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Checking an assisted living facility in North Carolina
North Carolina calls licensed assisted living an adult care home (seven or more beds) or a family care home (two to six beds). The Adult Care Licensure Section of the Division of Health Service Regulation licenses and inspects them, and county departments of social services handle routine monitoring and complaint investigations.
CMS does not inspect or rate assisted living, so there is no Care Compare page for it. Inspections, complaints and enforcement are handled by the state. Nursing home vs assisted living
Regulator
NC DHHS Division of Health Service Regulation, Adult Care Licensure Section (ACLS)
License types
- Adult care home
- A licensed adult care facility with seven or more beds. Source
- Family care home
- A licensed adult care facility with two to six beds. Source
- Multi-unit assisted housing with services
- An assisted living setting that registers with ACLS (rather than being licensed) and files a disclosure statement. Source
Inspections and records
- ACLS performs initial and annual inspections of licensed adult care facilities, issues and renews licenses, and takes administrative action when a facility does not comply with state rules and statutes. Source
- County departments of social services are responsible for routine monitoring and complaint investigations of adult care facilities in their county. ACLS assists with complaint investigations as needed. Source
- Since January 1, 2009, DHSR has given adult care homes and family care homes a star rated certificate of zero to four stars, based on facility inspections. Four stars requires 100 points or more on two consecutive annual surveys. Source
- The DHSR facility search shows statements of deficiencies, the star rating, county corrective action reports and any penalties imposed in the previous 36 months for each adult care facility. Source
Checked October 26, 2026 on the agency’s own site.
How to look up a facility
- DHSR Facility Inspections, Ratings and Penalties. Search adult care homes and family care homes by county, city or name to see inspection reports, star rating and penalties.
- ACLS Facility Listings. Official downloadable lists of adult care homes, family care homes and facilities with special care units.
- Star Rating Program. How DHSR star ratings for adult care facilities work.
- Adult Care Home Violations and Penalties. DHSR’s explanation of adult care home penalties and a listing of facilities with penalties.
- ACLS Rules and Statutes. The state rules and statutes that govern adult care homes and family care homes.
- At a tour, ask to see the facility’s most recent inspection report and any plan of correction.
Filing a complaint
DHSR’s Complaint Intake Unit takes complaints by phone, fax, mail or email about incidents in the past year. It forwards adult care home complaints to the local county department of social services to investigate; other complaints go to the DHSR licensing section. Investigations are unannounced and the complainant’s identity is not shared with the facility. DHSR Complaint Intake Unit: File a Complaint.
Source: info.ncdhhs.gov · last checked October 26, 2026
1,083 licensed adult care home or family care home facilities in North Carolina
From the Adult Care Home and Family Care Home Listings as of 2026-07, published by NC DHHS Division of Health Service Regulation, Adult Care Licensure Section. It is a license list. Its only inspection measure is the DHSR star rating (zero to four stars, based on DHSR inspection scores); the full inspection reports are in the DHSR search above. Look each facility up with the tools above. Phone numbers and emails are left out on purpose; contact facilities through the official listing.
Source: info.ncdhhs.gov · last checked October 26, 2026
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