California · personal care aide (PCA)
California has two main paths. Aides who work for licensed home care organizations need 5 hours of training before starting and must join the state Home Care Aide Registry, while In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) providers, often family members, complete a county orientation. Starting January 1, 2027, dementia care becomes a required yearly training topic for agency aides.
At a glance
What the state asks of PCAs who work for licensed agencies or Medicaid programs.
| Job titles | Home care aide (HCA), IHSS provider, personal care aide |
| Training | Agency aides: 2 hours of orientation and 3 hours of safety training before client contact, can be online. IHSS providers: county provider orientation only. |
| Exam | No state exam found in state sources |
| Certification | Home Care Aide Registry with the California Department of Social Services (CDSS), $35 fee |
| Background check | Live Scan fingerprints. Registry applicants get a state and FBI check; IHSS providers get a California Department of Justice check. |
| Yearly training | 5 hours a year for agency aides. Under a 2025 state law (SB 412), dementia care becomes a required topic on January 1, 2027. |
| Minimum age | 18 to join the Home Care Aide Registry. For IHSS, not confirmed in state sources; ask your county. |
| Agency licensing | CDSS Community Care Licensing, Home Care Services Bureau (Home Care Organization license) |
Training
If you work for a licensed Home Care Organization (HCO), you need 2 hours of orientation and 3 hours of safety training before you work with clients. After that, you take 5 hours a year on topics like client rights, daily living needs, abuse reporting, hygiene, and safe transport. Training can be done online.
IHSS, California’s Medicaid home care program, has no state-required training hours. New IHSS providers complete a provider orientation through their county when they enroll.
The steps
The usual path for a new aide.
Family caregivers
Yes. In IHSS, the person receiving care hires, trains, and supervises their own provider, and relatives can be paid.
Spouses can be paid for personal care and paramedical services, but generally not for household tasks. Since February 2024, parents of minor children can be paid in most IHSS program types, but not the Personal Care Services Program (PCSP). Your county IHSS office can tell you which type applies.
Read our full guide: how to get paid to care for a family member.
Compare
All three help people with daily care. Training, tasks, and pay differ.
| Personal care aide | Home health aide | CNA | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Training | 5 hours for agency aides; orientation for IHSS | 75 hours federal minimum, including 16 hands-on | State-approved program, 75 hours or more |
| Medical tasks | Mostly not. Help with daily living, like bathing, dressing, meals, and housework | Some, like vital signs, under nurse supervision | Yes, under nurse supervision |
| Where you work | Clients' homes, group homes, assisted living | Clients' homes, through home health agencies | Nursing homes and hospitals |
| Median pay (CA) | $16.50 an hour* | $16.50 an hour* | $22.90 an hour |
*Federal pay data groups personal care aides with home health aides. Many PCAs later become CNAs, which opens more jobs and higher pay.
FAQ
Short answers to what people ask most.
Not a license, but home care aides who work for licensed agencies must be listed on the state Home Care Aide Registry. IHSS providers enroll through their county instead.
Agency aides need 5 hours before working with clients and 5 hours each year. IHSS providers have no state-required hours beyond a county orientation.
Yes, if she qualifies for In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS). She can hire you as her provider, and relatives can be paid.
In many cases, yes. Since February 2024, parents of minors can be paid in most IHSS program types, but not the Personal Care Services Program.
Home health and personal care aides in California earn a median of $16.50 an hour, based on the May 2025 federal wage survey.