Workers' comp and liability insurance for care agencies in Santa Clara County

Coverage for Silicon Valley care providers

• Workers' compensation: class 8827(1) for in-home care and 8827(2) for in-home nursing ($2.794 per $100 of payroll), 9070(1) for RCFEs ($5.213), advisory rates for policies starting on or after September 1, 2026
• Professional and general liability, including the $1M / $3M every RCFE and home care organization must carry
• The $10,000 dishonesty bond for home care organizations, and resident cash bonds for RCFEs
• Hired and non-owned auto, abuse and molestation, and employment practices liability

Minimum wages in Santa Clara County

Local minimum wages in Santa Clara County: Mountain View $19.70 (January 1, 2026); Sunnyvale $19.50 (January 1, 2026); Palo Alto $18.70 (January 1, 2026); Santa Clara $18.70 (January 1, 2026); Cupertino $18.70 (January 1, 2026); Los Altos $18.70 (January 1, 2026); Milpitas $18.50 (July 1, 2026); San Jose $18.45 (January 1, 2026). Cupertino has already announced $19.25 for January 1, 2027. Workers' comp is priced on payroll, so these wage floors set your premium. Five full-time caregivers at San Jose's $18.45 is about $191,880 in annual payroll, or roughly $5,361 in advisory pure premium for in-home care and $10,003 for an RCFE, before carrier expenses and pricing.

Licensing offices for Santa Clara County

Assisted living and board and care homes in Santa Clara County are licensed through the CDSS Adult and Senior Care regional office in San Jose (2580 North First Street), which also covers Santa Cruz County. Home health agencies and hospices work with two CDPH district offices: San Francisco (Brisbane) for Cupertino, Los Altos, Mountain View, Palo Alto, Santa Clara, Saratoga and Sunnyvale, and San Jose for San Jose, Campbell, Los Gatos, Milpitas, Morgan Hill and Gilroy. Home care organizations are licensed statewide by the CDSS Home Care Services Branch in Sacramento.

Silicon Valley's split licensing map

Santa Clara County is one of the few places where your CDPH district office depends on your city: north county agencies in Mountain View, Palo Alto or Sunnyvale work with the San Francisco district office in Brisbane, while San Jose and south county agencies work with the San Jose district office. Combined with eight local minimum wages, it's worth having an agent who tracks the details for each location.