What Is Title 22? How California's Care-Home Rules Are Organized

October 2026 · Title 22 Regulations · By the Title22 team

"Title 22" is the name people use for California's care-home rulebook. It is the reason our company is called Title22. Here is what it actually is, how it is organized, and how to find the part that applies to you.

Title 22 is one title of the California Code of Regulations

California's state regulations are collected in the California Code of Regulations (CCR), which is split into numbered titles. Title 22 is titled "Social Security" and holds rules for several programs. The part care homes live in is Division 6, Licensing of Community Care Facilities (full list of Division 6 chapters).

One thing that confuses people: other parts of Title 22 cover health facilities such as skilled nursing, which are licensed by a different department. When an RCFE or ARF administrator says "Title 22," they almost always mean Division 6.

The chapters that matter most

Chapter 1, General Licensing Requirements (sections starting 80000). Shared rules and definitions for many community care facility types.
Chapter 6, Adult Residential Facilities (sections starting 85000). ARFs follow Chapter 6 and Chapter 1 (ARF regulations, section 85000).
Chapter 8, Residential Care Facilities for the Elderly (sections starting 87100). Chapter 8 stands on its own. Section 87100 says Chapter 1 does not apply to RCFEs (RCFE regulations, section 87100).

Division 6 also has chapters for adult day programs, social rehabilitation facilities, residential care for the chronically ill, enhanced behavioral supports homes, and children's programs.

Laws and regulations are not the same thing

The laws come from the Legislature and live in the California Health and Safety Code. The regulations in Title 22 are written by CDSS to carry out those laws. For care homes, the two main laws are:

The California Community Care Facilities Act, starting at Health and Safety Code section 1500, which covers ARFs and other community care facilities.
The California Residential Care Facilities for the Elderly Act, starting at Health and Safety Code section 1569, which covers RCFEs.

When a new law passes, the regulations can take a while to catch up. In between, CDSS explains the change in a Provider Information Notice (PIN) (Adult and Senior Care PINs). So the real rulebook is three things together: the Health and Safety Code, Title 22, and current PINs.

How to read a section number

Sections are numbered, and the first digits tell you the chapter. Section 87101 is in Chapter 8 (RCFE definitions). Section 85068.4 is in Chapter 6 (ARF rules for residents 60 and older). Section 80001 is in Chapter 1 (general definitions). A citation in a licensing report points to one of these sections, so you can always look up exactly what the analyst wrote you up for.

Where to read it free

CDSS posts its regulation manuals as PDFs: RCFE (Chapter 8), ARF (Chapter 6) and General Licensing (Chapter 1).
The Cornell Legal Information Institute has a free, searchable copy of Division 6.

Tip for administrator candidates: the state certification exam lets you bring printed copies of the relevant Health and Safety Code and CCR sections. Electronic copies and personal notes are not allowed (CDSS exam rules). Tab your printed copy by chapter before exam day.

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. It holds no resident health records by design.

Start free on title22.app See what it covers on title-22.com