An assisted living inspection report is the state's record of what inspectors found on a visit. Read it for four things. First, which rules were cited as deficiencies (problems). Second, how serious each one was. Third, whether it was fixed by the due date in the plan of correction. Fourth, whether the same problem shows up again in earlier reports. You can find reports on your state licensing agency's website, or ask the community.
Key facts
- California law requires a public report of each assisted living licensing visit, recorded on the Facility Evaluation Report, form LIC 809. (California DSS, 2023)
- California rates a deficiency Type A when, if not fixed, it poses a direct and immediate risk to the health, safety or personal rights of people in care, and Type B when it could become such a risk. (California DSS, 2023)
- California's form LIC 809 says the agency sets the time to fix each deficiency based on how serious it is and how many residents it affects. (California DSS, 2023)
- Consumer Voice has noted that in many states, assisted living communities are inspected only every three or five years. (Consumer Voice, 2013)
- Minnesota launched an Assisted Living Report Card in 2024 that combines resident and family surveys with state inspection data and quality measures. (University of Minnesota, 2024)
You have a shortlist, and one community's report shows six deficiencies while another shows none. It's tempting to rank them on that number alone. But the number tells you little until you know what was cited and how serious it was. You also need to know when the visit happened and whether the problem came back.
This post shows where to find the reports and what each part means. It also gives you a way to read three years of them in about 20 minutes per community.
Where do you find assisted living inspection reports?
Start with the website of the state agency that licenses assisted living. Each state licenses assisted living on its own. So each has its own search tool, its own terms and its own level of detail.
- Search the state's online lookup. Washington, for example, gives each assisted living community a reports page. It lists routine inspections, complaint visits, enforcement letters and fire inspections. California's Department of Social Services posts reports through its Community Care Licensing facility search. Its report form says California law requires a public report of each licensing visit.
- Ask the community. The National Center for Assisted Living (NCAL) lists "ask to review the last licensing or certification report" in its consumer checklist.
- Ask for help finding it. The National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care points families to their state's licensing and certification data. It notes that only communities licensed by the state will have inspection data.
- Check for a state report card. Minnesota launched an Assisted Living Report Card in 2024. It combines surveys of residents and families with state inspection data and quality measures. Ask your state licensing agency if it has anything like it.
Before your first tour, find your state's licensing agency and save a link to its search page.
What are the parts of an inspection report?
Most reports follow the same logic even when the forms look different. California's Facility Evaluation Report (form LIC 809) is a clear example of the parts you'll see.
- Basic details. The name, license number, number of people it is licensed for (capacity) and the number of residents on the day of the visit (the census).
- Type of visit. This could be a yearly inspection, a follow-up on a plan of correction, or a case management visit. The report also says whether the visit was announced or a surprise. Some states list complaint visits on their own.
- Deficiencies. Each time inspectors found the community not meeting a licensing rule. The report names the rule and describes what they found.
- Plan of correction (POC) and due date. How and by when the community must fix each deficiency. California's form says the agency sets the time to fix it based on how serious the problem is and how many residents it affects.
- Civil penalties. Whether a fine was assessed or cleared.
Some states post a separate document for complaint visits and for enforcement actions. Washington's procedures describe enforcement that ranges from civil fines up to losing the license (revocation). Look for those papers too, because they don't always appear on the same page as routine inspections.
How can you tell how serious a citation is?
Find the state's severity label for each deficiency. Read the description, not only the rule number. Every state grades in its own way, and the report or the agency's website usually explains its scale.
California, for example, uses two types.
- Type A. A problem that, if not fixed, poses a direct and immediate risk to the health, safety or personal rights of people in care.
- Type B. A problem that, if not fixed, could become such a risk. This includes record problems that could affect care.
Then sort each citation into one of two piles. Care and rights covers medicines, supervision, staffing, resident rights, abuse or neglect, falls and injuries. Building and records covers upkeep, postings, paperwork and staff files. A records problem can still matter. But a pattern in the care pile is what should change your ranking.
Why do the date and type of visit matter?
A clean report may be an old one. How often inspections happen varies a lot from state to state.
Washington requires a surprise inspection at least every 18 months. It allows 24 months for a community with no citations on its past three inspections and none from complaint visits in that time. Consumer Voice has noted that in many states, communities are inspected only every three or five years. Two communities inspected three years apart can't be compared directly.
Complaint visits add a second layer. A complaint visit looks at one concern raised by a resident, a family member or a staff member. One complaint that was found to be true (substantiated) is worth noting. Several on the same topic suggest a pattern.
How do you read three years of reports in 20 minutes?
Use the same five steps for every community on your shortlist, so you compare like with like.
- Pull every report from the past three years. That means routine inspections, complaint visits and any enforcement letters.
- Make a simple table. Add columns for the date, type of visit, rule cited, severity, care or building, and whether it was fixed on time (yes or no).
- Look for repeats. The same rule or topic cited on two or more visits is the most useful signal in the whole file. KFF Health News, in a 2023 guide for families, named communities cited again and again for the same problem as a warning sign.
- Check the follow-through. Were problems fixed by the due date? Were penalties assessed? Is there any condition on the license or other enforcement action?
- Compare with the others. Consumer Voice suggests comparing a community's reports with those of other communities.
| What you see | What it usually means | What to ask |
|---|---|---|
| One records citation, corrected on time | A routine finding | Usually nothing; note it |
| A serious care citation (for example California Type A) | Inspectors found an immediate risk to residents | "What happened, what changed, and how do you check it now?" |
| Same topic cited on two or more visits | The fix didn't hold | "Why did this come back, and who is responsible for it today?" |
| Substantiated complaints on one theme | Residents or families raised the same concern more than once | Ask the ombudsman what they can share |
| Fines or enforcement letters | The agency escalated beyond a routine citation | "Is the matter resolved? Are there any conditions on your license?" |
| No report newer than a few years | You don't know the current picture | Ask when the next inspection is due; weigh your own visits more |
Give the inspection report its proper weight
In Parent Move Plan, the latest state inspection report is one of the most heavily weighted of the 12 comparison criteria, next to staffing and your parent's own reaction. The plan also puts "look up each community's state inspection reports" on a real date in your move timeline, so it happens before anyone signs.
Get your first 3 days freeHow should you ask the community about a citation?
Ask directly, in a calm tone, and ask for the answer in writing. A community that explains what happened and what changed is showing you how it handles problems. That matters as much as the citation itself.
An email about a repeat citation might read: "We read your inspection report from March. It cites a problem with medication records on the second floor, and a similar item appears in the report from two years earlier. Can you tell us what happened, what you changed, and how you check it now? An email is fine."
Then check the answer against the next report once it's out. For an outside view, try the long-term care ombudsman program. This free program speaks up for assisted living residents and gives the public information about long-term care facilities.
Inspection reports are one piece of the picture. Pair them with what you see in person, using our list of assisted living red flags, and with what residents and families say online, using our guide on how to read assisted living reviews. Then put everything side by side with our method to compare assisted living communities, and bring the report's topics into your tour questions. If you're still building the shortlist, start with how to choose assisted living.
Rules and prices differ by state. Assisted living rules and costs by state lists the medical exam, TB test, move-out notice, Medicaid and the median monthly cost for all 50 states, with sources.
Frequently asked questions
Are assisted living inspection reports public?
In many states, yes. California, for example, requires a public report of each licensing visit, and Washington posts inspections, complaint investigations and enforcement letters on a reports page for each community. If you can't find a report online, ask the community for it or ask the state licensing agency how to request it.
How often are assisted living communities inspected?
It depends on the state. Washington requires an inspection at least every 18 months, or every 24 months for communities with no citations on the past three inspections. Consumer Voice has noted that in many states communities are inspected only every few years, so always check the date of the latest report.
Is a community with zero citations always better?
Not necessarily. A clean report may be old, and a community that was inspected recently may have been looked at more closely. Compare reports from similar dates, and weigh serious or repeated care problems more than minor paperwork items.
What is a plan of correction?
It is the community's written plan for fixing each cited deficiency, with a due date set by the licensing agency. On a California report, for example, the plan appears next to each deficiency, and failing to correct by the due date can lead to a civil penalty.
Sources
- California Department of Social Services: Facility Evaluation Report, form LIC 809 (2023) (accessed Sept 2026)
- Washington State DSHS, Residential Care Services: Chapter 13, Assisted Living Facilities (procedures) (accessed Sept 2026)
- Washington State DSHS: ALF Reports, example facility reports page (accessed Sept 2026)
- National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care: How to Select an Assisted Living Facility (2013) (accessed Sept 2026)
- National Center for Assisted Living: Choosing an Assisted Living Community, a consumer's guide (2025) (accessed Sept 2026)
- University of Minnesota School of Public Health: Minnesota's new Assisted Living Report Card is now available (2024) (accessed Sept 2026)
- KFF Health News: What to Know About Assisted Living (2023) (accessed Sept 2026)
- National Long-Term Care Ombudsman Resource Center: About Ombudsmen (accessed Sept 2026)