Every Dallas-area senior community must hold an active HHSC license — and the HHSC Long-Term Care Provider Search is the public tool to check it. Below, we show you how to pull the record, make sense of the inspection findings, and catch the red flags before you sign anything.
By Dallas Senior Advisor Care Team · May 6, 2026
Think of a senior care license as the legal floor — proof the community is cleared to operate and answerable to inspection. In Texas, that license comes from the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC), Long-Term Care Regulation, under Texas Health & Safety Code Chapter 247 and 26 Texas Administrative Code Chapter 553, and each assisted living community is classified as Type A or Type B. Nursing facilities are licensed separately by HHSC under Texas Health & Safety Code Chapter 242.
A community operating without a current, active license is a serious problem, and residents there are at risk. Every DFW-metro facility — whether in Dallas, Collin, Denton, Rockwall, or Tarrant county — is inspected by the same statewide regulator, which makes verification straightforward: there's one database to check, not several.
Go to the HHSC Long-Term Care Provider Search at apps.hhs.texas.gov and search by facility name or location. Review the license type — a Type A or Type B assisted living license, or a Chapter 242 nursing facility license — along with the current license status, licensed capacity, and inspection and deficiency history. You can also cross-check nursing facilities on Medicare's Care Compare.
HHSC conducts periodic and complaint-driven surveys and publishes findings publicly. Check the date of the most recent survey, and flag any repeat citations in areas like medication management, resident rights, elopement prevention, or staffing. When the same category gets cited cycle after cycle, that's a systemic problem, not a one-time slip. Weigh the most serious findings — those involving resident harm or safety — most heavily.
A probationary or restricted license, or a facility currently under enforcement action or a hold on admissions, means HHSC identified compliance problems serious enough to limit operations — a significant warning sign that deserves a direct explanation before you place a loved one there. A suspended or revoked license means the community should not be operating; if you encounter one, report it to HHSC.
A community that won't show you its current license, or becomes defensive when you ask about inspection findings, is telling you something. It's worth pulling the HHSC record before considering any community — and reading the actual citations, not just a summary. If you ever suspect abuse or neglect, Texas Adult Protective Services (part of DFPS) takes reports 24/7 at 1-800-252-5400. A free local advisor who works Dallas-area facilities regularly can check the HHSC Long-Term Care Provider Search, interpret the findings in plain language, and flag anything that should give a family pause before signing.
Free, no-pressure help. We work for your family, not the facilities.
Or call (817) 225-3951