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Illinois · Office, records and premises · 77 Ill. Adm. Code 245
The rules do not say where an Illinois home services agency’s office has to be, and they do not mention home offices. What they do ask for is an office with a staffed phone during business hours, confidential records, local fire safety and a written operating hours policy. Here is each rule, plus records, branch offices, drop sites, your service area and moving.
Quick answer
The rules do not say. Illinois’ licensing Act and Part 245 do not say where a home services agency’s office must be, and neither mentions home offices or zoning. What Part 245 does require is to "Provide and maintain an office with a working telephone that is staffed during the agency's business hours." The office must also be adequately equipped, kept so client records stay confidential, and meet local fire safety rules. 245.40(a)(12)
The address you choose matters: "The parent agency address/location appears on the Department-issued license." 245.20 Every client contract gives the agency’s street address too. 245.220(b)
Before you commit to a home office, ask IDPH whether it is acceptable (217-782-7412) and check local zoning and fire rules with your city or county. That is our suggestion for a question the rules leave open.
These rules describe how the office must work, not where it is. Most are among the agency manager’s duties in 245.40(a), and none of them distinguishes a rented suite from a spare bedroom.
Provide and maintain an office, with a working telephone that someone staffs during your business hours.
"Provide and maintain an office with a working telephone that is staffed during the agency's business hours."
245.40(a)(12)The office has what the agency needs to work efficiently. The rule does not list equipment.
"The office shall be adequately equipped for an efficient work environment."
245.40(a)(12)(A)The office is kept so that client records stay confidential, whether they are on paper or electronic.
"The office shall be maintained to protect the confidentiality of patient and client records (physical or electronic)."
245.40(a)(12)(B)The office is a safe place to work and meets your local fire safety ordinances and regulations.
"The office shall provide a safe working environment that complies with local ordinances and regulations related to fire safety."
245.40(a)(12)(C)State your operating hours in a written policy that also tells clients how to get care from you, or from another health care provider, outside those hours.
"Adopt and enforce a written policy identifying the agency's operating hours"
245.40(a)(13)Whatever your office hours, a designated supervisor is available to workers for questions at all times.
"An individual who is in a supervisory capacity shall be designated and available to the worker for responses to questions at all times."
245.40(c)(6)(A)The agency manager must also "Ensure that the agency is in compliance with all applicable federal, State and local laws". 245.40(a)(1) Part 245 names fire safety among those local rules but not zoning or business licenses.
On the application, page 2 of form 445104 asks for the agency’s physical address and county, its business hours and days of the week, a mailing address if different, and every branch office and drop site. Form 445104, page 2 An agency based in another state that serves Illinois clients must have an office in Illinois. 245.80(f)
At surveys, the agency manager or a designee must be available when an IDPH nurse surveyor arrives. Refusing a survey during business hours can bring a fine. IDPH survey checklist (archived August 30, 2025) They may also visit clients at home, with the client’s consent, and you help arrange those visits. 245.110(b)
These steps turn the rules above into a home office setup. The first is our suggestion for the question the rules leave open; the others follow the rule each one cites, and we say where we add our own advice. Tick steps off as you go; progress is saved in this browser only.
The rules do not say whether the office can be in your home. IDPH answers application questions on 217-782-7412. Asking before you apply is our suggestion, and the CareRulebook manual makes the same one under Recommended practice.
Part 245 makes the agency manager responsible for compliance with applicable local laws, and the office must meet local fire safety rules (245.40(a)(12)(C)). It does not mention zoning. Ask your city or county planning or zoning office whether a business office is allowed at your address, and check your lease or homeowners association rules.
The parent office address appears on your license (245.20), every client contract gives the agency’s street address (245.220(b)), and IDPH’s public Home Services Agency Directory lists each agency’s address and phone number (IDPH directory). If the office is your home, that is your home address.
Part 245 does not set minimum hours. You choose them, give them on the application (form 445104 asks for business hours and days of the week, Form 445104, page 2), and write the operating hours policy that tells clients how to get help outside them.
The rule says the phone is staffed during business hours but not how. If you will be out on visits, plan who answers. The CareRulebook manual forwards calls to a staff member’s phone when the only person in the office has to leave, so calls are still answered; that is our reading, so ask IDPH if you will often be out.
The office must keep client records confidential (245.40(a)(12)(B)), and you need a written policy on how records are used, removed and released. In a family home, a lockable cabinet or room used only for the agency, and passwords on electronic records, are a simple way to do that (our suggestion; the rule does not name a method).
IDPH inspects the agency in the last 30 days of the provisional license (245.100(a)(3)), and the agency manager or a designee must be available when the surveyor arrives. Refusing a survey during normal business hours can bring a fine.
Part 245 does not have a single rule saying where every record is kept, but some rules place records "at the agency" or "on the agency premises", and IDPH must be able to see them. If your office is in your home, plan for paper copies of these records to be kept there, or for the surveyor to be able to open electronic ones there (our reading; the rules do not address home offices).
| Record | What the rule asks | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Client records | One for each client, on paper or electronically, under a written records policy. | 245.210(h)-(i) |
| How long | Client records at least two years after the last date of service. | 245.210(i) |
| Who sees them | A written policy explains the use, removal and release of records, and the office is kept so records stay confidential. | 245.210(j)245.40(a)(12)(B) |
| Client contracts | A copy of each client’s contract is kept in the client file at the agency. | 245.220 |
| Abuse and neglect reports | Documentation of each report, and the agency’s written investigation report, kept on the agency premises for 12 months after the date of the report. | 245.250(a)-(b) |
| Background check files | Criminal records requests for 5 years; disclosure and authorization forms, the livescan form and notifications for the length of employment. | 955.220(a) |
| For IDPH | All books, records, policies and procedures made available during an inspection. If records are electronic, one designated person can open them promptly for the surveyor. | 245.110(c)IDPH survey checklist |
| If you close | Your 30-day closing notice to IDPH names where client records will be and who holds them. | 245.80(g) |
In the CareRulebook manual these are Policy 10.1 Client records, Policy 10.2 Confidentiality, use, removal and release of records and Policy 10.3 Records maintenance and retention.
"A licensee may have multiple physical locations within their geographical service area under the supervision of the parent agency as approved by the Department." 245.80(k) There are two kinds, and each needs IDPH approval.
Under your license
A branch office provides services in part of the parent agency's area and is close enough to share administration, supervision and services daily and in emergencies, so it does not need its own license. An approved branch runs under the parent license. It must be within 100 miles of the parent office, inside the service area, and provide the same services. The parent office manager (or administrator or supervising nurse) visits each branch on site at least monthly and documents the date, content, attendees and recommendations.
Administrative only
A drop site provides no services. The parent agency uses it only for administrative tasks, such as hiring or training staff, and as a place for staff to pick up supplies. A drop site must not have designated staff, assign orders, accept referrals, run payroll or billing, or store client or personnel files. "A drop-site location cannot be advertised under the parent license."
If the rules are not met
"Failure to comply with the requirements in subsection (k) may result in fines of up to $100.00 per day", or IDPH can require a separate license for the second location.
The parent office runs each branch. The agency manager supervises during all of a branch's operating hours. The parent office keeps current personnel records for all staff, is responsible for contracted services and ongoing training, and includes every branch in quality reviews. 245.80(k)(1)(B)-(H)
How to ask. Ask IDPH for a branch or drop site with its Branch/Drop-Site Questionnaire, a travel map with distance and time, an organization chart and the form you will use for monthly supervisory visits. The Branch and Drop-site Questionnaire goes to IDPH's Home Services Program supervisor by mail (525 W. Jefferson St., 4th Floor, Springfield, IL 62761) or by email to DPH.COOS@illinois.gov. Branch/Drop-Site Questionnaire (archived May 10, 2026) IDPH FAQ IDPH reviews a branch or drop-site request as a desk audit and confirms the answers at its next on-site visit. The questionnaire also asks where current and terminated personnel records and current and discharged client records will be kept, how they are safeguarded, and whether the location is on the premises of another business, such as an assisted living or long-term care facility. Questionnaire, questions 3, 10-11
Your service area is "an area of contiguous counties (recognizable boundaries) in which the agency has been approved by the Department to provide services". 245.20 On the application you list each county (an asterisk marks part of a county), not a radius in miles, and the counties must be contiguous. Form 445104, page 6 The rules do not set a distance between your parent office and your clients; the 100-mile limit applies to branch offices.
If you will use a branch or drop site, Policy 1.8 Branch offices and drop sites in the CareRulebook manual covers the approval request, the monthly visit record and the drop-site limits.
Some changes are reported after they happen; others need IDPH’s approval first.
Tell IDPH within 10 days after a change to the physical address, on its Facility Information Change Form. The rule counts from the change, not in advance. It does not say whether IDPH reissues the license or visits the new office, so ask IDPH before you move.
245.80(h)IDPH FAQThe same 10-day notice covers the agency name, manager, mailing address, operating hours, phone, fax and email, at branch locations too.
245.80(h)Get IDPH approval before caring for clients in a new county, using its Geographic Service Area Request Form. Counties cannot be added or removed on a renewal application.
245.80(i)IDPH FAQForm 445104, page 6Get IDPH approval first: send the Branch/Drop-Site Questionnaire with a travel map, an organization chart and your supervisory visit form.
245.80(k)QuestionnaireGive IDPH written notice at least 30 days before, with the reasons and where client records will be kept.
245.80(g)A license cannot be transferred. The buyer applies for a new license at least 30 days before the sale, and the sale is not complete until IDPH issues it.
245.80(d)The Illinois license application guide walks through form 445104, and the cost and timeline page lists every IDPH fee and deadline.
We searched the whole of Part 245 and the licensing Act (210 ILCS 55) for rules on offices, premises and addresses, and IDPH’s home services pages and forms that we hold. They do not address:
For zoning, business licenses and permits, ask your city or county. For how IDPH applies Part 245 to your setup, call IDPH on 217-782-7412. Form 445104, page 1
It depends. The rules do not say. Part 245 requires an office with a working telephone staffed during business hours, adequately equipped, kept so client records stay confidential, and meeting local fire safety rules. It does not say where the office must be and does not mention home offices. Local laws also apply. Ask IDPH (217-782-7412) whether a home office is acceptable before you apply.
"Provide and maintain an office with a working telephone that is staffed during the agency's business hours."
No. A drop site is only for administrative tasks such as hiring, training and picking up supplies. It must not have designated staff, assign orders, accept referrals, run payroll or billing, or store client or personnel files, and it cannot be advertised. A location that does more needs IDPH approval as a branch office; breaking the rules can mean fines of up to $100 a day or a separate license.
"Assigning orders, accepting client and patient referrals, conducting payroll or billing activities, or storing files (client or personnel)."
No. If IDPH approves it as a branch: within 100 miles of the parent office, inside your service area, offering the same services, with monthly documented supervisory visits. Each franchise entity, though, needs its own license, and an unapproved second location can be fined up to $100 a day or required to get a separate license.
"A branch office shall be part of the agency and shall be located close (but not more than 100 miles from the parent office location) and shall provide the same services as the parent office"
The rules do not say. Part 245 requires an office with a working telephone staffed during business hours, adequately equipped, kept so client records stay confidential, and meeting local fire safety rules. Neither Part 245 nor the licensing Act says where the office must be, and neither mentions home offices or zoning. The agency manager must also make sure the agency follows applicable local laws. Before you commit, ask IDPH (217-782-7412) whether a home office is acceptable and check local zoning with your city or county. Remember that the office address goes on your license, your client contracts and IDPH’s public directory.
Part 245 does not say the office must be in commercial premises, and the IDPH pages and forms we hold do not address it either way. What it requires is an office that meets 245.40(a)(12): a staffed phone during business hours, adequate equipment, confidential records and local fire safety. Ask IDPH before you sign a lease or set up at home.
Part 245 does not set minimum hours. You choose your hours, give them on the application, and adopt a written policy that states them and tells clients how to get care outside them. The office phone is staffed during those hours, and a designated supervisor is available to workers for questions at all times.
Yes. Part 245 lets a home services agency keep records on paper or electronically, under a written records policy and a written confidentiality policy. If records are electronic, IDPH’s survey checklist says one designated person must be able to open them promptly for the surveyor, and the surveyor should be able to navigate them without interference. Part 245 does not name systems or security standards for home services agencies.
IDPH reviews the application on paper first. It inspects the agency within the last 30 days of the 240-day provisional license, before issuing the full license, and the agency manager or a designee must be available when the surveyor arrives. IDPH can also inspect and investigate whenever it deems necessary.
A branch office provides services in part of your service area, within 100 miles of the parent office, with the same services, supervised by the parent office and visited by the agency manager at least monthly. A drop site provides no services: it is only for administrative tasks such as hiring, training and picking up supplies, and it must not have designated staff, take referrals, run payroll or billing, store files or be advertised. Both need IDPH approval first.
Not as its only office. Part 245 says an agency based in another state that provides care in Illinois, or matches workers with Illinois clients, needs an Illinois license, must be authorized to do business in Illinois and must have an office in Illinois.
Part 245 does not cover this. It only makes the agency manager responsible for compliance with applicable local laws and requires the office to meet local fire safety rules. Ask your city or county, because the answer depends on where you are.
Part 245 does not address home offices today. Leave your email and we will tell you when an Illinois rule change affects your office, your branches or your policies.
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