The headline changes, from the adopted rule text: residential facilities now get a one-year license and adult day training programs a three-year license (month-to-month licensing is gone); the Class I/II/III violation tiers are replaced by a rule-by-rule disciplinary chart with published fine ranges; a first minor violation draws a Notice of Noncompliance with a 15-calendar-day corrective action plan deadline (10 more days if APD rejects your plan); and facility standards were split into per-type rules — foster care, group homes, residential habilitation centers, and ADT each have their own section.
Deadlines that moved (or now bite harder)
Renewal discipline matters more under the new chapter. Your renewal application is due at least 45 days before expiration — file late and it's treated as an initialapplication, with everything that implies. An application isn't complete until documents, fees, background screening, and a satisfactory inspection are all in, and the inspection isn't scheduled until the rest is done. Closing a facility now requires 30 days' written notice. And if violations sit uncorrected at renewal time, expect a conditional license rather than a clean one.
Operational changes worth a policy update
Smaller adopted changes that belong in your procedures: documenting that all residents exited the vehicle after trips; keeping a resident census; retaining video footage of critical incidents and investigations for 30 days; dietician consultation required when the initial menu is developed (no longer annually); and for ADT facilities, the bathroom ratio relaxed to two toilets and sinks per 50 occupants (counting participants and staff). Group homes gained the operator-qualification and records-space requirements covered in the FAQ below.
What this is not
Two cautions. Early drafts discussed a “provisional license” type — it does not appear in the adopted rules, so ignore summaries that mention it. And 65G-2 governs licensed facilities; your Qlarant Provider Discovery Review and its Plan of Remediation track runs separately — a group home lives with both.
Frequently asked questions
When did the new 65G-2 take effect?
March 26, 2026. The rewrite ran through a proposed rule published December 19, 2025, a January 9, 2026 public hearing, and a February notice of change before adoption. The chapter is now titled 'Licensure of Residential Facilities and Adult Day Training Programs.'
How long are APD facility licenses now?
Residential facilities receive a one-year license and adult day training programs a three-year license when they meet all applicable criteria (Rule 65G-2.003). The old month-to-month licensing is gone. Separately, APD may issue a conditional license at renewal when uncorrected violations remain or a renewal is still processing at expiration — it doesn't extend your expiration date.
What replaced the Class I/II/III violation system?
The APD Licensing Disciplinary Chart (Form 0041, December 2025), incorporated into Rule 65G-2.0041 — a rule-by-rule chart listing penalty ranges for first and additional violations, typically fines of $500–$1,000 (per day for repeats), up to moratorium, suspension, revocation, or denial, with the $1,000-per-violation cap of section 393.0673, F.S.
What happens after a Notice of Noncompliance?
Under Rule 65G-2.004, a first minor violation draws a Notice of Noncompliance (unless corrected during the visit itself). Your Corrective Action Plan is due within 15 calendar days; if APD rejects it, you have 10 days to submit an amended plan. Blowing those windows escalates the matter into discipline under the chart.
What are the new group home operator requirements?
New Rule 65G-2.0072 requires a designated facility operator on-site or on-call at all times, with either 90 college credit hours in a relevant field or a high-school diploma plus three years of relevant disability experience (staff hired before adoption are exempt), and a designated office space with secured confidential records — electronic records are acceptable.