Human services licenses and renewals

This page outlines the process of applying for and renewing a license for a human services program. DSPD Residential Support and Day Support programs with 3 or fewer clients require a certification rather than a license. Instructions for both processes are detailed below.

To view a description and the rules for each license type, please visit the license types and rules page.

For information on how to apply for or renew a license for foster care, please visit the foster care licenses and renewals page.

Applying for a new license

Download and complete this application. Mail your completed application along with the appropriate fee to this address:

Utah Office of Licensing
Department of Health & Human Services
195 N 1950 W
Salt Lake City, UT 84116

Payment must be submitted in the form of a money order, cashier’s check, or company check made payable to the Utah Department of Health & Human Services. Personal checks will not be accepted. Fees for initial licenses are as follows:

Adult Day Care, Adoption Agencies, Day Treatment, Intermediate Secure Care, Outpatient Treatment, Residential Support, Residential Treatment, Social Detoxification, Therapeutic School – $900
Child Placing Foster Agencies – $250
Outdoor Youth Programs – $1,408
Recovery Residences – $1,295

Your application will be processed by an intake licensor. The intake licensor will assist you in gathering and submitting the necessary paperwork for licensure, including:

A policy and procedure manual outlining how you will comply with your license category rules
Copy of your business license
Verification of fire inspection
Verification of health inspection, if required by your local jurisdiction
Verification of insurance (general/professional liability, fire, vehicle)
An organization chart of your agency indicating lines of authority, position titles, job descriptions, etc.
A list of members of your governing body, including owners and board of directors indicating name, address, and term of membership (may be part of your policy and procedure manual)
Your quality assurance plan (may be part of your policy and procedure manual)
Your emergency plan (may be part of your policy and procedure manual)

Additional paperwork may be required depending on the category of license you are applying for (e.g. floor plans, school accreditation certificate, proof of notification to your local government jurisdiction, etc.) Paperwork can be submitted to the intake licensor by email at the time of your application (preferred) or you can send in a hard copy with your application and fee.

Background screenings should be completed in the Direct Access Clearance System (DACS) for all staff who will have direct or incidental contact with clients or their records. New programs will be given access to DACS after submitting a license application.

Adult-only substance abuse programs may request an exemption from this for general staff if other types of treatment (such as mental health treatment) are not provided. Exemptions may be requested by submitting a background screening exemption declaration. Owners and directors who will have direct access to clients and their records must still submit a screening application.

More information on the process of background screenings can be found on the Office of Background Processing page.

Applying for a new DSPD certificate

If you are going to be serving 3 or fewer DSPD clients for either day support or residential support services, you will obtain a certification instead of a license. Serving 4 or more clients requires a license.

In order to apply for a certification, you must have completed the process with the Office of Services Review (OSR) to obtain a contract to serve this population. If you have not completed this process, please start this process by visiting the DHHS Procurement website.

To apply for a certification for Residential Support, download and complete all pages of the initial application, and submit it via email to licenseapps@utah.gov.

To apply for a certification for Day Support, download and complete all pages of the initial application, and submit it via email to licenseapps@utah.gov.

Background screenings should be completed in the Direct Access Clearance System (DACS) for all staff who will have direct or incidental contact with clients or their records. New programs will be given access to DACS after submitting a license application. After the application has been processed, we will reach out to you and provide you with the next steps to get your background screening completed.

More information on the process of background screenings can be found on the Office of Background Processing page.

Renewing a license or certificate

Approximately two months before your license expires, you will receive an auto-generated reminder from the Office of Licensing (OL). Fill out and submit a renewal application with the appropriate renewal fee. OL should receive this paperwork no later than 30 days before your license expires.
You will also need to email your licensor the following documents 30 days prior to your license expiration:
- Updated business license
- Fire inspection
- Health Inspection (if applicable)
- Organization chart
- Verification of insurance coverage
- Policy & procedure manual (if there have been any changes over the past year)
- Youth Education Coordinating Form (if applicable)
- Your licensor may request additional paperwork depending on the category of license
Contact your licensor no later than 30 days before expiration to schedule a time for a program review and safety inspection. Then, review the checklist to ensure that you have addressed all areas that the licensor will review.
Your licensor will renew your license when all paperwork has been submitted and all criteria have been met.

To renew your Day Support or Residential Support certification, you must submit a renewal request through your Office of Licensing Portal (located at ccl.utah.gov). This must be submitted 60 - 90 days prior to the expiration of the certification. Please follow the steps below:

Log into your portal
Click the "Renewal Request" tab on the left hand side of the page
Complete the form and click submit
Click the "Submit Documentation" tab on the left hand side of the page and upload the Residential Attestation form if the certification is for Residential Support, or the Non-Residential Attestation form if the certification is for Day Support.
You must complete a renewal inspection with your licensor no later than 30 days prior to the expiration of the certification. Please review the Inspection Checklist to ensure that you are prepared for the inspection.
Once the licensor has approved your certification for renewal and all criteria have been met, your certification will be renewed and sent to you by the process specialist.

Relocation of a currently-licensed program requires a new renewal application and fee 30 days prior to the move, even if your current license has not expired. Relocating a currently-licensed program without notifying OL will void your license, requiring a new initial application and fee
Changing capacity of a currently-licensed program requires a new renewal application and fee even if your current license has not expired
Adding a new license category to a currently-licensed location (for example, adding Outpatient Treatment to your current Day Treatment program) requires an initial application and fee for the new license category
Adding a new location (rather than relocating) requires an initial application and fee
A name change of your program does not require a new application or fee but your licensor should be notified at least 10 days prior to the change
An ownership change of your program should be communicated to OL as soon as possible prior to the change. A substantial change to your program as defined in General Provisions will require a new initial application