England. Care Quality Commission
Do you need to register with the CQC?
If your service carries on a regulated activity in England (personal care, treatment, diagnostics, nursing and more), you must register with the Care Quality Commission before you start. Cleaning, companionship and pure introduction agencies usually fall outside. Answer a few questions to see where you stand.
Question 1
Will the service be carried on in England?
The CQC regulates England only. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have their own regulators.
Scope of this checker
- Home care, domiciliary care and supported living
- Care homes with and without nursing
- Private GPs, clinics, aesthetics and diagnostic services
- Companionship, cleaning and other non-regulated support
- Introduction agencies for self-employed carers
- Based on the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014 and CQC's scope-of-registration guidance
CQC Registration Checker is an independent information site. It is not affiliated with the Care Quality Commission or any government body, and nothing here is legal or regulatory advice. Registration decisions turn on the detail of what your service actually does, confirm borderline cases against CQC's scope-of-registration guidance or with a solicitor before launching.
Which services need CQC registration?
Last updated
Common service types mapped to the regulated activities in Schedule 1 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014, the same logic the checker uses.
Mapped from Schedule 1 of the 2014 Regulations and CQC's published scope-of-registration guidance, as of the updated date above. Borderline entries are marked as such rather than forced to a yes or no.
| Service | CQC registration required? | Regulated activity |
|---|---|---|
| Home care agency providing personal care | Yes | Personal care |
| Cleaning, cooking, shopping or companionship only | No | , (not a regulated activity) |
| Residential care home | Yes | Accommodation for persons who require nursing or personal care |
| Private GP or online doctor service | Yes | Treatment of disease, disorder or injury |
| Cosmetic surgery or hair transplant clinic | Yes | Surgical procedures |
| Beauty clinic, fillers, laser, no surgery or prescribing | Generally no | , (check CQC scope guidance) |
| Introduction agency with no ongoing role in the care | Generally no | , (check CQC scope guidance) |
| Personal assistants employed directly by the individual | Generally no | , (direct-employment arrangement) |
- There are 14 regulated activities in Schedule 1 of the 2014 Regulations, if your service carries on any of them in England, CQC registration is required before you start.
- Carrying on a regulated activity without CQC registration is a criminal offence under section 10 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008, punishable by a fine, up to 12 months' imprisonment, or both.
- Companionship and domestic help without personal care are not regulated activities, a companionship-only service needs no CQC registration until it starts helping with washing, dressing, toileting, eating or medication.
Cite this page
“Which services need CQC registration?”, CQC Registration Checker, https://cqcregistrationchecker.co.uk/ (updated 2026-08-14). Mapped from Schedule 1 of the 2014 Regulations and CQC's published scope-of-registration guidance, as of the updated date above. Borderline entries are marked as such rather than forced to a yes or no.
Need help with your CQC registration?
A registration consultant can prepare your application, statement of purpose and interview, typically in weeks, not months.
Related guides
Sourced, dated, kept current.
- The 14 CQC regulated activities, in plain English
Schedule 1 of the 2014 Regulated Activities Regulations lists 14 regulated activities. What each one covers, and common services that fall inside and outside them.
- How much does CQC registration cost?
Applying to register with the CQC is free; costs are the annual fee once registered, set by the CQC fees scheme, plus preparing a compliant application. What to budget.
- The CQC registration process: steps, requirements and timing
How CQC registration works for a new provider: registered manager, DBS checks, statement of purpose, the application, the fit-person interview, and realistic timescales.
Common questions
Do I need CQC registration to start a home care agency?
Yes, if your workers provide personal care, help with washing, dressing, toileting, eating or medication, in England. Personal care is a regulated activity under the 2014 Regulations, and you must be registered before taking on clients.
Is companionship care CQC regulated?
No. Companionship, cleaning, cooking and shopping without personal care are not regulated activities, so no CQC registration is needed, but the exemption ends the moment workers start helping with washing, dressing, toileting, eating or medication.
What happens if you operate without CQC registration?
Carrying on a regulated activity without registration is a criminal offence under section 10 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008. On conviction it carries a fine, imprisonment for up to 12 months, or both, and the CQC does prosecute unregistered providers.
Does a beauty or aesthetics clinic need CQC registration?
Usually not for purely cosmetic, non-surgical treatments such as dermal fillers and laser hair removal. Surgical procedures (including hair transplants) and clinics where a doctor or nurse diagnoses, treats or prescribes, for example prescription weight-loss services, do need registration.
How much does CQC registration cost?
Applying is free. Registered providers pay an annual fee under the CQC fees scheme, banded by service type and size, check the current fee tables on cqc.org.uk, as the scheme is revised periodically.
Does CQC registration cover Scotland or Wales?
No, the CQC regulates England only. Scotland has the Care Inspectorate, Wales has Care Inspectorate Wales, and Northern Ireland has the RQIA, each with separate registration rules.
Check before you launch
Sixty seconds now beats an unregistered-provider prosecution later.
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