Florida law requires every nurse registry to display its license number on every advertisement, including the website. If a home care company can't or won't show you a Florida AHCA Nurse Registry License, that's a red flag — not a paperwork detail.

Here's how to verify one, how to read the AHCA file number, and what to watch for.

The Florida nurse registry license, in 60 seconds

A nurse registry is licensed by the Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) under F.S. 400.506 and FAC Chapter 59A-18. The license is renewed every two years, and the holder must:

Have an RN Administrator on file
Pass an AHCA inspection biennially
Verify Level 2 background screening on every caregiver before referral
Maintain records that any AHCA surveyor can inspect on demand
Display the license number on every advertisement and the front entrance of the office

The license confirms the company is authorized to refer caregivers as independent contractors. It does not mean the caregivers are employees, that the company can perform skilled nursing, or that Medicare will pay for the services.

Where to verify the license

Go to FloridaHealthFinder.gov — Florida's official AHCA-run consumer site. Click Find a Health Care Facility → Nurse Registry. Search by:

License number (most accurate)
Business name
City or county

You'll see the company's:

Legal business name and DBA
Physical address of record
License number and effective dates
License status (Active, Expired, Provisional, Revoked, Suspended)
Administrator of record
Any inspection deficiencies in the last 3 years
Any open complaints

If a company gives you a license number that doesn't show up here, or whose status is anything other than Active, walk away.

What the AHCA file number means

You'll see two different numbers in Florida AHCA records:

License number — the operating license that authorizes business activity. Format varies by license type; nurse registry licenses are typically 8-digit numerics like 12345678.
File number — AHCA's internal tracking number for the company. Format: 4XXXXXXX for nurse registries. For example, AHCA File #42965670 is TrustWise Care LLC's file number while the license is in pending review.

The file number is generated when the application is first received. It stays with the company forever, even if the license is later renumbered. When you see "AHCA File #" on a website, that's the company's permanent identifier — which is useful during the pending-license window between application submission and license issuance.

A company in the "pending" window can legally market services and accept inquiries, but typically cannot accept clients or refer caregivers until the license is granted. Reputable companies will be explicit about this status.

What to ask a home care company

Before you sign anything, ask:

"What's your AHCA Nurse Registry license number?" Should be answered immediately. Cross-check on FloridaHealthFinder.
"Who is your RN Administrator?" They should be able to name a specific person and their RN license number. Cross-check the RN at the Florida Board of Nursing license verification page.
"When was your last AHCA inspection?" Any nurse registry has been inspected biennially. They should be able to tell you the date and the result.
"Were there any deficiencies?" Honest answer is the right answer. Most agencies have at least one historic deficiency (paperwork, signage). What matters is what was deficient and whether it was corrected.
"Are you also a Medicare-certified home health agency?" Usually no — that's a separate license. But asking forces clarity.

If any answer is vague, change the subject, or "let me get back to you," that's information.

Florida's red-flag patterns

Things we've watched happen in the Volusia market — none of them illegal per se, but each indicates a company that's not running tight:

No license number on the website footer. F.S. 400.506(2)(d) requires this. Its absence is a deficiency.
No physical address. A registry must have a physical office. Virtual-only operations are not licensed.
No RN Administrator named. Required by statute. If they won't say the name, something is off.
"Caregivers are bonded and insured." Bonding is a layer; it's not a substitute for AHCA licensure. The phrase is often used by unlicensed companies trying to sound legitimate.
W-2 vs 1099 confusion. A real nurse registry refers 1099 contractors. A real home health agency employs W-2 workers. A company that can't articulate which model they use is a problem.
Pricing only quoted by phone "after assessment." Some hesitation is reasonable. Total opacity is usually price-anchoring.

What AHCA's enforcement actually looks like

AHCA's enforcement tools include:

Citations — written notice of a regulatory deficiency, with a deadline to correct
Administrative fines — monetary penalties for serious or repeated violations
Probation — the license stays active but the agency operates under additional reporting
Suspension — temporary halt with terms for reinstatement
Revocation — permanent loss of license; the company cannot operate as a nurse registry in Florida

Revocations are rare and almost always involve fraud, repeated failure to screen caregivers, billing fraud, or harm to clients. They are public record on FloridaHealthFinder.

What to do if something goes wrong

If you encounter:

A caregiver without credentials they should have
Quality of care concerns
Billing or refund disputes
Patient rights violations
Suspected abuse or neglect (call 1-800-96-ABUSE for the Florida abuse hotline first)

You can file an AHCA complaint at:

Phone: 1-888-419-3456 (the same line that's printed in our footer and patient rights page)
Web: apps.ahca.myflorida.com/hcfc

AHCA investigates every complaint. Even allegations that don't result in formal enforcement action become part of the company's public record.

TrustWise's specifics

For full transparency:

Legal entity: TrustWise Care LLC
Business address: 132 W International Speedway Blvd, Suite 11, Daytona Beach, FL 32114
License status: Pending review by AHCA — File #42965670
RN Administrator: Reviewed by the TrustWise Care clinical team
Florida statute reference: F.S. 400.506; FAC Chapter 59A-18

Once the AHCA license issues, the license number will replace the "File #" reference in our footer and we'll publish the inspection result on our About page. Until then, this is the most accurate way to verify our regulatory status.

Bottom line

Verifying a Florida nurse registry's license takes 90 seconds at FloridaHealthFinder.gov. Do it for any agency you're considering. The check is free, takes less time than reading a contract, and tells you more about the company than most marketing materials will.

This article was reviewed by the TrustWise Care clinical team.

How to Verify a Florida Nurse Registry's License — and What the AHCA File Number Means