The director and any duly designated employee or agent thereof is authorized to enter upon and into the premises of any residential care community for which a license has been issued, for which an application for license has been filed, or which the director has reason to believe is being operated or maintained as a residential care community without a license. If entry is refused by the owner or person in charge of the residential care community, the director shall apply to the circuit court of the county in which the residential care community is located or the circuit court of Kanawha County for an order authorizing inspection, and the court shall issue an appropriate order if it finds good cause for inspection.

The director, by and through his or her agents or employees, shall conduct at least one inspection of a residential care community before issuing a license to it and shall conduct periodic unannounced inspections thereafter to determine if it is in compliance with all applicable statutory requirements and rules. All residential care communities shall comply with applicable rules of the state Fire Commission. The State Fire Marshal, by and through his or her agents or employees, shall make all fire, safety and similar inspections of residential care communities. The director may provide for other inspections he or she considers necessary to effectuate the intent and purpose of this article. If the director determines upon investigation that a complaint is substantiated and that an immediate and serious threat to health or safety exists at a residential care community, he or she may invoke any remedy available pursuant to section eleven of this article. Any residential care community aggrieved by a determination or assessment made pursuant to this section shall have the right to an administrative appeal as set forth in section twelve of this article.