Staff File Checklist for a New California Care Home: RCFE and ARF

October 2026 · RCFE ARF · By the Title22 team

You have your license and your first caregivers. Before a Licensing Program Analyst ever opens a drawer, each person who works in the home needs a file, and the rules say what goes in it. This guide lists those rules for both license types, with the section each one comes from.

It covers staff files only. Resident records are a separate set of rules and are not in this article.

Who needs a file

The licensee, the administrator and every employee. Both license types say so in the first line of their personnel records rule (section 87412(a) for RCFEs, section 80066(a) for ARFs).
Every volunteer, with a shorter file (sections 87412(b) and 80066(b)).

Start with your license type. An RCFE follows Chapter 8 of Title 22 (the 87000 sections). An ARF follows Chapter 1 and Chapter 6 (the 80000 and 85000 sections). The two lists look alike but are not the same. If you are not sure which you are, read RCFE vs ARF in California first.

RCFE: what goes in each staff file

Section 87412(a) lists thirteen items for the licensee, the administrator and each employee:

Full name
Social Security number
Date of employment
Written proof the person is at least 18, such as a copy of a birth certificate or driver's license
Home address and telephone number
Educational background. For an administrator, proof of the education the administrator rules require
Past experience, including the types of work and former employers
The type of position held
Termination date, if the person no longer works there
Reasons for leaving
A health screening (see the timing below)
Hazardous health condition documents, as section 87411 describes
For anyone who must be fingerprinted: a signed statement about their criminal record history, and proof of a criminal record clearance or exemption

For a certified administrator, a copy of the current, valid administrator certificate meets the criminal record item (section 87412(a)(13)). The licensee must also be able to show that each administrator meets the certification or recertification rules (section 87412(d)).

Volunteers need a health statement, their health screening documents, and the same criminal record papers if they must be fingerprinted (section 87412(b)).

RCFE: the items with a clock on them

Item	The rule	Source
Health screening with a TB test	Done by a physician no more than 6 months before or 7 days after the person starts. A chest x-ray or a skin test counts. The signed report says whether the person is fit for the job and whether any condition is a hazard.	87411(f)
Criminal record clearance	Before the person is employed or first present in the home: a California clearance or exemption, or a requested transfer of one.	87411(g)
First aid	Staff who provide care need first aid training from a qualified provider, such as the American Red Cross.	87411(c)(1)
CPR and first aid on every shift	At least one staff member with CPR and first aid training is on duty and on the premises at all times.	H&S Code 1569.618(c)(3)
Abuse reporting training	Training in recognizing and reporting elder and dependent adult abuse within 60 days of the first day of work.	W&I Code 15655(a)(3)
Emergency and disaster plan	Each staff member is trained on the plan when hired and every year after.	H&S Code 1569.695(b)

RCFE: training records

The file has to prove the training happened. Under section 87412(c)(2), each training record shows:

the trainer's full name,
the subjects covered,
the dates of attendance, and
the number of hours for each subject.

Classroom training is shown by a notice of completion signed by the trainer. On-the-job training needs a statement from the trainer saying what was covered (section 87411(c)(6)).

The hours. For staff who help residents with personal activities of daily living, Health and Safety Code 1569.625 sets:

40 hours of initial training. 20 hours before the person works independently with residents, including 6 on dementia care and 4 on postural supports, restricted health conditions and hospice care. The other 20 hours, including 6 more on dementia care, within the first four weeks.
20 hours every year after that, including 8 on dementia care and 4 on postural supports, restricted health conditions and hospice care.
16 of the 40 hours are hands-on training. The statute's own words are "the additional 16 hours shall be hands-on training", which is why people ask whether they sit inside the 40. This guide counts them inside it. If your trainer counts them differently, ask your Regional Office.

Registered nurses, licensed vocational nurses and certified nurse assistants follow different rules under subdivision (d) of the same section.

Staff who help residents take their own medications have a separate requirement under Health and Safety Code 1569.69:

Licensed for 15 or fewer: 10 hours. 6 hours of hands-on shadowing before the person assists anyone, and the other 4 within the first two weeks.
Licensed for 16 or more: 24 hours. 16 hours of hands-on shadowing before the person assists anyone, and the other 8 within the first four weeks.
A passed exam, and 8 hours of in-service training every 12 months after that.

One wrinkle for larger homes: subdivision (a)(3) of the same section says the training is to be completed within the first two weeks. Ask your Regional Office which deadline they apply to a home licensed for 16 or more.

A warning about old numbers. As of October 2026, the regulation text at section 87412(c)(1)(A) still describes 10 hours of initial training and 4 hours a year. The statute above has required 40 and 20 since January 1, 2016. Plan to the statute's numbers, and ask your Regional Office if a checklist you were given shows the older ones.

ARF: what goes in each staff file

Section 80066(a) lists twelve items for the licensee, the administrator and each employee:

Full name
Driver's license number, if the person will transport clients
Date of employment
A statement signed by the employee that they are at least 18
Home address and phone number
Documentation of the education, training or experience the rules require for your facility type
Past experience, including the types of work and former employers
The person's duties
Termination date, if the person no longer works there
A health screening (see the timing below)
Tuberculosis test documents
For anyone who must be fingerprinted: a signed statement about their criminal record history, and proof of a criminal record clearance or exemption

As with RCFEs, a certified administrator's current, valid certificate meets the criminal record item.

Volunteers need a health statement, tuberculosis test documents, and the same criminal record papers if they must be fingerprinted (section 80066(b)).

ARF: the items with a clock on them

Item	The rule	Source
Health screening with a TB test	Done by or under a physician no more than 1 year before or 7 days after employment or licensure. A volunteer needs a signed statement of good health and a TB test in the same window, counted from their first day in the home.	80065(g)
Criminal record clearance	Before the person is employed or first present in the home: a California clearance or exemption, or a requested transfer of one.	80065(i)
First aid	Staff who provide direct care and supervision need first aid training from people certified through an agency such as the American Red Cross.	80075(f)
Infection Control Plan	New staff are trained on the home's Infection Control Plan by the Infection Control Lead within 10 calendar days of starting.	85095.5(c)(1)(C)
Abuse reporting training	Training in recognizing and reporting elder and dependent adult abuse within 60 days of the first day of work.	W&I Code 15655(a)(2)
Emergency and disaster plan	Each staff member is trained on the plan when hired and every year after.	H&S Code 1565(b)

On-the-job training is part of the ARF file too. Section 80065(f) says every person needs on-the-job training or related experience for their job in: nutrition and food handling, housekeeping and sanitation, client care and supervision, assisting with self-administered medications, recognizing early signs of illness, and community services and resources. Staff must also be told to report any violation of clients' personal rights (section 80065(m)).

CPR is not in this table because the three general sections above do not name it. Other ARF rules can require more training for particular programs, so ask your Regional Office what applies to yours.

RCFE and ARF side by side

	RCFE	ARF
Personnel records rule	Section 87412	Section 80066
Proof of age	Written verification, such as a birth certificate or driver's license copy	A statement signed by the employee
Only on this list	Social Security number, reasons for leaving, hazardous health condition documents	Driver's license number for anyone who transports clients, separate TB test documents
TB and health screening window	6 months before to 7 days after	1 year before to 7 days after
Direct care training hours set by statute	40 initial, 20 a year	None in the sections covered here; on-the-job training by topic
What a training record must show	Trainer's name, subjects, dates, hours per subject	Documentation of the training or experience required
Keep the file	3 years after employment ends	3 years after employment ends

Keeping the files

At the home. Records are kept at the facility. A central office is allowed only if the records are still readily available at the home (sections 87412(g) and 80066(e)).
Open to Licensing. The licensing agency can inspect, audit and copy personnel records on demand during normal business hours (sections 87412(f) and 80066(c)).
For three years. Keep each file at least three years after the person's employment ends (sections 87412(h) and 80066(d)).
With hours worked. Records must show the hours each person actually worked (sections 87412(e) and 80066(f)).

Forms CDSS publishes for this

The two personnel records sections above do not name a form. CDSS publishes forms that hold the same information, on its forms list:

LIC 501, Personnel Record
LIC 503, Health Screening Report - Facility Personnel
LIC 500, Personnel Report
LIC 9163, Request Live Scan Service - Community Care Licensing

Check the list for the current revision before you print a stack.

Keep your home ready every day, not just on visit day. Title22 keeps staff files, training hours, certificate and clearance expiry dates, and your compliance checklist in one place, with Tello, an AI helper that tells you each morning what needs attention. The checklist follows your license type, RCFE or ARF. It holds no resident health records by design.

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