How to Start a Non-Medical Home Care Business in South Carolina: DPH In-Home Care License

If you want to learn how to start a non-medical home care business in South Carolina, the state license is the first thing to plan around. Non-medical in-home care providers, meaning agencies that help clients with personal care such as bathing and dressing, household tasks, and companionship, are licensed by the South Carolina Department of Public Health (DPH). The rules sit in S.C. Code Section 44-70 and S.C. Code Regulations R.60-122. Nearly every other step in this guide, from forming your company to hiring caregivers to billing Medicaid, depends on getting that license in hand.

The short version: South Carolina does not require a Certificate of Need (CON) for non-medical in-home care, the DPH initial license fee is $1,000, and the annual fee is $800. The order you complete the steps in matters, because you should not pay for a license you cannot use yet or take clients before the license is issued.

This article is informational content, not legal or tax advice. Licensing rules, fees, and forms change. Confirm every figure with the agency named before you spend money or sign a lease. Because home care is a heavily regulated business, talk with a South Carolina attorney and a CPA before you commit to a structure or a payroll plan.

What You Need Before You Start

Gather these items before you file anything. Most delays in home care licensing come from missing documents, not from the state being slow.

• A business name that meets South Carolina naming rules and is available on the Secretary of State's records
• A registered agent with a South Carolina street address
• Formation documents: Articles of Organization for an LLC or Articles of Incorporation for a corporation
• An Employer Identification Number (EIN) from the IRS
• A written business plan that describes your services, service area, staffing, and pricing
• Written policies covering client rights, complaints, emergency procedures, and caregiver conduct
• A caregiver file system for applications, background check results, training records, and references
• A client service agreement and an intake form
• Quotes for liability insurance and workers' compensation insurance
• Budget for the $1,000 DPH initial license fee plus the formation and local fees listed below

Step 1: Confirm That Your Service Is Non-Medical

Write down exactly what your caregivers will and will not do. Non-medical care covers help with daily living, household support, and supervision. Skilled nursing, therapy, and other medical services fall under a different set of rules and a different licensing path. If your plan blends the two, ask DPH in writing how it classifies your services before you form a company. A written answer protects you if a regulator later questions your model.

Step 2: Choose Your Legal Structure

Most owners of home care agencies choose a limited liability company (LLC) because it separates your personal assets from the business's obligations, subject to the usual conditions. The South Carolina Secretary of State handles the filing through Business Entities Online at businessfilings.sc.gov.

• LLC: The Articles of Organization filing fee is $110. Online filings are returned within 24 to 48 business hours. A standard LLC does not file an annual report with the state.
• Corporation: The Articles of Incorporation fee is $110, filed together with Form CL-1, which carries a one-time $25 initial License Fee. The CL-1 is due within 60 days of doing business or using capital in South Carolina. A corporation files an annual report with its tax return.
• Sole proprietorship: You file nothing organizing with the Secretary of State, but you still need the DPH license, local licenses, and an EIN. You also take on personal liability for the business.

The structure you choose affects your taxes and your personal risk, so this is a good point to ask a CPA and an attorney for advice on your specific situation.

Step 3: Pick and Protect Your Business Name

Under S.C. Code Section 33-44-105, an LLC name must include the words limited liability company or limited company, or an abbreviation such as LLC, L.L.C., LC, or L.C. The name must also be distinguishable from other registered names on the Secretary of State's records. Search the database at the business entity search page before you settle on a name.

If you need time to finish your paperwork, you can reserve a name for 120 days for a $25 fee. The reservation cannot be renewed, so plan to file the formation documents before it expires.

South Carolina does not register DBAs or trade names at the state level. If you will operate under a name other than your legal name, record the DBA with your county or municipality, usually on your local business license, and list it as a trade name on your EIN application and your SCDOR Business Tax Application.

Step 4: Appoint a Registered Agent and File Your Formation Documents

Under S.C. Code Section 33-44-108, every LLC must keep a registered agent in South Carolina with a street address for receiving legal papers. The agent can be an individual who lives in South Carolina, a domestic corporation, or another entity authorized to do business in the state. The agent's name and address must appear on your formation document. If you later change agents, you file a statement of change with the Secretary of State.

Submit your Articles of Organization online for the fastest processing. Mailed and in-person filings take longer, and the Secretary of State does not publish a mail turnaround window.

Step 5: Get Your EIN and Register With the Department of Revenue

Apply for an EIN with the IRS once your entity exists, then register for your state tax accounts through the South Carolina Department of Revenue (SCDOR) Business Tax Application on MyDORWAY at dor.sc.gov. Your payroll setup depends on these accounts, and you will need them before your first caregiver is paid. Ask your CPA which registrations apply to your payroll and tax structure.

Step 6: Obtain Your Local Business License

South Carolina has no general statewide business license. Your Secretary of State filing does not count as a business license. Most cities levy a business license tax, and only nine counties do so: Beaufort, Charleston, Dorchester, Horry, Jasper, Marion, Orangeburg, Richland, and Sumter. Local licenses run on a May 1 to April 30 license year and are due April 30. Renewals are handled at localblrenewal.com.

Call or visit the city or county where your office will be located and ask whether they classify home care as a licensed business and what the fee is. Fees vary by locality, so confirm the amount with them directly.

Step 7: Apply for the DPH In-Home Care License

This is the license that makes your business legal to operate. The initial DPH license costs $1,000, and the annual license costs $800. South Carolina does not require a Certificate of Need for non-medical in-home care, so you do not need a CON approval before you apply.

Prepare the application package with DPH's current requirements in mind. Expect DPH to ask for information about the following:

• Ownership and the individual responsible for administering the agency
• Your written policies and procedures, including client rights and complaint handling
• How you screen, train, and supervise caregivers
• Your process for caregiver background checks
• Your client service agreement and intake process
• Your emergency plan for clients and staff

Ask DPH for the complete, current checklist, the inspection process, and the expected processing time before you commit to a launch date. Do not accept or schedule clients until you hold the issued license. Operating without it is the most expensive mistake a new owner can make.

Step 8: Set Up Caregiver Background Checks and Hiring

DPH rules require caregiver background checks, so build the process into your hiring workflow from the first day. Ask DPH which checks are required, who must complete them, how long results remain valid, and what records you must keep on file. Do not put a caregiver in a client's home until the required checks are complete.

Many people searching for how to become a caregiver in South Carolina want to know what training and credentials are required. The specific qualifications for individual caregivers come from the DPH rules, and any training hours or certificates should be confirmed with DPH before you begin recruiting. Beyond the state minimum, most owners set their own standards for references, interview process, and ongoing training, and they write those standards down so they can apply them the same way to every applicant.

Keep a complete file for each caregiver. Store application forms, background check documentation, training records, reference checks, and signed policy acknowledgments. Those files are often the first thing a surveyor or auditor asks to see.

Step 9: Decide Whether to Enroll in Medicaid

If you plan to serve clients who receive services through the Medicaid Community Choices waiver, you will need to enroll through the South Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (SCDHHS). Waiver enrollment is a separate step from your DPH license, and it has its own requirements and timeline. Contact SCDHHS to confirm what it requires from providers and how long enrollment takes.

Many agencies start with private-pay clients and add waiver clients later. Others build their business around waiver services from the start. Choose the path that fits your cash flow, because waiver billing is slower to set up than private pay and does not guarantee a steady client flow.

Step 10: Insurance, Banking, and Payroll

Get liability and workers' compensation insurance quotes early, because insurers often ask for your license and formation documents before they bind coverage. Confirm your insurance requirements with your agent and with the agencies that oversee your business. Open a business bank account using your EIN and formation documents, and keep client funds and operating funds in separate accounts if you handle any client money.

Costs at a Glance

Item	Amount	Agency	Notes
LLC Articles of Organization	$110	SC Secretary of State	Online filing returned in 24 to 48 business hours
Corporation Articles of Incorporation	$110	SC Secretary of State	Filed with Form CL-1
Name reservation	$25	SC Secretary of State	Valid 120 days, nonrenewable
Corporation initial License Fee (CL-1)	$25	SCDOR	Only for corporations, due within 60 days of doing business
DPH in-home care license, initial	$1,000	SC Department of Public Health	Required before you accept clients
DPH in-home care license, annual	$800	SC Department of Public Health	Budget for it every year
Local business license	Varies	Your city or county	Confirm the amount locally; renewals due April 30 in the license year

What Results to Expect

Once you hold the DPH license, have trained caregivers on file, and have your local license in place, you can accept clients and begin building revenue. Many owners find that the first few months are slower than they planned while referrals build and word of mouth develops. Your results will depend on local demand, your staffing, your pricing, your marketing, and how quickly you can meet client needs. No timeline or revenue outcome can be guaranteed, so plan a budget that covers several months of operating costs before you expect the business to pay its own way.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Taking clients before the license is issued. Wait for the license, even if a family is waiting.
• Treating your Secretary of State filing as a business license. It is not. You still need the DPH license and your local license.
• Looking for a state DBA filing. South Carolina has none. Record your DBA locally.
• Skipping the local license. Most cities levy one, and the April 30 due date catches owners off guard.
• Hiring before background checks are complete. Keep caregivers off client visits until every required check clears.
• Assuming Medicaid enrollment is automatic. It is a separate process through SCDHHS.
• Letting the service drift into medical care. Scope creep can put your license at risk, so write your service limits into your policies and train staff to follow them.
• Forgetting the $800 annual renewal. Build it into your budget from the first year.

Practical Tips

• Get DPH's current requirements in writing and keep a dated copy in your licensing file.
• Create a licensing calendar with the April 30 local renewal, the annual DPH renewal, and any insurance renewal dates.
• Write your policies before you apply. Surveyors and auditors look for consistent, followed policies, not policies written after the fact.
• Use the South Carolina Small Business Development Centers at scsbdc.com for free or low-cost advising on your business plan and budget.
• Talk with an attorney about your choice of entity, your contracts with clients, and your liability exposure before you sign a lease or hire your first caregiver.

Next Steps

Start with Step 1 this week. Write down your service model, call DPH to confirm your classification, and check your business name. Then file your formation documents, obtain your EIN, and apply for the local license and the DPH license in that order. Keep your caregiver files organized from the first hire so you are ready for your first inspection.

This guide is informational only and does not replace legal or tax advice. Confirm current fees, forms, and processing times with the South Carolina Department of Public Health, the South Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, the Secretary of State, and the SCDOR before you act on any figure here. Work with a qualified South Carolina attorney and CPA on your specific structure, contracts, and tax obligations.