50-State Regulatory Atlas Data and maps Nurse business home-care license
Nurse entrepreneurship · Map layer
Home-care license for a nurse business and the sole-practitioner exemption, by state (2026)
In 11 jurisdictions an individual nurse acting alone is exempt or excluded; in 7 a nursing-only business falls outside the agency definition; 7 have no individual exemption in the text read; 6 issue no state home health license; 1 has conflicting sources; 19 not yet researched.
Educational summary, last reviewed October 17, 2026. Not legal advice — confirm with the state licensing agency or counsel.
- Individual nurse exempt while acting alone 10
- Licensed nurses, alone or as a same-license group, excluded 1
- Nursing-only business outside the agency definition 7
- No individual exemption in the definition read 7
- No state home health agency license 6
- Sources conflict 1
- Not yet researched 19
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Every state
| State | Answer | Value | Verification |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | No state home health agency license | Alabama issues no state home health agency license (see the State license finding on this page). | Provisional |
| Alaska | Not yet researched | Not yet researched — confirm with Alaska Department of Health, Health Facilities Licensing and Certification | |
| Arizona | Not yet researched | Not yet researched — confirm with Arizona Department of Health Services | |
| Arkansas | Not yet researched | Not yet researched — confirm with Arkansas Department of Health | |
| California | No individual exemption in the definition read | California defines a home health agency as “a private or public organization, including, but not limited to, any partnership, corporation … which prov | Provisional |
| Colorado | Individual nurse exempt while acting alone | Colorado’s home care agency definition reaches “any sole proprietorship, partnership, association, corporation … that manages and offers, directly or | Provisional |
| Connecticut | Nursing-only business outside the agency definition | Connecticut’s home health care agency definition is reported as professional nursing plus at least one other service, with new patients accepted 24 ho | Provisional |
| Delaware | Not yet researched | Not yet researched — confirm with Delaware Division of Health Care Quality | |
| District of Columbia | Nursing-only business outside the agency definition | The District defines a home care agency as an organization “that directly provides skilled nursing services and at least one other therapeutic service” | Verified |
| Florida | Individual nurse exempt while acting alone | Florida exempts from home health agency licensure “a health care professional, whether or not incorporated, who is licensed under … part I of chapter | Verified |
| Georgia | Individual nurse exempt while acting alone | A 2012 Department of Community Health summary lists exemptions from private home care provider licensure for an individual who provides services direc | Provisional |
| Hawaii | Not yet researched | Not yet researched — confirm with Hawaii Department of Health, Office of Health Care Assurance | |
| Idaho | No state home health agency license | Idaho issues no state home health agency license (see the State license finding on this page). | Verified |
| Illinois | Nursing-only business outside the agency definition | Illinois defines a home health agency as one that “provides skilled nursing services and at least one other home health service” | Provisional |
| Indiana | Not yet researched | Not yet researched — confirm with Indiana Department of Health | |
| Iowa | No state home health agency license | Iowa issues no state home health agency license (see the State license finding on this page). | Disputed |
| Kansas | No individual exemption in the definition read | The Kansas home health agency statute’s “does not include” | Verified |
| Kentucky | Not yet researched | Not yet researched — confirm with Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services | |
| Louisiana | Not yet researched | Not yet researched — confirm with Louisiana Department of Health | |
| Maine | Individual nurse exempt while acting alone | Maine exempts “sole practitioners otherwise licensed by the State” | Verified |
| Maryland | Licensed nurses, alone or as a same-license group, excluded | Maryland’s residential service agency license covers a business “employing or contracting with individuals to provide home health care for compensatio | Verified |
| Massachusetts | Sources conflict | Sources conflict. | Disputed |
| Michigan | No state home health agency license | Michigan issues no state home health agency license (see the State license finding on this page). | Verified |
| Minnesota | Individual nurse exempt while acting alone | Minnesota requires a home care provider license (basic or comprehensive) but exempts “an individual who is licensed in this state as a nurse … who pro | Verified |
| Mississippi | Not yet researched | Not yet researched — confirm with Mississippi State Department of Health | |
| Missouri | Nursing-only business outside the agency definition | Missouri defines a home health agency as one “that provides two or more home health services at the residence of a patient according to a written plan | Verified |
| Montana | Not yet researched | Not yet researched — confirm with Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services | |
| Nebraska | No individual exemption in the definition read | Nebraska defines a home health agency as “a person or any legal entity which provides skilled nursing care or a minimum of one other therapeutic servi | Verified |
| Nevada | Individual nurse exempt while acting alone | Nevada defines an “agency to provide nursing in the home” | Provisional |
| New Hampshire | No individual exemption in the definition read | New Hampshire’s home health care provider license covers “any organization, business entity … engaged in arranging or providing, directly or through c | Provisional |
| New Jersey | Not yet researched | Not yet researched — confirm with New Jersey Department of Health; Division of Consumer Affairs (health care service firms) | |
| New Mexico | Not yet researched | Not yet researched — confirm with New Mexico Health Care Authority | |
| New York | Individual nurse exempt while acting alone | New York requires a license for a home care services agency providing nursing “directly or through contract arrangement”, but “the licensure requireme | Verified |
| North Carolina | Individual nurse exempt while acting alone | North Carolina’s “home care services” | Verified |
| North Dakota | Not yet researched | Not yet researched — confirm with North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services | |
| Ohio | No individual exemption in the definition read | Ohio has no sole-practitioner exemption. | Verified |
| Oklahoma | Not yet researched | Not yet researched — confirm with Oklahoma State Department of Health | |
| Oregon | No individual exemption in the definition read | Oregon defines a home health agency as “a public or private agency providing coordinated home health services on a home visiting basis”, with exclusio | Provisional |
| Pennsylvania | Nursing-only business outside the agency definition | Pennsylvania’s home health care agency is reported by the Department of Health as skilled nursing plus at least one other therapeutic service; home ca | Provisional |
| Rhode Island | No individual exemption in the definition read | For medical spa and IV therapy businesses, RIDOH says a model that provides “direct nursing services in the home or in a location that is not the busi | Verified |
| South Carolina | Not yet researched | Not yet researched — confirm with South Carolina Department of Public Health | |
| South Dakota | No state home health agency license | South Dakota issues no state home health agency license (see the State license finding on this page). | Verified |
| Tennessee | Not yet researched | Not yet researched — confirm with Tennessee Health Facilities Commission | |
| Texas | Individual nurse exempt while acting alone | Texas requires a home and community support services agency (HCSSA) license to provide home health services for pay, and “intravenous therapy” | Verified |
| Utah | Not yet researched | Not yet researched — confirm with Utah Division of Licensing and Background Checks | |
| Vermont | No state home health agency license | Vermont issues no state home health agency license (see the State license finding on this page). | Verified |
| Virginia | Individual nurse exempt while acting alone | Virginia’s home care organization law does not apply to “a natural person who provides services to a patient or individual on an individual basis if s | Verified |
| Washington | Nursing-only business outside the agency definition | Washington defines a home health agency as “a person administering or providing two or more home health services directly or through a contract arrang | Verified |
| West Virginia | Nursing-only business outside the agency definition | West Virginia’s certificate-of-need article defines a home health agency as one “primarily engaged in providing professional nursing services either d | Verified |
| Wisconsin | Not yet researched | Not yet researched — confirm with Wisconsin Department of Health Services | |
| Wyoming | Not yet researched | Not yet researched — confirm with Wyoming Department of Health |