Apply for a Private Psychiatric Hospital License

February Credentialing Freeze: All licensing and credentialing systems for health professionals and facilities will be unavailable on Friday, February 14 from 5 p.m. until the morning of Wednesday, February 19, 2025, to complete system upgrades. Please complete your applications and renewals now to avoid delays.

Verify the status of a hospital license

The quickest way to check the status of a hospital or healthcare provider license is on the Provider Credential Search site. This site will show if the license is in active, pending, or expired status.

Licensing process

All licensing applications are reviewed within a few days of receipt. If there is missing or incomplete information, a Department of Health staff member will notify you via the email address on the application. If you didn't provide an email address, the department will mail you a letter.

Processing time varies for each application. It depends on how complete the application is, and how quickly the licensing requirements are met.

Licensing requirements

Licensing requirements differ depending on whether you are applying for an initial/change of ownership license, submitting an annual update, or renewing or amending an existing license.

Amend a license

A license amendment is needed for any of the following:

  • Adding or eliminating services
  • Change in accreditation information
  • Change in administration
  • Change in bed count
  • Adding or eliminating licensed buildings or spaces

The following steps are necessary when amending a hospital license:

  1. Determine if certificate of need review is necessary to make the amendment.
  2. For changes that add space or change the use of existing spaces, contact the department's Construction Review Services before making changes to determine if construction review approval is needed.
  3. Submit a cover letter indicating changes and an amended hospital application to the department.
  4. Submit the appropriate fee to the department, as applicable.
Initial license or change of ownership

Initial License

  • New hospitals must have an active license before operating.
  • A change in ownership is processed like an initial license application.

The following steps are necessary when applying for a new hospital license or changing ownership:

  1. Contact the Certificate of Need program to initiate the Certificate of Need review.
  2. After obtaining certificate of need approval, contact the department's Construction Review Services before starting construction for review and approval of construction documents.
  3. Submit a licensing application:
  4. Submit a current (within the past three months) disclosure statement and background check on the administrator.
  5. Submit the appropriate fee to the department, as applicable.

Change of Ownership

In addition to the above requirements, the current owner must submit in writing the following:

  • Cover letter indicating changes occurring
  • Full names, addresses, and phone numbers of current and new owner
  • Name, address, and phone number of currently licensed hospital
  • Name under which the agency will operate
  • Date of proposed change of ownership
Renewing a license and annual update

Renewals

  • Psychiatric hospitals must renew their license annually by submitting required information to the department at least 30 days before the expiration date of the current license.

Annual Update

The following steps are necessary when renewing a hospital license and for acute care hospitals when submitting an annual update:

  1. Submit a hospital licensing application:
  2. Submit a current (within the past three months) disclosure statement and background check on the administrator.
  3. Submit the appropriate fee to the department, as applicable.

Medicare certification requirements

Psychiatric hospitals may also be Medicare-certified under special conditions for coverage.