Nursing Home 
Licensure and Certification

Providers are required to apply to operate as a nursing home. Application submission requires:

• Applies at least 90 days before the requested date for licensure.
• Pays the renewal fee.
• Provides information sufficient to show that the applicant meets the requirements for licensure.

The application form can be downloaded here: Application for a License to Operate a Nursing Home – Initial (PDF).

Minnesota currently has a nursing home moratorium statute under Minnesota Statutes, section 144A.071.

Providers are required to renew their nursing home license each year. A license may be renewed for up to one year if the licensee:

• Applies at least 60 days before the expiration of the current license.
• Pays the renewal fee.
• Provides information sufficient to show that the applicant meets the requirements for licensure.

The application form can be downloaded here: Application for a License to Operate a Nursing Home – Renewal (PDF).

Providers are required to submit application for a change of ownership. Application submission requires:

• Applies at least 90 days before the requested date for licensure.
• Pays the renewal fee.
• Provides information sufficient to show that the applicant meets the requirements for licensure.

Information about changes of ownership for nursing homes can be found on the Nursing Home Change of Ownership page.

Please visit the Constructions Plan Submittal Process for Healthcare Facilities webpage for instructions. 

For any questions, contact health.healthcareengineers@state.mn.us or 651-201-4200.

• Background studies for Controlling Persons and Managerial Officials (PDF)
• Change in Administrator (PDF)
• Change of Clinical Director (PDF)
• Change of Medical Director (PDF)
• Example Form: Certificate of Liability Insurance (PDF). Providers are required to submit evidence of workers’ compensation coverage with their application; this example shows how the form should be filled out.
• Transfer Agreements
  • Transfer Agreement: 7-County Metro Area (PDF)
  • Transfer Agreement: Non-Metro Counties (PDF)

The legislature declares that a moratorium on the licensure and medical assistance certification of new nursing home beds and construction projects that exceed $1,000,000 is necessary to control nursing home expenditure growth and enable the state to meet the needs of its elderly by providing high quality services in the most appropriate manner along a continuum of care.

At the authorization by the legislature of additional medical assistance expenditures for exceptions to the moratorium on nursing homes, the commissioner shall publish in the State Register a request for proposals for nursing home and certified boarding care home projects for conversion, relocation, renovation, replacement, upgrading, or addition. If money is appropriated, the commissioner shall initiate the application and review process described in Minnesota Statutes, section 144A.073, at least each biennium.

A proposal for an exception to the nursing home moratorium may be submitted by an organization or individual authorized by a facility’s governing board or management to prepare and submit a proposal to the commissioner of health.

Proposals are reviewed by a committee composed of organizations that represent consumers and providers of nursing home services; persons who provide engineering, building construction, or design services; and state agencies involved in long-term care issues, and finance. Applications will have the opportunity to present their proposals to the review committee. 

To view previous awards and our frequently asked questions, please visit our Moratorium Exceptions webpage.

Minnesota Statutes, section 144.651 – Health Care Bill of Rights

Minnesota Statutes, section 144.652 – Bill of Rights Notice to Patient or Resident; Violation

Minnesota Statutes, section 144.122 – License, Permit, and Survey Fees

Minnesota Statutes, section 144A.01 - Definitions

Minnesota Statutes, section 144A.02 – Licensure; Penalty

Minnesota Statutes, section 144A.03 – License Application

Minnesota Statutes, section 144A.031 – Consideration of Applications

Minnesota Statutes, section 144A.04 – Qualification for License

Minnesota Statutes, section 144A.05 – License Renewal

Minnesota Statutes, section 144A. 06 – Transfer of License Prohibited

Minnesota Statutes, section 144A.07 – Fees 

Minnesota Statutes, section 144A.071 – Moratorium on Certification of Nursing Home Beds

Minnesota Statutes, section 144A.073 – Exceptions to Moratorium; Review

Minnesota Statutes, section 144A.08 – Physical Standards; Penalty

Minnesota Statutes, section 144A.09 – Facilities Excluded

Minnesota Statutes, section 144A.10 – Inspection; Commissioner of Health; Fines

Minnesota Statutes, section 144A.101 – Procedures for Federally Required Survey Process

Minnesota Statutes, section 144A.102 – Waiver from Federal Rules and Regulations; Penalties

Minnesota Statutes, section 144A.103 - Repealed

Minnesota Statutes, section 144A.105 – Suspension of Admissions

Minnesota Statutes, section 144A.11 – License Suspension or Revocation; Hearing; Relicensing

Minnesota Statutes, section 144A.115 – Violations; Penalties

Minnesota Statutes, section 144A.12 – Injunctive Relief; Subpoenas

Minnesota Statutes, section 144A.13 – Complaints; Residents Rights

Minnesota Statutes, section 144A.135 – Transfer and Discharge Appeals

Minnesota Statutes, section 144A.14 – Repealed

Minnesota Statutes, section 144A.15 – State Receivership

Minnesota Statutes, section 144A.154 – Rate Recommendation

Minnesota Statutes, section 144A.155 – Placement of Monitor

Minnesota Statutes, section 144A.16 – Repealed

Minnesota Statutes, section 144A.161 – Nursing Home and Boarding Care Home Resident Relocation

Minnesota Statutes, section 144A.162 – Transfer of Residents within Facilities

Minnesota Statutes, section 144A.17 – Repealed

Minnesota Statutes, section 144A.18 – Administrator’s Licenses; Penalty

Minnesota Statutes, section 144A.1888 – Reuse of Facilities

Minnesota Statutes, section 626.557 – Reporting of Maltreatment of Vulnerable Adults

Minnesota Statutes, section 626.556 – Repealed

Minnesota Statutes, section 626.5572 – Definitions

Minnesota Statutes, section 626.557 – Repealed

Minnesota Statutes, section 626.558 – Repealed

Minnesota Administrative Rules: Chapter 4658, Nursing Homes

• Minnesota Administrative Rules, Chapter 4658, Nursing Homes
• A copy of the Nursing Home laws and rules can be ordered from the MN Government Publications website.
• Quick Reference Department of Labor and Industry: Quick Reference Guide to Care Facilities in Minnesota (PDF): Building and Fire Codes
• Per Minnesota Statutes, Sec. 295.50, providers who receive payments for providing health care services may be subject to the MinnesotaCare Provider Tax (Minnesota Department of Revenue).

• State Operations Manual, Chapter 2-The Certification Process
• State Operations Manual, Chapter 5, Complaint Procedures
• State Operations Manual, Chapter 7, Survey and Enforcement Process for Skilled Nursing Facilities and Nursing Facilities
• State Operation Manual, Appendix PP: Guidance to Surveyors for Long Term Care Facilities: Select "Appendices Table of Contents," then click on the Appendix PP: Interpretive Guidelines for Long-Term Care Facilities.

Quality, Certification and Oversight Reports (QCOR) website includes summarized federal survey and certification and complaints data, including results of onsite inspections, of providers and suppliers and deficiency data links and more.

Emergency Preparedness Rule
Emergency preparedness resources and surveyor tools.

Emergency Preparedness Requirements for Medicare and Medicaid Participating Providers and Suppliers
Links to resources that can help provider and suppliers comply with the recently released Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Emergency Preparedness Rule. Has a document titled "Resources at Your Fingertips," which contains check lists and fact sheets on the essential four core elements of the CMS Emergency Preparedness Rule.

State Operation Manual, Appendix Z- Guidance to Surveyors: Emergency Preparedness for All Provider and Certified Supplier Types Interpretive Guidance 
Directions: Select Appendices Table of Contents, Scroll to Appendix Letter Z, and Federal Regulations for Emergency Preparedness for All Provider and Certified Supplier types.

CMS Quality, Safety & Education Portal (QSEP) - CMS Emergency Preparedness Basic Surveyor Training Course (EP)

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Survey & Certification Group (SCG) developed the Emergency Preparedness Basic Surveyor Training Course to help health and safety and Life Safety Code (LSC) surveyors and reviewers gain proficiency in surveying all affected participating providers and certified suppliers for compliance with their individual emergency preparedness requirements. Because the individual regulations for each provider and supplier type share a majority of standard provisions, this training provides consistent guidance and survey procedures for all provider and supplier types in a single course. The estimated course completion time for this training is 16 hours.

MDH Center for Emergency Preparedness & Response
This section of MDH coordinates preparedness activities and assists Minnesota Department of Health staff, local public health agencies, hospitals, health care organizations, tribes and public safety officials in their efforts to plan for respond to and recover from public health emergencies.