Personal care aide (PCA) · all 50 states and DC
Personal care aides help people with bathing, dressing, meals, and housework at home. Unlike CNAs and home health aides, there is no federal training rule for PCAs, so every state sets its own. Some require 40 to 125 hours and a state exam. Many set no hours at all. Pick your state to see its training, background check, and family caregiver rules.
Pick your state
Training hours and certification at a glance. Each state page has the full rules and official sources.
| State | Training | Certification |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | None set statewide; Medicaid agency aides need 12 hours a year | None |
| Alaska | 40 hrs of nurse-taught training for agency-based PCAs | Enrollment |
| Arizona | None set no hour minimum; pass state tests within 90 days of hire | Tests |
| Arkansas | 40 hrs of training for Medicaid aides and in-home services agency caregivers | None found |
| California | 5 hrs before client contact for agency home care aides | Registry |
| Colorado | None set pass a skills check before working on your own | None found |
| Connecticut | None set but Medicaid PCAs must pass a state course test | None |
| Delaware | None set agency orientation plus a yearly competency test | None found |
| Florida | 40 hrs or a state test, for home health agency aides | None |
| Georgia | 40 hrs of training, 20 of them before serving clients | None found |
| Hawaii | None set by the state for agency aides; employers decide | None found |
| Idaho | Varies by role; no fixed state hour total confirmed | None found |
| Illinois | Varies 10 to 24 hours to start, depending on the program | Registry |
| Indiana | None set minimum hours in state law; agencies train by skill | None found |
| Iowa | None set statewide for non-medical attendants | None |
| Kansas | None set minimum hours; agencies check your skills | None found |
| Kentucky | None set general hours; dementia care adds 6 hours | None found |
| Louisiana | 16 hrs before your first client at a licensed agency | Registry |
| Maine | 50 hrs Personal Support Specialist course for agency staff | Registry |
| Maryland | By topic training within 45 days of hire, no set total | Varies |
| Massachusetts | 4 hrs paid orientation for MassHealth PCAs | None found |
| Michigan | None set minimum hours for Home Help caregivers | None |
| Minnesota | None set hours; a free online course and test instead | Required |
| Mississippi | None set hours; a required course and exam instead | CPR |
| Missouri | 12 hrs of orientation within 30 days of hire | Registry |
| Montana | 16 hrs of basic training for agency attendants | Certificate |
| Nebraska | None set fixed training hours for Medicaid PAS providers | None |
| Nevada | Varies agency training before working alone, then 8 hours a year | None |
| New Hampshire | 8 hrs of training before hands-on personal care | None found |
| New Jersey | 76 hrs of training for CHHA certification | Required |
| New Mexico | Varies a test for Medicaid, 40 hours at home health agencies | Test |
| New York | 40 hrs of basic training for personal care aides | Registry |
| North Carolina | Varies no hour minimum found; skills shown task by task | None |
| North Dakota | None set hours; a skills checklist instead | Enrollment |
| Ohio | Varies by program; 30 hours is one PASSPORT route | Varies |
| Oklahoma | Varies by job; hands-on aides must be certified home health aides | Registry |
| Oregon | 12 hrs of orientation and initial training | Registry |
| Pennsylvania | None set minimum hours; set topics and skills checks instead | None found |
| Rhode Island | Varies by role; homemakers need 25 hours | Registry |
| South Carolina | None set to start; 10 hrs a year for Medicaid aides | None |
| South Dakota | 6 hrs a year for Medicaid in-home aides | None |
| Tennessee | None set statewide; training fits each client | None |
| Texas | None set for personal attendants in state rules | None |
| Utah | None set to start; 6 hrs of in-service a year | None |
| Vermont | None set but certified agencies train you before you start | None |
| Virginia | 40 hrs standard course for Medicaid waiver agency aides | None |
| Washington | 75 hrs of training for most home care aides | Required |
| Washington, DC | 125 hrs of home health aide training for Medicaid PCAs | Required |
| West Virginia | None set but required topics come first | None |
| Wisconsin | None set you show each skill to a trainer instead | None |
| Wyoming | Varies by job; agency aides must be CNAs | Varies |
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