Moving in California? How to Transfer Between Regional Centers

Moving is stressful even when no one in your family has a disability. When one of your children is a Regional Center consumer, a move in California adds a layer of logistics: a transfer between Regional Centers, or "interfacility transfer" in the official language. The good news is that the process is well-established, eligibility carries over, and your IPP follows your child. The less-good news is that services sometimes change, and the receiving Regional Center does not always replicate every detail of what you had before. This guide walks through what to expect, what to ask for, and where families most often get tripped up.

How the California System Is Organized

California has 21 Regional Centers. Each center covers specific counties or, in the case of Los Angeles, specific sections of one large county. Every Regional Center is a private nonprofit under contract with the Department of Developmental Services (DDS). They all follow the same Lanterman Act and DDS regulations, but each operates independently, with its own vendors, policies, and culture. That last part matters. Services your child had in Orange County may look different in Sacramento, even if eligibility is identical.

When you move, you are not exiting and re-entering the system. You are transferring. The work is administrative, not substantive.

Step by Step: The Interfacility Transfer Process

Here is how a typical in-state transfer unfolds.

1. Decide When to Notify

Tell your current Service Coordinator (SC) as soon as you know you are moving, ideally 30 to 60 days before the move. You do not have to have a new address yet. Giving your SC a city and ZIP helps them identify which Regional Center will receive the case. If the move is sudden, notify them immediately after you relocate.

2. Identify the Receiving Regional Center

Your SC will identify the Regional Center that serves your new address. You can also use the Regional Center directory to check. A ZIP code that sits on a county line or inside the Los Angeles area can be tricky, so double-check with your SC.

3. Paperwork and File Transfer

Your current Regional Center sends the receiving Regional Center a transfer packet that includes:

• Your child's eligibility records and diagnosis,
• The current IPP (Individual Program Plan) or IFSP for children under 3,
• Recent assessments,
• Service authorizations and current vendors, and
• Purchase of Service (POS) history.

Under DDS policy, the transfer should be completed within 30 days of notice of the move. In practice, 30 to 60 days is typical. Some cases take longer when records are scattered or when the new Regional Center needs clarification.

4. Case Assignment at the New Center

Once the receiving Regional Center accepts the case, they assign a new Service Coordinator. You should get a welcome letter or call within about two weeks of the transfer date. Ask for an introductory meeting in person or by video. Bring every piece of documentation you have; your own copies are useful in case anything was missed in the transfer.

5. Review and Adjust the IPP

The receiving Regional Center is legally required to honor your existing IPP. They cannot reduce or eliminate services without the same due process steps they would use for any IPP change (written Notice of Action, your right to appeal). In practice, they will usually schedule an IPP meeting within 60 to 90 days to update the plan for your new community. This is normal and expected, not a reason to panic.

Does Eligibility Carry Over?

Yes. Once you have been found eligible under the Lanterman Act, that eligibility follows your child anywhere in California. The receiving Regional Center cannot require you to re-qualify. They may request a quick records review but that is administrative, not a new eligibility determination.

The one exception is for children under 3 who are aging out of Early Start. If your child's third birthday falls near your move, the reassessment for ongoing Lanterman eligibility may happen at either the old or the new Regional Center. Coordinate with both SCs to avoid gaps.

What Happens to Your Services

Services fall into three buckets, and each behaves a little differently during a transfer.

Direct Therapy Services (Speech, OT, PT, ABA)

These are usually provided by a vendor close to your home. When you move, your current vendor almost certainly does not operate in the new area. The receiving Regional Center will identify new vendors, which takes time. Ask the new SC for a list of options within the first week, not the first month. Some families set up interim phone or telehealth sessions with their old provider during the gap.

Respite and In-Home Support

Respite hours and in-home supports usually continue at the same number of hours, but the provider changes. If you use IHSS and respite together, check whether the respite vendor operates in your new area. If not, the SC should issue a new vendor authorization within a few weeks.

Day Programs, Supported Living, and Community Programs

These change entirely. You and the SC will identify new programs near your new address. There can be waitlists for certain adult day programs, so start the search immediately.

Self-Determination Program (SDP)

If you are in the Self-Determination Program, your budget follows you. Your Financial Management Service (FMS) may or may not operate in the new area; if not, you transfer to a new FMS. Your Independent Facilitator may need to change too. Your spending plan will be updated but the POS budget carries over.

Typical Timeline

• Before the move: Notify current SC, provide new address and move date.
• Week of the move: Current SC starts transfer packet; receiving center is identified.
• Weeks 1 to 4 after move: Transfer completes; new SC assigned; intro meeting scheduled.
• Weeks 4 to 12: New vendors identified; IPP review; services restart.
• Weeks 8 to 16: Updated IPP finalized; any new assessments completed.

Many families see some service disruption in the first month, especially for specialized therapies. Plan for gaps. Keep therapy notes and a copy of the current IPP on your phone so new providers can pick up quickly.

Out-of-State Moves

If you leave California, the rules change. There is no interstate transfer of Regional Center services. California's Regional Center system is unique; other states have different structures (some use case management through Medicaid waivers only, some use county-based developmental disability agencies, some use state-run programs).

Before leaving California:

• Request a written record of all current services and vendors.
• Ask the SC for a "transition summary letter" describing the child's needs.
• Understand that POS ends on the last day the child resides in California.
• If you are on a Medicaid waiver (HCBS), know that the HCBS services do not transfer; you will need to apply in the new state.

If you are returning to California later, eligibility is usually easy to re-establish with your old records. The Regional Center that covers your new address will handle intake, and recent documentation can speed the process.

What If the Receiving Regional Center Disputes a Service?

This is the most common transfer dispute. Services approved by one Regional Center are not automatically identical to what the receiving center would have approved. For example, one center might approve 20 hours of ABA weekly while another typically authorizes 15. When you transfer, the receiving center may want to lower service hours.

Your protections:

• The receiving center must continue the current services until the IPP is formally updated.
• Any reduction requires a written Notice of Action citing specific reasons.
• You have the right to request a Fair Hearing if you disagree.
• Services stay in place during the appeal if you file within 30 days ("aid paid pending").

Do not agree to reduce hours in the intro meeting just because the new SC says their Regional Center "typically authorizes less." Ask for any change in writing.

Can You Stay with Your Current Regional Center?

In rare cases, families want to keep their old Regional Center after a move, especially if the move is just across a county line. This is called a "residency exception" request. DDS policy generally assigns Regional Centers based on residence, but exceptions can be granted when:

• The move is short-term (for example, temporary housing during a renovation),
• The move crosses a county line but not a Regional Center catchment area (check carefully; county lines and Regional Center lines do not always match),
• Continuity of care would be severely disrupted (some transitions for adults with very specialized services).

To request an exception, write to both Regional Centers and copy DDS. Expect a yes only in clearly justified cases.

Before the Move: A Practical Checklist

• Notify your current SC in writing (email is fine).
• Request a copy of the full IPP, all recent assessments, and service authorizations.
• Ask for a "transition letter" describing current services and vendors.
• Take photos or scans of everything in case files are lost in transit.
• Contact vendors to say goodbye and ask for discharge summaries.
• Keep prescriptions and medical records with you, not in moving boxes.
• Print the receiving Regional Center's main phone number and web address.
• Set a calendar reminder for 14 and 30 days post-move to follow up on the transfer.

After the Move: The First 30 Days

• Call the receiving Regional Center if you have not heard from a new SC within 10 business days.
• Ask for the name, direct phone, and email of your SC and supervisor.
• Share your IPP and ask which services can continue and which need new vendors.
• Request a list of in-network vendors for each service type.
• If your child is in school, coordinate with the new district for IEP transfer too.
• Document everything. Keep an email trail.

Common Pitfalls

• Assuming silence is fine. Transfers can stall if no one follows up. Be the squeaky wheel.
• Losing paperwork in the move. Scan everything important to cloud storage before packing.
• Agreeing verbally to service changes. If the new SC suggests reducing hours, ask for a written Notice of Action and your right to appeal.
• Forgetting SDP paperwork. Budgets carry over, but FMS changes can delay payments. Coordinate early.
• Ignoring school records. IEPs transfer separately through the school district and can lag behind.

Moves Within Los Angeles

Los Angeles County is divided among seven Regional Centers (including North Los Angeles County, Harbor, Westside, South Central, East LA, Frank D. Lanterman, and San Gabriel/Pomona). Moving within LA County often triggers a transfer. Check boundaries carefully; two neighborhoods a mile apart can be under different Regional Centers, with different vendor networks.

Military and Foster Families

Military families with frequent moves sometimes request exceptions if a deployment will return them to California soon. DDS does not have a formal military policy, but SCs can be flexible. Foster parents should involve the placing agency and DDS in any transfer because the legal custodian may be different from the caregiver.

When Transfers Go Wrong

If the receiving Regional Center has not contacted you within 30 days after the move:

• Email both SCs at once asking for a status update.
• Copy the intake manager at the receiving center.
• If still nothing, contact the Office of Clients' Rights Advocacy (OCRA) at Disability Rights California.
• File a complaint with DDS if the transfer exceeds 60 days without explanation.

Most transfers are routine. When they stumble, it is usually a records hand-off problem, not a fight over eligibility.