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Related Sites
Licensing and Certification
Hospital
This page contains information and forms required to operate as a licensed hospital and certified as an acute care hospital or critical access hospital in the state of Minnesota. These forms are intended to be downloaded and completed by individuals and organizations seeking to be licensed as a hospital, or for licensees who need to renew a current license or request a change of ownership.
Minnesota currently has a hospital construction moratorium statute (Minnesota Statutes, chapter 144.551) restricting the establishment of new hospitals or the licensure of additional hospital beds.
Hospitals that intend to close a facility or campus, curtail operations, relocate services, or stop offering certain services are required to notify MDH at least 182 days in advance and participate in a public hearing per Minnesota Laws of 2024, chapter 127, article 58. The notification requirements and form are available on the Hospital Closure and Change in Services page.
For more information about Critical Access Hospitals, visit Critical Access Hospitals: Office of Rural Health and Primary Care.
- Required forms and documents
- License renewal
- Violence against health care workers
- Presentations to hospitals
- Related statutes and rules
- Patient Bill of Rights (Hospitals)
- CMS resources
Announcements
As of August 1, 2022, providers holding a valid license from a health-related licensing board (HLB) who have also undergone a background check under Minn. Statutes 214.075, shall not have a background study completed by the commissioner of human services (a NETStudy 2.0 background study).
MDH has created a document to address questions from providers and organizations about these changes, which you can find here: Background Studies for HLB-Licensed Providers FAQ (PDF)
Required forms and documents
In accordance with Minnesota Statutes, section 144.55, subdivision 3, Federal Medicare Hospital Conditions of Participation as outlined in the Code of Federal Regulations are the minimum standards for hospital licensure.
- Application for a License to Operate a Hospital (PDF): Complete and submit this form with payment to apply for an initial license, renew an existing license, or request a change of ownership.
License renewal
Hospital licenses are renewed annually. Licensees will receive a renewal notification approximately 60-90 days prior to the expiration date of the license. If you do not receive a renewal notification within 30 days of the expiration, please contact Health.HRD-FedLCR@state.mn.us.
- Application for a License to Operate a Hospital (PDF): Complete and submit this form with payment to renew an existing license.
The completed application and supporting documents can be mailed to:
Minnesota Department of Health
Health Regulation Division
P.O. Box 64900
St. Paul, MN 55164-0900
Violence against health care workers
Beginning Jan. 1, 2025, a hospital must annually submit to Minnesota Department of Health its most recent action plan and the results of the most recent annual review conducted.
- Complete, upload document(s) and submit the action plan on MDH’s online portal: Hospital Action Plan. You may upload your own action plan, as one combined document, to the portal.
- The Guidelines for Implementing Preparedness and Incident Response Action Plan (PDF) can be printed for your reference.
- Hospital Action Plan Tutorial (PDF)
Presentations to hospitals
- 2024-08-07 — Hospital closure and change in services
- 2024-06-20 — Violence against health care workers
- 2024-05-15 — Public hearings, violence against health care workers – action plan, hospital complaints, law enforcement tools/weapons
Related statutes and rules
Read and understand all applicable statutes and rules listed below before submitting the application.
Per Minnesota Statutes, section 295.50, providers who receive payments for providing health care services may be subject to the MinnesotaCare Provider Tax (Minnesota Department of Revenue).
- Minnesota Statutes, section 144.122 - License, Permit, and Survey Fees
- Minnesota Statutes, section 144.50 - Hospitals, Licenses, Definitions
- Minnesota Statutes, section 144.51 - License Applications
- Minnesota Statutes, section 144.52 - Application
- Minnesota Statutes, section 144.53 - Fees
- Minnesota Statutes, section 144.54 - Inspections
- Minnesota Statutes, section 144.55 - Licenses; Issuance; Suspension and Revocation
- Minnesota Statutes, section 144.551 - Hospital Constructions Moratorium
- Minnesota Statutes, section 144.555 - Facility or Campus Closing, Relocating Services, or Ceasing to Offer Certain Services; Patient Relocations
- Minnesota Statutes, section 144.56 - Standards
- Minnesota Statutes, section 144.561 - Description of Certain Medical Facilities
- Minnesota Statutes, section 144.562 - Swing Bed Approval; Issuance of License Conditions
- Minnesota Statutes, section 144.563 - Nursing Services Provided in a Hospital; Prohibited Practices
- Minnesota Statutes, section 144.564 - Monitoring of Subacute or Transitional Care Services
- Minnesota Statutes, section 144.572 - Institutions Excepted
- Minnesota Statutes, section 144.573 - Pets in Certain Institutions
- Minnesota Statutes, section 144.58 - Information, Confidential
- Minnesota Statutes, section 626.557 - Reporting of Maltreatment of Vulnerable Adults
- Minnesota Rules, chapter 4640 - Hospital Licensing and Operation
- Minnesota Rules, chapter 4645 - Hospital Construction and Equipment
Patient Bill of Rights (Hospitals)
Regular print
- Minnesota Patient Bill of Rights (Hospitals) - English (PDF)
- Minnesota Patient Bill of Rights (Hospitals) - Spanish (PDF)
- Minnesota Patient Bill of Rights (Hospitals) - Hmong (PDF)
- Minnesota Patient Bill of Rights (Hospitals) - Somali (PDF)
- Minnesota Patient Bill of Rights (Hospitals) - Russian (PDF)
- Minnesota Patient Bill of Rights (Hospitals) - Laotian (PDF)
- Minnesota Patient Bill of Rights (Hospitals) - Arabic (PDF)
Translation is being updated (نقوم حالياً بتحديث الوثائق المترجمة) - Minnesota Patient Bill of Rights (Hospitals) - Khmer (PDF)
- Minnesota Patient Bill of Rights (Hospitals) - Oromo (PDF)
- Minnesota Patient Bill of Rights (Hospitals) - Vietnamese (PDF)
Large print
- Minnesota Patient Bill of Rights (Hospitals) - English (PDF)
- Minnesota Patient Bill of Rights (Hospitals) - Spanish (PDF)
- Minnesota Patient Bill of Rights (Hospitals) - Hmong (PDF)
- Minnesota Patient Bill of Rights (Hospitals) - Somali (PDF)
- Minnesota Patient Bill of Rights (Hospitals) - Russian (PDF)
- Minnesota Patient Bill of Rights (Hospitals) - Laotian (PDF)
- Minnesota Patient Bill of Rights (Hospitals) - Arabic (PDF)
Translation is being updated (نقوم حالياً بتحديث الوثائق المترجمة ) - Minnesota Patient Bill of Rights (Hospitals) - Khmer (PDF)
- Minnesota Patient Bill of Rights (Hospitals) - Oromo (PDF)
- Minnesota Patient Bill of Rights (Hospitals) - Vietnamese (PDF)