Department of Human Services

What is Licensing?
How Can I Find Licensing Laws and Regulations?
How Can I Get Help Understanding the Regulations?
How Can I Get the Regulations Changed?
What is the Difference Between Licensing and Accreditation?
How Can I Find out About Professional Licensing for Individuals?

What is Licensing?
Licensing is the regulation of programs and services to ensure compliance with minimum standards.

Licensing establishes a baseline level below which no licensed program is legally permitted to operate.

Licensing is authorized by State law and administered by a State agency, which develops regulations specific to each type of program, in consultation with representatives of the regulated programs and the general public.
How Can I Find Licensing Laws and Regulations?
Laws (also known as statutes) are identified as New Jersey Statutes Annotated (N.J.S.A.). Regulations (also known as rules, requirements or standards) are identified as New Jersey Administrative Code (N.J.A.C.). For N.J.S.A. and N.J.A.C. citations for programs serving individuals with developmental disabilities or traumatic brain injuries, click on Types of Programs Regulated by DHS.

For licensing laws and regulations for child care programs, youth residential programs, youth mental health programs and resource family homes, please contact the Office of Licensing in the Department of Children and Families.

For the text of the licensing laws, please contact the State Legislature. For the text of licensing regulations for programs serving persons with developmental disabilities or traumatic brain injuries, click on DHS licensing laws and regulations.

To obtain a printed copy of licensing regulations for programs serving persons with developmental disabilities or traumatic brain injuries, please call the Department of Human Services’ Office of Licensing.
How Can I Get Help Understanding the Regulations?
For information about licensing regulations for programs serving persons with developmental disabilities or traumatic brain injuries, please call the Department of Human Services’ Office of Licensing.
How Can I Get the Regulations Changed?
Under the State "sunset" law, all regulations must be reviewed at least every five years to ensure that they are reasonable and necessary. Amendments or new rules may be developed at any time in order to comply with new laws, improve services or meet changing community needs.

Amendments and new rules are developed in consultation with representatives of the regulated programs and the general public. If you would like to participate in the process of developing amendments or new rules for programs serving persons with developmental disabilities or traumatic brain injuries, please call the Department of Human Services’ Office of Licensing.

All proposed changes to regulations must be published in the New Jersey Register, an official publication of the Office of Administrative Law, and made available for public comment. To find out which proposals are currently available for public comment, click on DHS Rule Proposals.
What is the Difference Between Licensing and Accreditation?
Licensing is a legally mandated government function designed to ensure the protection of persons served by regulated programs.

Accreditation is a private, voluntary function designed to promote recognition of program quality.
How Can I Find out About Professional Licensing for Individuals?
The Department of Human Services licenses programs, not individuals. Information about individual professional licensing is available from other State agencies:

For information about licensing for psychologists, social workers, doctors, nurses, alcohol/drug counselors and other professions, contact the Division of Consumer Affairs in the Department of Law and Public Safety.

For information about certification for teachers, contact the Department of Education’s Certification page.