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Home care staff requirements in Minnesota
Minnesota requires home care providers to hold a basic or comprehensive home care license from the Minnesota Department of Health. Staff with direct contact need a DHS background study with fingerprints and a photo, submitted before they start, and unlicensed staff must pass training and competency testing on set topics. All direct-care staff need orientation before serving clients and 8 hours of training every year, and agencies must run a CDC-based TB program.
Licenses
- Home care providers must apply for either a basic home care license or a comprehensive home care license (Minn. Stat. 144A.471, subd. 5).
- A basic license covers assistive tasks such as help with dressing, bathing and toileting, standby assistance and medication reminders, and a comprehensive license adds services such as nursing, delegated tasks, medication management and hands-on transfer help (Minn. Stat. 144A.471, subd. 6, 7).
Background checks
- Employees, contractors and volunteers of a home care provider must have a background study under Minn. Stat. 144.057 and may be disqualified under chapter 245C (Minn. Stat. 144A.476, subd. 2).
- The Department of Human Services runs background studies of home care staff with direct contact under contract with the Department of Health (Minn. Stat. 144.057, subd. 1).
- For people who live outside Minnesota, the study must include the National Crime Information Center check and that state's maltreatment findings when available (Minn. Stat. 144.057, subd. 1(a)(2)).
- Providers licensed by other state agencies must submit the background study before the person starts in a position with direct contact (Minn. Stat. 245C.04, subd. 2).
- Background study subjects must give fingerprints and a photo through the state's authorized vendor (Minn. Stat. 245C.05, subd. 5(c)).
- The DHS review includes vulnerable adult maltreatment findings, BCA criminal records including predatory offender registration, and Minnesota court data on people already studied (Minn. Stat. 245C.08, subd. 1).
Training and competency
- Unlicensed staff doing basic home care must pass a training and competency evaluation, or a written or oral test plus a practical skills test, on set topics (Minn. Stat. 144A.4795, subd. 3(a)).
- Unlicensed staff doing delegated nursing tasks for a comprehensive provider must pass training and written or oral and practical skills tests on added topics, or meet Medicare aide training rules (Minn. Stat. 144A.4795, subd. 3(b)).
- Required topics include documentation, reporting changes in condition, infection control and bloodborne pathogens, personal hygiene, fall prevention, nutrition, boundaries, confidentiality and emergencies (Minn. Stat. 144A.4795, subd. 7(b)).
- Comprehensive-level training adds vital signs, safe transfers, range of motion and giving medications or treatments (Minn. Stat. 144A.4795, subd. 7(c)).
- Training for comprehensive services must be led by a registered nurse, alone or with another instructor (Minn. Stat. 144A.4795, subd. 7(a)(2)).
- A worker who has not done a delegated task for 24 months in a row must show competency again to the RN (Minn. Stat. 144A.4795, subd. 7(d)).
- All staff who provide or supervise direct home care must complete orientation to home care licensing rules before serving clients (Minn. Stat. 144A.4796, subd. 1, 2).
- All direct-care staff must complete at least 8 hours of training every 12 months, covering maltreatment reporting, the home care bill of rights, infection control and the provider's policies (Minn. Stat. 144A.4796, subd. 6).
- Staff who serve clients with Alzheimer's disease or related disorders need dementia training (Minn. Stat. 144A.4796, subd. 5).
Health screening
- Providers must have a TB infection control program that follows current CDC guidelines and covers all paid and unpaid staff, contractors, students and volunteers (Minn. Stat. 144A.4798, subd. 1).
- Employee records must show that any health screenings required by the infection control program happened and when (Minn. Stat. 144A.479, subd. 7(5)).
Also in the personnel file
- Employee records must include licenses or certifications, orientation and training records, competency evaluations, a current job description and annual performance reviews (Minn. Stat. 144A.479, subd. 7).
- Employee records must be kept for at least three years after the person leaves (Minn. Stat. 144A.479, subd. 7).
- Staff doing basic home care must be supervised periodically, including direct observation, at a frequency based on their competency and performance (Minn. Stat. 144A.4797, subd. 2).
- Staff doing delegated nursing or therapy tasks must be directly supervised within 30 days after first doing delegated tasks, and again as needed (Minn. Stat. 144A.4797, subd. 3(b)).
- Contractors and temporary staffing agency workers must meet the same training and competency rules as employees (Minn. Stat. 144A.4795, subd. 5, 6).
Common questions
What background checks do home care aides need in Minnesota?
Employees, contractors and volunteers of a home care provider must have a background study under Minn. Stat. 144.057 and may be disqualified under chapter 245C (Minn. Stat. 144A.476, subd. 2).
How much training do home care aides need in Minnesota?
Unlicensed staff doing basic home care must pass a training and competency evaluation, or a written or oral test plus a practical skills test, on set topics (Minn. Stat. 144A.4795, subd. 3(a)).
Do home care workers in Minnesota need a TB test?
Providers must have a TB infection control program that follows current CDC guidelines and covers all paid and unpaid staff, contractors, students and volunteers (Minn. Stat. 144A.4798, subd. 1).
Which license does a home care agency need in Minnesota?
Home care providers must apply for either a basic home care license or a comprehensive home care license (Minn. Stat. 144A.471, subd. 5).
Some rules for Minnesota weren't confirmed from an official source. Check with the state before relying on this page.
Sources
- Minn. Stat. 144A.471, Home care provider licensing (revisor.mn.gov)
- Minn. Stat. 144A.476, Background studies (revisor.mn.gov)
- Minn. Stat. 144A.479, Home care provider responsibilities; employee records (revisor.mn.gov)
- Minn. Stat. 144A.4795, Staff qualifications, training and competency (revisor.mn.gov)
- Minn. Stat. 144A.4796, Orientation and annual training (revisor.mn.gov)
- Minn. Stat. 144A.4797, Provision of services; supervision (revisor.mn.gov)
- Minn. Stat. 144A.4798, Disease prevention and infection control (revisor.mn.gov)
- Minn. Stat. 144.057, Background studies on licensees and other personnel (revisor.mn.gov)
- Minn. Stat. 245C.04, When background study must occur (revisor.mn.gov)
- Minn. Stat. 245C.05, Background study information; fingerprints (revisor.mn.gov)
- Minn. Stat. 245C.08, Background study; commissioner reviews (revisor.mn.gov)
This page summarizes state licensing rules in plain words, with links to the rules themselves. It is not legal advice, rules change, and your license type decides what applies: check the linked source and your licensing agency. Medicare-certified home health agencies also follow 42 CFR 484.80. Checked October 2026.
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