GEORGIA · HOME CARE

Selling a home care agency in Georgia

Georgia requires a certificate of need to open a new home health agency or expand its service area, unless the expansion comes from acquiring another existing agency, which makes established Georgia home health agencies scarce and attractive to buyers. Non-medical private home care providers hold a separate permit from the Department of Community Health, and a change of ownership is only processed as such if the provider has active clients.

By Akim Guennani, Founder · Updated October 2026

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Georgia home care at a glance

Licensing agency	Department of Community Health, Healthcare Facility Regulation
Home health agencies	Licensed under rule 111-8-31; certificate of need required for new agencies
Acquisitions under CON	Expansion through acquiring an existing agency is non-reviewable
Non-medical home care	Private home care provider (PHCP) permit, rule 111-8-65
PHCP change of ownership	Requires active clients; otherwise the buyer files a new application
Owner screening	Fingerprint background checks for administrators and 10%+ owners

Home health: a certificate of need state

In Georgia, a certificate of need is required before a new home health agency is established or an existing agency expands its geographic service area. The exception matters for sellers: an expansion that results from acquiring another existing home health agency is non-reviewable.

That makes buying an existing Georgia agency the practical way for a buyer to enter a county or grow its footprint. Agencies with a broad service area, steady census, and clean survey history benefit most from that scarcity.

Private home care providers and the active-client rule

Non-medical home care in Georgia is provided under a private home care provider permit governed by rule 111-8-65. A change of ownership is filed electronically through the GAMMIS web portal with the new owner's information. The provider must have active clients for DCH to process the filing as a change of ownership; if it does not, the buyer has to submit an initial application.

The new ownership also goes through screening: administrators and individual owners holding 10 percent or more need a satisfactory fingerprint-based criminal history determination. Keep services running through the sale so the active-client condition is met, and start background checks early.

Payer mix

Georgia agencies typically blend Medicare home health, Medicaid waiver services, and private pay or long-term care insurance. Buyers look at how revenue splits across those sources, how stable authorizations are, and how concentrated referrals are among hospitals, physicians, and case managers.

What moves value for a Georgia agency

The items buyers price most heavily in Georgia:

CON-protected footprint: Home health service area that a buyer could not easily obtain on its own.
Active census: Active clients through the sale, which a PHCP change of ownership depends on.
Caregiver supply: Fill rate, turnover, and complete background check files.
Survey history: DCH survey results and how deficiencies were corrected.

Sources

Rules change. This page summarizes public sources as of the review date and is educational, not legal, tax, or regulatory advice. Confirm licensing and change of ownership steps with counsel and the relevant state agency before signing.

1. Certificate of need fact sheet (Georgia Department of Community Health)
2. Rule 111-8-31, Home health agencies (Georgia Secretary of State, Rules and Regulations)
3. Change of ownership (CHOW) frequently asked questions (Georgia Department of Community Health)
4. Rule 111-8-65, Private home care providers (Justia Regulations)

Reviewed October 2026

Questions Georgia owners ask

Straight answers, before you commit to anything.

Do I need a certificate of need to buy a Georgia home health agency?+

Georgia requires a certificate of need for new home health agencies and service area expansions, but an expansion that results from acquiring an existing agency is non-reviewable.

What happens if my private home care agency has no active clients at the sale?+

DCH only processes a change of ownership when the provider has active clients. Otherwise the buyer must file an initial application for a new permit.

Who needs a background check in a Georgia home care sale?+

Administrators and individual owners with 10 percent or more ownership need a satisfactory fingerprint-based criminal history check through DCH's GCHEXS system.

How long does a Georgia home care sale take?+

Most deals take roughly 90 to 150 days from first buyer conversation to close, with DCH filings and background checks running in parallel.

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