How do I verify a Birmingham assisted living license?
Search ADPH's Alabama Health Care Facilities Directory by facility type and county; it lists each licensed facility's name, address, ADPH facility ID, administrator, phone, licensed beds, class and license status, and can export the list to Excel.
Choose “Assisted Living Facilities” for regular ALFs or “Assisted Living Facilities (Specialty Care)” for memory care, then Jefferson, Shelby or another county. If a place markets itself as assisted living but does not appear, ask why. Our directory republishes the export for the seven Birmingham-area counties with the date it was pulled.
What does a probational license mean in Alabama?
A probational license means ADPH found deficient practices that were serious, chronic or uncorrected but allowed the facility to keep operating for up to one year while it fixes them; the facility cannot add beds during probation.
On ADPH's October 30, 2026 export, every assisted living, memory care and nursing home license in our seven counties shows regular status.
Probation is uncommon. If you do see it, ask for the statement of deficiencies that led to it and the plan of correction, and ask what date ADPH will next survey.
What should I compare when checking a license?
Compare the licensed bed count with what the facility tells you, the class (group or congregate, ALF or SCALF) with the care it promises, and the administrator's name with the person you meet, then look up the newest posted survey.
A memory care wing that is not covered by a SCALF license is a red flag, because a regular ALF may not restrict exits. A bed count far below the building's apparent size can mean part of it is licensed separately, for instance as a SCALF or a nursing home on the same campus, which our facility pages flag when two licenses share an address.
How do I check a nursing home in Alabama?
Check the ADPH directory for the state license and Medicare's Care Compare for the federal record: CMS star ratings, health inspection results, staffing hours and penalties for every Medicare- or Medicaid-certified nursing home.
ADPH licenses 51 nursing homes in the seven counties, 5,991 beds in all; 50 have a CMS Care Compare record, which our nursing home table shows next to each license.
At a glance
| ADPH's directory tells you | ADPH's directory does not tell you | |
|---|---|---|
| Identity | Legal name, address, facility ID and administrator | Brand names a company markets under |
| Size | Licensed bed capacity and class | How many beds are open today |
| Standing | Regular or probational status | Inspection findings (see the Deficiencies site) |
| Scope | Licensed facility types | Non-medical home care companies |
Sources: Ala. Admin. Code chapters 420-5-4, 420-5-10 and 420-5-20; ADPH Bureau of Health Provider Standards; ADPH Health Care Facilities Directory and Deficiencies applications; Alabama DHR Adult Protective Services. See our editorial standards.
