Check the licence on the register

Start with the licence. A licence or registration is the legal permission to operate. It is a public record. Check it before you look at anything else.

Steps

1. Open the listing. Note the licence number, the body that issued it and the date in the source note.
2. Go to the register that the listing names. For Washington adult family homes this is the DSHS Adult Family Home lookup. For English care homes it is the CQC website. For other places, use the register named on the listing.
3. Search by the licence number.
4. Compare the name, the address and the number with the listing. Where the register shows them, compare the bed count and the specialities too.
5. Write down the date you checked and what you saw.
6. If the record and the listing differ, go by the register. The listing is a copy and can be out of date. Ask the home in writing about any difference that matters to you.

What a register record can hold

The Washington record shows the facility name and address, the licence number, the bed count, the specialities, whether the home has a DSHS contract and a link to its reports. Other registers hold other fields. Read what each one shows.

Dates matter

The site read the register on the date in the source note. The register can change after that date. A licence can expire or be suspended. Check the register yourself before you sign anything.

If you cannot find the home

Check the spelling and the number. Ask the home for its licence or registration number and the name of the body that issued it. Search that body's register. If you still cannot find the home, ask the home and the issuing body. Do not rely on the listing alone.

Sources

• Washington State DSHS, Adult Family Home lookup
• Care Quality Commission, provider search
• MemoryCareHomes guide: Washington adult family homes: RCW 70.128 and licences (updated 2026-10-02)
• MemoryCareHomes guide: Dementia care homes in England: how CQC registration works (updated 2026-10-02)
• MemoryCareHomes guide: How to choose a memory care home and check it (updated 2026-10-02)

This course is general information, not medical, legal or financial advice.