IHSS Napa County: how to apply, phone numbers and the $20.90 provider wage

Who qualifies for IHSS in Napa County

In Napa County's words, IHSS is a Medi-Cal program funded jointly by the county, the state and the federal government. It lets low-income people who are aged, blind or disabled stay safely at home instead of moving into care. The key test the county puts first is functional: without IHSS, the applicant would have to be placed outside the home, for example in a board and care, a skilled nursing facility or another licensed facility.

The county's eligibility list says an applicant must:

• be a U.S. citizen or qualified alien and a Napa County resident;
• be 65 or over, or blind, or have a disability that is expected to last at least 12 months;
• be on Medi-Cal, whether or not there is a share of cost, or on SSI/SSP;
• live at home, which can be a house, apartment, hotel or a relative's home;
• have a doctor or other licensed professional sign the SOC 873 Health Care Certification confirming the risk of out-of-home placement.

IHSS can pay for housework, meal preparation and cleanup, laundry, shopping, personal care such as bathing, dressing and toileting, going with the client to medical appointments, paramedical tasks a physician orders, and protective supervision. The county lists what it will not pay for, including yard work, pet care, moving heavy furniture, washing windows, paying bills and social outings. If someone has income above the Medi-Cal limit, a share of cost may apply.

Napa County IHSS phone number and how to apply

You can apply in two ways.

By phone: 707-253-6272, staffed 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. each weekday. Have this ready, and if you call for someone else, give your own name and contact details as well:

• the applicant's full name, home address and home or cell number;
• their Social Security Number or ITIN and date of birth;
• their preferred spoken language and where they are now (home, hospital and so on);
• proof they have Medi-Cal or will apply for it. The county says the IHSS and Medi-Cal applications can run at the same time.

By mail: fill in the Application for In-Home Supportive Services (SOC 295, offered in English and Spanish) and send it to 650 Imperial Way, Suite 101, Napa, CA 94559.

What follows:

1. SOC 873 within 45 days. A licensed professional such as a physician, nurse practitioner or physician assistant completes and signs it. Services cannot be authorized before the county has it.
2. Home visit. Once Medi-Cal is verified and the SOC 873 is in, an IHSS social worker visits to assess needs and the risk of placement.
3. Notice of Action. It shows approval or denial. An approval lists the start date, the task categories and the total monthly hours; a denial gives the reason and how to appeal.

Hiring a care provider: family, friends or the registry

The client is the employer. Napa County is explicit that the recipient, not the county, decides who to hire, trains the provider, sets the schedule and approves timesheets. A relative, neighbor or friend can be hired once they finish provider enrollment and pass a Department of Justice background check.

If you have nobody in mind, ask the Public Authority for a list of registry providers on 707-259-8359, by email, or with the county's online list request. You then call the providers, set up interviews and choose; the county's FAQ makes clear that this part is your job. Our hiring guide has interview questions that work for IHSS too.

Forms clients most often need, all listed on the county's "I Am Receiving IHSS" page:

• SOC 426A, Recipient Designation of Provider, which links a provider to your case (you can also do this in your ESP account);
• SOC 839, Designation of Authorized Representative, if someone else will manage the employer duties;
• SOC 839A, Designation of Timesheet Signatory.

Clients approve timesheets online in the Electronic Services Portal, or by phone on 833-342-5388 (the TTS line).

How to become an IHSS provider in Napa County

Every provider, whether they work for one family member or join the registry, follows the same steps on the county's enrollment page:

1. Open the IHSS Provider Enrollment Site from the county's link and register; keep a note of the login details and security answers you choose.
2. Watch the mandatory videos and electronically sign the enrollment documents.
3. Book an in-office orientation appointment. It takes about an hour and a half; the county asks you to bring a valid government photo ID plus your original Social Security card.
4. Complete the Live Scan fingerprint background check using the Napa County form, which is handed out at orientation. You can do it before or after the appointment, and a check done for another job does not carry over.

You have 90 days from the orientation appointment to finish everything, or you start again. A conviction for a Tier 1 crime in the last 10 years bars you; a Tier 2 conviction in that period may still allow work for a specific client who signs a waiver. Minors aged 12 or older can enroll with a school work permit. You enroll once, no matter how many clients you later have, but each client needs its own SOC 426A. If you go more than a year without IHSS pay, your status lapses and you re-enroll, Live Scan included. The same requirements apply statewide; see becoming an IHSS provider in California.

IHSS pay in Napa County: $20.90 an hour

According to the CDSS IHSS wage workbook (its October 2026 sheet, retrieved October 15, 2026), Napa County providers have earned at $20.90 an hour from January 1, 2026, and the county's Registry Care Providers page quotes the same $20.90. Only six counties pay more: San Francisco, Alameda, San Mateo, San Luis Obispo, Monterey and Ventura. Santa Cruz matches Napa at $20.90; neighbors Sonoma ($20.25), Yolo ($19.05), Solano ($18.10) and Lake ($17.55) pay less.

None of Napa County's cities is listed in the UC Berkeley Labor Center's list of local wage ordinances, which leaves $16.90, the statewide rate, as the minimum for private jobs in Napa, American Canyon, St. Helena and Calistoga. The IHSS rate is $4.00 above it (our arithmetic, illustrative). The county's payroll FAQ still showed $20.50 "effective 01/01/2025" when we checked, so rely on the CDSS figure.

Overtime. Napa's overtime page and payroll FAQ explain that overtime is pre-authorized when a client has more than 160 hours a month, that it starts after 40 hours in a workweek, which runs from midnight Sunday through Saturday, and that someone caring for several clients is held to 66 hours a week in total. Hours entered on the timesheet are calculated automatically.

Sick leave. CDSS gives providers 40 hours for fiscal year 2026/27, from July 1, 2026. It is earned after 100 hours of IHSS work, can be used after another 200 hours or 60 days, and expires on June 30. Claim it in your ESP account under Time Entry. For a side-by-side of all 58 counties, open IHSS wages across California.

IHSS Public Authority Napa County: registry, payroll and support

The Napa County Public Authority shares the IHSS building at 650 Imperial Way, Suite 101, and keeps the same weekday hours, closing on holidays. Phone 707-259-8359, fax 707-259-8338. Its main job is the registry, and it also helps with provider enrollment, mediates between providers and clients, offers training and supports the IHSS Advisory Committee.

Registry providers are enrolled providers who want to be referred to clients. Joining takes three steps: enroll as an IHSS provider, complete the IHSS Registry Provider Application, and finish a training with Public Authority staff. Registry providers sign a registry agreement and set a flexible schedule around their availability. Providers who already work for a specific client and do not want referrals stay "regular" providers.

Payroll. Napa County IHSS Payroll is on 707-253-4531 for paycheck questions, lost checks and verification of employment. Each month has two pay periods, one ending on the 15th and one on the final day, and the State Controller's Office has up to 10 business days after the client approves a timesheet to pay. Direct deposit or a pay card is required. Income tax is withheld only for providers who hand in the federal W-4 and the state DE-4 forms; the county notes IHSS income is taxable for providers who do not live with the client. Providers who do not live with their client must also check in and out each workday under Electronic Visit Verification; live-in providers can apply for a waiver.

Injuries and retirement. If you are hurt while doing authorized tasks, call the Public Authority on 707-259-8359 straight away to start a workers' compensation claim. Providers can save for retirement through CalSavers.

Training. The county's training page lists free sessions for providers and clients at the Imperial Way office, including a Stages of Aging and Dementia class in English and Spanish, and points to Providence Community Health Napa Valley for caregiver training and support groups.

Advisory Committee. Nine members appointed by the Board of Supervisors, including past or present IHSS users and providers. It meets from 10:00 to 11:30 a.m. on the third Thursday of January, March, May, July, September and November in the Blue Oak conference room, 2nd floor, at 650 Imperial Way. The public may attend and comment.

IHSS in Napa, American Canyon and the upper valley

There is a single IHSS office for Napa County, in the city of Napa, and it serves the whole county. People in American Canyon to the south or St. Helena and Calistoga up the valley use the same phone lines, mailing address and enrollment site, and the wage is identical everywhere.

• Napa: see caregiver jobs in Napa and caregivers in Napa.
• Countywide: Napa County caregiver jobs and caregivers across Napa County.

Neighboring guides: IHSS Sonoma County and IHSS Solano County.

Napa County IHSS phone numbers and addresses

When the authorized hours are not enough

IHSS hours are capped by the Notice of Action. Families often add private help for weekends, nights, or while the regular provider is on sick leave. Those hours are agreed privately.

A family can advertise that kind of job on CaregiverConnect at no cost. Caregivers send applications directly, and the family chooses, hires and becomes the employer. Caregivers keep all of their pay since we charge them no commission. We don't screen applicants ourselves, so ask any caregiver who has a background check to upload it. A few extras come with optional paid plans. For typical private rates, see our California home care price guide. IHSS providers with free hours can make a free caregiver profile.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

1. Napa County HHSA, In-Home Supportive Services (program description, Public Authority role, office address, phone, fax, fraud hotline, hours)
2. Napa County HHSA, Apply For IHSS (707-253-6272, information needed, SOC 295, SOC 873)
3. Napa County HHSA, I Need A Care Provider (eligibility, 45-day SOC 873, home visit, Notice of Action, registry list, TTS/ESP)
4. Napa County HHSA, IHSS General FAQs (services covered and not covered, eligibility, share of cost)
5. Napa County HHSA, I Am Receiving IHSS (SOC 426A, SOC 873, SOC 839, SOC 839A)
6. Napa County HHSA, I Want to be Paid Care Provider (provider types, enrollment steps, Live Scan)
7. Napa County HHSA, In-Home Supportive Services Provider FAQ (orientation length, 90 days, Tier 1/Tier 2, minors, re-enrollment)
8. Napa County HHSA, Registry Care Providers ($20.90 wage, three steps, Public Authority contacts)
9. Napa County HHSA, IHSS Payroll FAQs (707-253-4531, pay periods, TTS number, taxes, overtime rule)
10. Napa County HHSA, I Am a Care Provider (direct deposit, EVV, workers' compensation, CalSavers)
11. Napa County HHSA, Overtime Information for IHSS Care Providers (160 hours, 40 hours, 66 hours)
12. Napa County HHSA, Training Information (free trainings, Providence Community Health Napa Valley)
13. Napa County, In-Home Supportive Services Advisory Committee
14. CDSS, IHSS wages by county (workbook sheet "IP Effective 10-1-2026"; Napa $20.90 from January 1, 2026)
15. CDSS, IHSS Provider Paid Sick Leave (FY 2026/27, Service Desk)
16. California DIR, minimum wage FAQ ($16.90 from January 1, 2026)