Group Home Insurance in Georgia

Grandbay Financial Services places group home insurance for Georgia businesses from its Atlanta office at 1372 Peachtree St. NE. This page covers Georgia's licensing framework under the Department of Community Health and the Department of Human Services, the DBHDD provider manual insurance requirements, background check law, staffing rules, and the coverage structure Georgia group home operators need to maintain their provider status.

What Georgia requires

Georgia licenses group homes through two agencies depending on the population served. Adult facilities are licensed by the Department of Community Health, Healthcare Facility Regulation. Children's residential programs are licensed by the Department of Human Services.

Under DCH, adult facilities fall into three categories. Personal Care Homes serving two or more adults are licensed under Rules 111-8-62. Assisted Living Communities at 25 or more residents are licensed under Rules 111-8-63. Community Living Arrangements, which serve residents funded through the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities, are licensed under Rules 290-9-37. The personal care home program oversees about 2,910 facilities serving about 55,000 residents, per the DCH Healthcare Facility Regulation page.

Children's residential programs are licensed by DHS as Child Caring Institutions under Rules 290-2-5 or through Child Placing Agencies under Rules 290-9-2. The child caring institution rule requires the director and anyone handling funds to be bonded or insured and requires proof of vehicle insurance and a safety inspection at application, per Rules 290-2-5.

For DBHDD-funded community living arrangements, the FY2026 Provider Manual for Community Developmental Disability Providers sets the insurance floor: "All DD Providers must have current general liability insurance listing DBHDD as the certificate holder in the amount of $1 million per occurrence and $3 million aggregate." That is a certificate holder requirement, not additional insured status. The manual names no professional liability or abuse and molestation minimum. The personal care home and community living arrangement rules publish no liability minimum.

Background checks are governed by the Georgia Long-Term Care Background Check Program under O.C.G.A. 31-7-350 et seq. and Rules 111-8-12, which requires fingerprint checks for owners, administrators, and every direct access employee before placement. House Bill 1097, effective July 1, 2026, extends DBHDD's background check authority to community living arrangement owners, per the DBHDD background policy page.

Workers compensation is mandatory for any employer that regularly has three or more employees in Georgia under O.C.G.A. 34-9-2. Part-time workers count if regular. Corporate officers and LLC members count toward the three even if up to five of them waive coverage on Form WC-10, per the State Board of Workers' Compensation FAQs.

Operating a personal care home without a license carries a civil penalty of $100 per bed per day and makes the operator negligent per se in the event of any claim for personal injury or wrongful death of a resident, under O.C.G.A. 31-7-12.1. That negligent per se standard removes a significant defense in litigation.

Coverage a Georgia group home program needs

A complete Georgia group home insurance program typically includes the following lines. Coverage depends on the policy wording and endorsements, and the specific limits required by your DBHDD provider agreement or DCH license conditions must be confirmed with the relevant agency, as the personal care home and community living arrangement rules publish no liability minimum beyond the DBHDD provider manual clause.

• General liability. The DBHDD FY2026 Provider Manual requires $1 million per occurrence and $3 million aggregate with DBHDD as certificate holder for DD providers. This is the published floor for DBHDD-funded programs. Personal care home and community living arrangement rules publish no minimum. Coverage depends on the policy wording and endorsements.
• Professional liability. Covers claims arising from the care and supervision of residents, including medication management errors, falls, elopement, and care plan failures. The DBHDD provider manual names no professional liability minimum, but funders and underwriters typically expect it. Coverage depends on the policy wording and endorsements.
• Abuse and molestation coverage. Addresses claims of physical, sexual, or emotional abuse by staff or other residents. The DBHDD provider manual names no abuse and molestation minimum. This coverage is typically written as a sublimit or separate policy and is a standard component of a residential care program. Coverage depends on the policy wording and endorsements.
• Non-owned and hired auto. The DBHDD transportation standard requires proof of current vehicle insurance for agency and staff vehicles and references staff vehicle riders within agency policy, if applicable. Whether a staff member's personal auto policy covers transporting residents depends on the policy wording and endorsements. Non-owned auto coverage on the agency's commercial policy typically addresses this gap.
• Workers compensation. Mandatory for any Georgia employer with three or more regular employees under O.C.G.A. 34-9-2. Part-time workers count if regular. This is a standard component of any compliant group home program.
• Umbrella or excess liability. Provides limits above the primary general liability, professional liability, and auto policies. The appropriate umbrella limit depends on facility size, the DBHDD provider agreement, and the operator's risk tolerance.

What underwriters ask Georgia group home operators

Underwriters evaluating a Georgia group home submission focus on the following areas, drawn from the DBHDD provider manual requirements and DCH licensing rules:

• Background check compliance. Rules 111-8-12 and O.C.G.A. 31-7-350 et seq. require fingerprint checks for owners, administrators, and every direct access employee before placement. Underwriters ask whether checks are current, how the program is documented, and whether any employees have disqualifying records. House Bill 1097 extends this requirement to community living arrangement owners effective July 1, 2026.
• Staff training records. Personal care home direct care staff need 16 hours of training per year plus first aid and CPR under Rules 111-8-62-.09. Community living arrangement staff need 16 hours per year and may not work alone with residents until required training is complete under Rules 290-9-37-.15. Child caring institutions require 24 hours of annual training. Underwriters ask for evidence that training records are maintained for all active staff.
• Staffing ratios. Personal care homes must maintain awake staff ratios of 1 to 15 during waking hours and 1 to 25 at night under 25 beds, and 1 to 20 at night at 25 or more beds, under Rules 111-8-62-.10. Underwriters ask whether the facility has maintained required ratios and whether any deficiency citations have been issued.
• Motor vehicle records for transporting staff. Rules 111-8-62-.09 require a satisfactory motor vehicle record in the personnel file for any employee who may transport residents. The DBHDD transportation standard requires driver license and motor vehicle record checks upon hire and annually. Underwriters ask whether MVR checks are current and documented.
• License status and inspection history. The Georgia Department of Audits reported in June 2025 that 43 percent of 2,540 facilities had no routine inspection between January 2019 and November 2024 and that fines assessed fell 77 percent from 2021 to fiscal 2024, per the Georgia Department of Audits report. Underwriters ask for current license status, any outstanding deficiencies, and the date of the most recent inspection.
• DBHDD certificate holder confirmation. The DBHDD provider manual requires DBHDD to be listed as certificate holder on the general liability policy. Underwriters confirm that the certificate is issued correctly.

Georgia laws that shape claims and costs

O.C.G.A. 31-7-12.1 makes operating a personal care home without a license a civil penalty of $100 per bed per day and establishes negligent per se liability for any claim for personal injury or wrongful death of a resident. This statute is a significant underwriting concern: a lapse in licensure during a claim period removes a key defense.

O.C.G.A. 31-7-350 et seq. and Rules 111-8-12 govern the Georgia Long-Term Care Background Check Program. Fingerprint checks are required for owners, administrators, and every direct access employee before placement. House Bill 1097, effective July 1, 2026, extends DBHDD's background check authority to community living arrangement owners. A failure to conduct required checks before placement is a compliance gap that underwriters and regulators treat as a material deficiency.

O.C.G.A. 34-9-2 makes workers compensation mandatory for any employer that regularly has three or more employees in Georgia. Part-time workers count if regular. Corporate officers and LLC members count toward the three even if up to five of them waive coverage on Form WC-10, per the State Board of Workers' Compensation FAQs. Group homes with rotating part-time staff frequently reach the three-employee threshold without realizing it.

Georgia's at-fault auto system, as described by the Georgia Office of Commissioner of Insurance, means there is no mandatory personal injury protection. Personal auto minimums are $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident for bodily injury and $25,000 for property damage. Staff who transport residents in personal vehicles create non-owned auto exposure for the agency on every trip, which is why the DBHDD transportation standard addresses staff vehicle insurance and why non-owned auto coverage is a standard component of a Georgia group home program.

The DBHDD FY2026 Provider Manual requires general liability of $1 million per occurrence and $3 million aggregate with DBHDD as certificate holder. This is the only published insurance minimum for DBHDD-funded programs. The personal care home and community living arrangement rules publish no liability minimum. Operators whose coverage lapses or whose certificate is not issued correctly risk contract termination in addition to the coverage gap.

Requirements at a glance

What changed in 2024 to 2026

• NOW and COMP waiver rate increases (retroactive to July 1, 2024). Rate increases for the New Options Waiver and Comprehensive Supports Waiver took effect retroactive to July 1, 2024, with four group home rate categories and two host home categories, per the DBHDD press release. These increases affect the revenue base for DBHDD-funded group home operators.
• House Bill 1097 extends background check authority to CLA owners (effective July 1, 2026). House Bill 1097 extends DBHDD's background check authority to community living arrangement owners effective July 1, 2026, per the DBHDD background policy page. Community living arrangement owners should expect DBHDD fingerprint checks under that authority from that date.
• Georgia Department of Audits inspection gap report (June 2025). The Georgia Department of Audits reported in June 2025 that 43 percent of 2,540 facilities had no routine inspection between January 2019 and November 2024 and that fines assessed fell 77 percent from 2021 to fiscal 2024. Underwriters ask about inspection history and compliance documentation in light of this report.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

• Georgia DCH Healthcare Facility Regulation: Personal Care Homes
• Georgia Rules 111-8-62: Personal Care Home Rules
• Georgia Rules 290-9-37: Community Living Arrangements
• Georgia Rules 290-2-5: Child Caring Institutions
• DBHDD FY2026 DD Provider Standards Manual
• Georgia Rules 290-2-5-.08: Child Caring Institution insurance and bonding requirements
• Georgia Rules 111-8-12: Long-Term Care Background Check Program
• DBHDD: Background Policy and House Bill 1097
• Georgia Rules 111-8-62-.09: Personal Care Home staff training and MVR requirements
• Georgia Rules 290-9-37-.15: Community Living Arrangement staff training
• O.C.G.A. 31-7-12.1: Unlicensed personal care home penalties and negligent per se
• Georgia Department of Audits: Personal Care Home Inspection Report (June 2025)
• DBHDD: NOW and COMP Waiver Rate Increases (July 2024)
• Georgia State Board of Workers' Compensation: Insurance FAQs
• Georgia Office of Commissioner of Insurance: Auto Insurance