC course on the licensing standards, survey documents and survey process (26 TAC §558.2). It doesn't count toward the administrator's required training hours (26 TAC §558.259(g)).
5. Set up a physical place of business in Texas
Your place of business must be located in Texas and have a Texas address (26 TAC §558.11(e)). HHSC's HCSSA FAQ (July 2026) says an agency can't use a virtual office as its place of business. It must be a permanent physical place.
6. Write and adopt your policies and procedures
HHSC doesn't hand out a policy template. Its HCSSA FAQ says the Chapter 558 rules decide which policies you need, and HHSC doesn't keep a list. The license holder is responsible for adopting, implementing and enforcing the written policies the chapter requires (26 TAC §558.241). Our guide to the written policies Chapter 558 requires walks through them rule by rule.
7. Apply in TULIP and pay the fee
You apply through HHSC's online portal, TULIP, on Form 2021 (26 TAC §558.12(a); HHSC How to Become page). Plan for these fees and timelines:
| Item | What the rule says |
|---|---|
| Initial license fee | $2,625 (26 TAC §558.3(a)(1)). It isn't refundable (26 TAC §558.3(f)), except for the time-frame reimbursement in §558.31. |
| When HHSC starts the review | Only after the portal shows "payment received" (26 TAC §558.3(e)) |
| First review of your application | Up to 45 days (26 TAC §558.31(b)(1)) |
| If your application is incomplete | HHSC sends one notice. You have 30 days to respond, or HHSC may deny the application and keep the fee (26 TAC §558.12(d)). |
| Decision once complete | Up to 45 more days (26 TAC §558.31(b)(2)) |
| How long the initial license lasts | Three years from issuance (26 TAC §558.15(b)) |
We list only the fee HHSC sets. Entity filing, insurance, office and staffing costs vary, so we don't estimate them here.
8. Admit your first client, then request the initial survey
You can't admit a client or start services until you hold the initial license (26 TAC §558.11(a)). After you're licensed, HHSC says to notify your HHS regional office when you enroll your first client and request the initial health survey on HHSC Form 2020, Notification of Readiness for Initial Survey. The request must be made within six months of the license being issued (HHSC How to Become page). If you don't meet the initial survey requirements, HHSC may deny renewal or revoke the initial license (26 TAC §558.15(c)).
At that survey, your written policies, personnel files (including registry checks) and client records are what show you follow the rules. So the manual you adopt in step 6 matters.
Skip the blank page for step 6
The Standardsmith Texas PAS manual gives you 36 editable policies and 25 forms, each policy tied to its Chapter 558 rule. $199 for the first 50 founding copies, then $349. Free revised pages for Texas rule changes to the sections in your manual for 12 months after purchase.
Just starting out? Get the free startup compliance checklist (Payhip asks for your email address to deliver it).
Pending rule changes: On September 18, 2026, HHSC proposed amending most of Chapter 558 (51 TexReg 6429). As of November 15, 2026, it hadn't been adopted. Recheck the current rule text before you rely on any detail here.
Sources
Each was read on November 15, 2026. Texas Administrative Code links open the official Texas Secretary of State rules portal.
- HHSC: How to Become a Licensed HCSSA Provider
- HHSC: HCSSA Frequently Asked Questions (updated July 2026)
- 26 TAC §§558.2, 558.3, 558.11, 558.12, 558.13, 558.15, 558.31, 558.241, 558.243, 558.244, 558.259 (Texas Secretary of State, queried as of Nov 15, 2026)
- 51 TexReg 6429 (Sept 18, 2026), proposed Chapter 558 amendments. Not adopted as of Nov 15, 2026. They would keep the $2,625 initial fee and remove the two-year renewal fees.
Related guides
- Texas PAS policies and procedures: what Chapter 558 requires in writing
- Texas HCSSA administrator requirements for PAS agencies
This guide is general information about Texas rules, not legal advice. Standardsmith isn't affiliated with Texas HHSC. Verify current requirements with Texas HHSC and, for legal questions, talk to a Texas health care attorney.