Guides
How to check a rehab license in California
It takes about two minutes, and it is the single most useful thing you can do before choosing a program.
Step by step
- Ask the program for its DHCS license or certification number and its exact legal name.
- Open the DHCS facility listings on the California Department of Health Care Services website.
- Search by name, city or number. Check that the address matches where you would stay.
- Look at the expiration date and the services listed, such as residential or detox (withdrawal management).
Licensed vs certified
- Licensed: DHCS licenses facilities that provide 24-hour residential, non-medical treatment, including detox.
- Certified: DHCS certifies programs, including outpatient, that meet its quality standards. Certification is required to bill Medi-Cal.
- Hospitals that treat addiction are licensed by the California Department of Public Health instead, so they may not appear in DHCS lists.
Red flags
- The program will not give you a license number.
- The name on the license is completely different and they will not explain why.
- The address on the license is not where you would live.
- The license has expired.
Many programs operate under a legal business name that differs from their marketing name. That is common. Just ask.
What a DHCS record tells you
- Legal name: the business that holds the license, which may differ from the brand name.
- Address: licenses are tied to a specific location. A program with several houses needs a license for each.
- Services: for example residential, nonresidential (outpatient), and whether detox (withdrawal management) is approved.
- Capacity: how many people the site is licensed to serve.
- Target population: such as co-ed, women, men, or adolescents.
- Expiration date: licenses and certifications must be renewed.
Other credentials you may see
| Credential | What it means |
|---|---|
| DHCS license | Required in California for residential addiction treatment |
| DHCS certification | Required to bill Medi-Cal; often held by outpatient programs |
| CDPH license | For hospitals, including chemical dependency recovery hospitals |
| Joint Commission or CARF | Voluntary national accreditation |
| LegitScript certification | Required by Google and some platforms for addiction treatment ads |
| Staff licenses (LMFT, LCSW, MD) | Individual clinicians, checked with their own licensing boards |
How we use DHCS data on this site
Our directory is built from DHCS public data. We remove programs whose license or certification has expired, show the expiration date on every listing, and note when the data was last checked. If a program you see here has changed, please let us know.
Before you call a program
- Ask for the DHCS license or certification number and check it.
- Ask which levels of care they provide on site.
- Ask what your insurance covers and what you will owe.
- Ask where you would go next when this level of care ends.
Frequently asked questions
Are sober living homes licensed?
Usually not by DHCS. Sober living homes are generally unlicensed residences. Some are certified by private groups, such as CCAPP. Ask what standards they follow.
What if a rehab is not in the DHCS list?
Ask why. It may be a hospital licensed by CDPH, a private practice, a new program, or a business operating under another name. If it provides residential treatment and has no license, do not use it.
Can I check a therapist’s license too?
Yes. Search the California Board of Behavioral Sciences for LMFTs and LCSWs, and the Medical Board of California for doctors.