Last updated 2026-07-24
TL;DR
In Florida, a group home is usually licensed either as an Assisted Living Facility (ALF) through AHCA, or as a group home for people with developmental disabilities through APD. Both paths require background screening, a fire inspection, a facility license application, and local zoning compliance before you take a single resident.
What is a group home in Florida?
A group home in Florida is a licensed residential setting where a small number of people who need support with daily living share a house or facility with paid staff. Florida law doesn't use one single "group home" license category for every population. Instead, the term covers a few distinct license types depending on who lives there. If the home serves people with intellectual or developmental disabilities (IDD), it's typically licensed as a group home facility under the Agency for Persons with Disabilities (APD), governed by Chapter 393, Florida Statutes and Rule 65G-2, Florida Administrative Code [1]. If it serves seniors or adults who need help with activities of daily living, it's licensed as an Assisted Living Facility (ALF) under Chapter 429, Part I, Florida Statutes, regulated by the Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) [2]. There's also a separate track for mental health and substance use residential programs, which fall under different licensing depending on the level of care. Some recovery residences are certified rather than state-licensed, through FARR, Florida's designated credentialing entity under section 397.487, Florida Statutes [3]. So when someone says "I want to open a group home in Florida," the honest first question back is: group home for whom? The population you serve decides your regulator, your rule chapter, your staffing ratios, and your inspection checklist. Get this wrong at the start and you'll redo paperwork later.
What is assisted living?
Assisted living is a category of licensed residential care for adults who need help with things like bathing, dressing, medication reminders, and meals, but who don't need the level of medical care a nursing home provides. It sits between independent living and skilled nursing on the care spectrum. In Florida, assisted living is regulated as a distinct license type, more than an industry label. Florida Statute 429.02 defines an assisted living facility as "any building or buildings, section or distinct part of a building, private home, boarding home, home for the aged, or other residential facility... which undertakes through its ownership or management to provide housing, meals, and one or more personal services for a period exceeding 24 hours" to one or more adults who are not relatives of the owner [2]. That 24-hour threshold matters. It's what separates a licensed facility from, say, a family member occasionally checking in on an elderly neighbor. Cross that line and you need a license.
What is a group home, exactly, versus an assisted living facility?
"Group home" and "assisted living facility" overlap in plain English but mean different things on paper in Florida. An assisted living facility (ALF) is the AHCA-licensed category, typically for older adults or adults with disabilities who need help with daily living but not intensive medical care [2]. A group home, in Florida's regulatory language, most often refers to the APD-licensed residential option for people with developmental disabilities, capped at a specific number of residents and staffed differently than an ALF [1]. Both are "group homes" in the everyday sense: small residential settings with paid caregivers instead of a private household. But they answer to different statutes, different inspectors, and different staffing rules. An APD group home license does not let you operate as an ALF, and vice versa. If your business plan mixes populations (say, some IDD residents and some elderly residents with dementia), you need to sort out early which license or licenses actually cover that mix. Call your regional AHCA field office or APD area office before you sign a lease, not after. For readers comparing these categories side by side, our assisted living facility explainer breaks down the ALF license structure in more depth, and assisted living facilities covers how states other than Florida handle the same question.
What is assisted living vs nursing home?
The core difference is medical intensity. Assisted living is for people who need help with daily tasks (bathing, dressing, medication reminders) but are otherwise fairly independent and don't need 24-hour skilled nursing. A nursing home (skilled nursing facility) is for people who need ongoing medical care, like wound care, IV therapy, or recovery after a hospital stay, delivered by licensed nurses around the clock. In Florida, nursing homes are licensed under Chapter 400, Part II, Florida Statutes, a completely separate chapter from ALFs (Chapter 429) [2][4]. Staffing requirements reflect that gap. Nursing homes must have a licensed nurse on duty 24 hours a day, while ALFs have much lighter staffing rules built around personal care, not medical treatment [4]. Cost and payer mix differ too. Nursing home stays are more likely to be covered short-term by Medicare after a qualifying hospital stay, while assisted living almost never is (more on that below). If a resident's needs escalate past what an ALF is licensed to provide, Florida rule requires a plan for transfer or additional licensed services; ALFs generally cannot keep residents who need skilled nursing-level care without an extended congregate care license or similar add-on [2].
What does assisted living provide?
At minimum, an assisted living facility in Florida has to provide housing, meals, and at least one personal service, per the statutory definition in section 429.02 [2]. In practice, most ALFs provide quite a bit more. Typical services include: help with bathing, grooming, and dressing; medication assistance or administration (depending on staff licensure); three meals a day plus snacks; housekeeping and laundry; social and recreational activities; and 24-hour supervision or awake staff, depending on the resident population and license type. Some facilities hold a "limited nursing services" or "extended congregate care" license, which allows them to provide a higher level of care, like more nursing-related tasks, without transferring residents to a nursing home [2]. What an ALF is not required to provide: skilled nursing care, physician-level medical treatment, or the kind of rehab services you'd get in a skilled nursing facility. If a resident's care needs exceed what the facility's specific license covers, Florida law requires either a plan of care adjustment, added licensure, or a move to a higher level of care [2].
Does Medicare cover assisted living facilities?
No, generally not. Medicare does not pay for the room, board, or personal care costs of assisted living. Medicare.gov states plainly that "Medicare doesn't cover... long-term care in an assisted living facility" [5]. Medicare will still cover medically necessary services someone receives while living in an ALF, like doctor visits, some home health services, or durable medical equipment, but it will not pay the facility's monthly rate. Medicaid is a different story, and this trips a lot of new operators up. Florida's Medicaid program, through the Statewide Medicaid Managed Care Long-Term Care (SMMC LTC) program, can help cover some assisted living costs for financially and functionally eligible residents, but it's a waiver-based, capped program, not an entitlement, and it doesn't cover room and board directly in most cases [6]. If your business plan leans on Medicaid reimbursement, read the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration's SMMC LTC program page closely before you assume any payer mix, and talk to a Medicaid billing specialist, more than a real estate agent or a lender.
How to start a group home in Florida
There's no single form. Starting a group home in Florida is a sequence, and skipping a step (especially zoning or fire) tends to cost you months later. Here's the order that actually works, based on how AHCA and APD structure their processes. 1. Decide your population and license type. IDD group home (APD, Chapter 393) or ALF (AHCA, Chapter 429) or a mental health/substance use residential program under a different set of rules [1][2][3]. 2. Confirm zoning with your county or city planning department before you sign a lease or buy property. Florida has some statutory protections for group homes with six or fewer residents in single-family zones (similar to fair housing accommodations under state and federal law), but zoning enforcement is very local and inconsistent. Confirm with your local planning and zoning office directly, because "six or fewer" protections don't automatically override every local ordinance and definitely don't cover larger facilities. 3. Form your business entity and get an EIN. Most operators use an LLC or corporation. 4. Complete Level 2 background screening for every owner, administrator, and direct care staff member, run through the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and FBI, as required under Chapter 435, Florida Statutes and referenced in both ALF and APD group home rules [1][2]. 5. Line up your physical site and pass a life safety/fire inspection through your local fire marshal, coordinated with AHCA or APD requirements for the specific license type. 6. Hire or designate a licensed administrator (ALFs require an administrator who meets state training and, in many cases, core training and exam requirements under Rule 58A-5, Florida Administrative Code) [7]. 7. Submit your license application through AHCA's licensing portal (for ALFs) or your regional APD office (for group homes), including your policy and procedure manuals, staffing plan, and fire safety documentation. 8. Pass your pre-licensure inspection. AHCA and APD each send inspectors to check life safety, physical plant condition, staffing readiness, and required documentation before issuing the initial license. 9. Get your license, then keep your compliance calendar going: annual or biennial renewal, ongoing background rescreening cycles, staff training hours, and unannounced inspections don't stop once you open. This is the point where a lot of aspiring operators either buy a state-specific packet of the actual application forms and policy manual templates or spend weeks hunting through statute cross-references themselves. If you want that shortcut, our $299 State Group Home Licensing Kit bundles the application checklist, sample policy and procedure manual, and staffing plan template for Florida's specific license categories, but you can absolutely build all of this yourself directly from AHCA's and APD's public guidance if you'd rather do it that way.
How do I start a group home if I'm serving people with developmental disabilities specifically?
If your population is people with intellectual or developmental disabilities, you're looking at APD licensure under Chapter 393, Florida Statutes, not AHCA's ALF license [1]. The application goes through your regional APD office, and the rule governing group home standards, staffing, and physical plant requirements is Rule 65G-2, Florida Administrative Code [1]. APD group homes have their own resident capacity rules, staffing ratios tied to resident support needs levels, and a different set of required trainings for direct care staff (including zero tolerance and abuse reporting training specific to the IDD population). Many APD group home operators also become Medicaid waiver providers through Florida's iBudget Medicaid waiver program, which requires a separate enrollment process with the Agency for Health Care Administration and APD, on top of your facility license [1]. Don't assume ALF experience transfers directly. The populations, the regulator, and the rule book are different enough that you should treat this as its own licensing track from day one.
What does zoning actually look like for a Florida group home?
Zoning is where a lot of otherwise well-prepared operators get stuck, and it's genuinely one of the more locally-variable parts of this whole process. Florida doesn't have one statewide zoning rule for group homes; it has a patchwork of local ordinances layered on top of state and federal fair housing protections. Small group homes (commonly six or fewer residents plus staff) are often treated similarly to a family residential use under fair housing principles, which can limit how much a city or county can restrict them compared to larger facilities. But "often" isn't "always," and enforcement varies a lot by county. Some jurisdictions require a special use permit, a separate business tax receipt, spacing requirements from other group homes, or specific parking and fire access standards. Confirm with your local planning and zoning agency, in writing if possible, before you commit to a property. A location that's perfect on cost and layout but sits in the wrong zoning category can add months of appeals or force you to walk away entirely. Our assisted living at home piece goes deeper into how small residential-scale operations handle zoning questions.
What does the Florida application and inspection process cost and how long does it take?
Costs and timelines vary by license type, facility size, and how prepared your application is, so treat any number here as a planning range, not a quote. AHCA publishes its ALF licensing fee schedule directly on its website, and fees are generally tied to facility capacity (larger licensed bed counts cost more) . Confirm current fee amounts directly on AHCA's fee schedule page before you budget, since fee schedules get updated periodically. Timeline-wise, expect the full sequence, from zoning confirmation through pre-licensure inspection to license issuance, to run several months at minimum, even when nothing goes wrong. Background screening alone can take a few weeks depending on FDLE and FBI processing volume. Fire marshal inspections often require you to fix things and get re-inspected, which adds time. Budget generously and don't sign a lease with a hard revenue deadline attached to a licensing timeline you don't fully control.
What staffing does Florida require in a group home or ALF?
Staffing rules differ by license type, but a few things are consistent. Every facility needs a designated administrator who meets state training requirements. ALF administrators must complete core training and pass a competency test under Rule 58A-5, Florida Administrative Code, and keep continuing education current for license renewal [7]. Direct care staff in both ALFs and APD group homes need Level 2 background screening before starting work, per Chapter 435, Florida Statutes [1][2]. Beyond that baseline, staffing ratios (how many direct care staff per resident, at what times of day) depend on your specific license category and, for ALFs, whether you hold a standard license or an extended congregate care or limited mental health license, which require higher staffing levels. Nobody should treat a generic staffing ratio number as gospel here, because Florida's rules break it down by facility type and resident acuity rather than giving one flat number for every group home. Pull the specific staffing table from your applicable rule chapter (429 for ALFs, 393 and Rule 65G-2 for APD group homes) before you build your hiring plan and payroll budget [1][2].
What happens during a Florida group home inspection?
Inspections happen at least twice: once before you open (pre-licensure), and then periodically after that, typically annually or biennially depending on license type and your compliance history, plus unannounced visits triggered by complaints [2]. AHCA and APD inspectors both check three broad areas: life safety and physical plant condition, required records and documentation (background checks, training logs, resident care plans, medication logs), and actual observed care practices during the visit. Common citation areas across both ALF and APD group home inspections include incomplete or expired background screening documentation, missing or outdated resident care plans, medication management errors, and fire safety deficiencies like blocked exits or expired fire extinguisher inspections. Keep your paperwork current and organized in one place. A huge share of citation findings are documentation gaps, not actual resident harm, and those are entirely preventable with a decent recordkeeping system.
Frequently asked questions
What is assisted living in simple terms?
Assisted living is licensed housing for adults who need help with daily tasks like bathing, dressing, or medication, but don't need full-time skilled nursing care. In Florida it's a specific license category (Chapter 429, Florida Statutes) regulated by AHCA, distinct from nursing homes and from group homes for people with developmental disabilities [2].
What is a group home?
A group home is a small, licensed residential setting where paid staff support a limited number of residents who need help with daily living, often people with developmental disabilities, mental health needs, or recovery needs. In Florida, group homes for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities are licensed by APD under Chapter 393 and Rule 65G-2 [1].
What is an assisted living facility?
An assisted living facility (ALF) is a state-licensed building or home that provides housing, meals, and at least one personal service to adults for more than 24 hours, as defined in Florida Statute 429.02. ALFs are licensed and inspected by the Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) [2].
What is assisted living vs nursing home in one sentence?
Assisted living helps with daily tasks like dressing and meals under Chapter 429, Florida Statutes, while a nursing home provides 24-hour skilled medical and nursing care under Chapter 400, Part II, Florida Statutes, a meaningfully higher and more expensive level of care [2][4].
Does Medicare cover assisted living facilities in Florida?
No. Medicare.gov confirms Medicare doesn't cover long-term care or room and board in assisted living [5]. Medicare will pay for medically necessary services a resident receives (doctor visits, some home health), but not the facility's monthly rate. Some residents rely on Florida Medicaid's SMMC LTC program or private pay instead [6].
How do I start a group home in Florida?
Pick your population and license type (APD group home under Chapter 393, or ALF under Chapter 429), confirm zoning locally, form your business entity, complete Level 2 background screening, pass a fire and life safety inspection, hire a qualified administrator, submit your license application, and pass your pre-licensure inspection before admitting residents [1][2].
What license do I need to open a group home for adults with disabilities in Florida?
You need a group home license through the Agency for Persons with Disabilities (APD), governed by Chapter 393, Florida Statutes and Rule 65G-2, Florida Administrative Code. This is separate from an AHCA assisted living facility license and has its own staffing, training, and physical plant requirements [1].
Can I run a group home out of a house in a residential neighborhood in Florida?
Often yes for small homes (commonly six or fewer residents), which get some protection as a residential use under fair housing principles, but local zoning enforcement varies a lot by county and city. Confirm directly with your local planning and zoning department before signing a lease, since requirements aren't uniform statewide.
How much does it cost to get an ALF license in Florida?
AHCA publishes a fee schedule tied to licensed bed capacity, and fees change periodically, so confirm the current amount directly on AHCA's fee schedule page before budgeting [8]. Beyond the license fee itself, budget for background screening costs, fire inspection corrections, and administrator training and testing fees.
What background check is required for Florida group home staff?
Florida requires Level 2 background screening, run through the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and FBI, for owners, administrators, and direct care staff at both ALFs and APD group homes, under Chapter 435, Florida Statutes [1][2]. This must be completed and cleared before an employee provides direct care.
What's the difference between an ALF and a nursing home in Florida?
ALFs are licensed under Chapter 429 for adults who need help with daily living tasks, while nursing homes are licensed under Chapter 400, Part II for adults needing 24-hour skilled nursing care [2][4]. Nursing homes must have licensed nurses on duty around the clock; ALFs generally do not.
Do Florida group homes accept Medicaid?
Some do, through Florida's Statewide Medicaid Managed Care Long-Term Care (SMMC LTC) program for ALFs, or through the iBudget Medicaid waiver for APD group homes serving people with developmental disabilities [1][6]. Both are waiver-based and capped, not automatic entitlements, so eligibility and provider enrollment take separate applications.
Sources
- Florida Administrative Code, Rule 65G-2 (Agency for Persons with Disabilities): Group homes for people with developmental disabilities are licensed under Chapter 393, Florida Statutes and Rule 65G-2, Florida Administrative Code
- Florida Statutes, Section 429.02: Definition of an assisted living facility and ALF licensing requirements under Chapter 429, Florida Statutes
- Florida Statutes, Section 397.487: Recovery residences are credentialed through FARR under section 397.487, Florida Statutes
- Florida Statutes, Section 400.141: Nursing homes are licensed under Chapter 400, Part II, Florida Statutes and require licensed nursing staff and administrative standards
- Medicare.gov, Long-Term Care: Medicare does not cover long-term care in an assisted living facility
- Florida Administrative Code, Rule 58A-5: ALF administrators must complete core training and pass a competency exam under Rule 58A-5
- Florida Statutes, Section 435.04: Level 2 background screening standards apply to owners, administrators, and direct care staff under Chapter 435, Florida Statutes