How to open a med spa in Georgia: the compliance steps, in order.
Most launch checklists cover the lease, the logo and the booking software. This one covers what the Georgia Composite Medical Board will ask about — in the order you need to do it.
The short answer
Ten steps: choose the entity, map each service to the license that can perform it, engage a qualifying physician, file delegation documents before treating anyone, license your laser staff and file the consulting physician, build the exam and order workflow, put written policies on site, post the supervising physician, set up oversight records, and run an inspection check.
The order matters. A treatment performed before the delegation behind it was filed and accepted has no delegation standing behind it.
1. Decide who owns it, and through what entity
Georgia has no general bar on non-physician ownership, and most NP- and lay-owned med spas use an LLC under O.C.G.A. § 14-11-1107(f). The one hard line: a physician may not be the employee of the APRN or PA they supervise (§ 43-34-25(n), § 43-34-103(k)). See Can a nurse practitioner own a med spa? Entity structure is worth an hour with a Georgia healthcare attorney.
2. Map every service to the license that can perform it
Before hiring, sort the menu into three buckets: delegated medical acts such as injectables, IV therapy, RF microneedling and medium-depth peels (O.C.G.A. § 43-34-23); cosmetic laser services, which now include RF, ultrasound, cryolipolysis and microwave devices (Rule 360-35-.01); and esthetics, which excludes dermatological treatment and lasers (O.C.G.A. § 43-10-1(8)). Each bucket has different staffing rules. See who can inject and energy device rules.
3. Engage a physician who qualifies
Specialty comparable to the procedures delegated (Rule 360-32-.04(3)); documented training in each modality, including lasers (Rule 360-35-.06(c)); and a principal place of practice in Georgia or within 50 miles of the clinic (GCMB protocol registration). See who can be a medical director and what it costs.
4. File delegation documents before treating anyone
Nurse protocol agreements and amendments must be received by the Board within 30 days of execution, and are invalid if left incomplete for three months (Rule 360-32-.03). APRNs performing procedures not mastered in their own training need a procedure log for each one (GCMB Procedure Log). Keep proof of Board acceptance, not just mailing. See nurse protocol agreements.
5. License laser staff and file the consulting physician
Laser and energy services are performed by licensed senior or assistant laser practitioners (Rule 360-35-.05). A non-physician facility needs a consulting physician agreement, the physician's credentials filed, emergency availability, and the physician's details posted (Rule 360-35-.07) — even if you only offer hair removal. See laser hair removal.
6. Build the exam and order workflow
The history and physical is performed by a physician, NP or PA — never the RN alone — and RN treatments need an individualized order, not a standing order (May 7, 2026 position statement; Board of Nursing). Laser and energy services other than hair removal and IPL need an exam before the service (Rule 360-35-.05). See good faith exams and IV therapy.
7. Put written policies on site
The Board of Nursing requires businesses to establish and maintain policies and procedures on site for cosmetic injections (position statement), and the Medical Board's IV statement sets out written policies a facility must keep on site (May 7, 2026).
8. Post the supervising physician publicly
Who the delegating or supervising physician is and how to reach them, posted where the public has unrestricted access (May 7, 2026 position statement). Put it in the clinic and on your website.
9. Set up oversight records from day one
A dated record of the physician's annual on-site observation of each APRN, and quarterly chart reviews with findings (Rule 360-32-.05). Undocumented oversight looks identical to none.
10. Run the inspection checklist before you open
The Board has been inspecting Georgia med spas and IV clinics without notice since August 2026 (report). Walk through the Georgia med spa inspection checklist against your actual file.
How Local Medical Directors helps
We help new Georgia practices through steps 3 to 10: a qualifying physician, written protocols and consent forms, the delegation filings, and the oversight records an inspector asks to see.
Do I need a medical director to open a med spa in Georgia?
If you offer medical treatments such as injectables, IV therapy, or most laser and energy-based procedures, yes. Those are medical acts that a physician must lawfully delegate under O.C.G.A. § 43-34-23, and a non-physician laser facility needs a consulting physician under Rule 360-35-.07.
Can a registered nurse open a med spa in Georgia?
Georgia has no general prohibition on non-physician ownership, so an RN can own the business. To inject, the RN still needs an individualized order and a history and physical performed by a physician, NP or PA, per the Georgia Board of Nursing.
What does the Georgia Medical Board check in a med spa?
Filed and accepted delegation documents, the physician's specialty and location, oversight records, exams performed by a physician, NP or PA, individualized orders, licensed laser staff, and whether the supervising physician is posted publicly.