Georgia looks like an easy state. There is no med spa license, no state registry, and no required specialty for the medical director.
Then you hire a fifth nurse practitioner. Under O.C.G.A. § 43-34-25 a delegating physician may not hold nurse protocol agreements with more than four APRNs at any one time — and the statutory exceptions cover hospitals, health departments and similar settings, not private aesthetic clinics. That single number decides your Georgia growth plan.
What Georgia actually requires
- A Georgia-licensed physician as the delegating physician. An APRN practices under a protocol; they do not sign one for anyone else.
- A written nurse protocol agreement, signed by both parties, reviewed and updated annually.
- An APRN in a comparable specialty area or field as the delegating physician — a real filter, not boilerplate.
- No more than four APRN protocol agreements per delegating physician at one time.
- Recognition that an APRN may not issue a prescription drug order for a Schedule I or II controlled substance under a protocol.
Who may do what in Georgia
| License | What they may do |
|---|---|
| MD or DO | Independent; the only license that may delegate under a nurse protocol agreement |
| APRN | Under a signed nurse protocol agreement, subject to the four-APRN cap |
| Physician assistant | Under a separate Title 43 framework with its own filing — not the nurse protocol track |
| Registered nurse | Within RN scope, under physician direction |
| Unlicensed staff | Not for medical procedures |
If your paperwork covers PAs and APRNs with one “supervision agreement” template, it was bought rather than written. Georgia regulates them on separate tracks.
What MDside provides in Georgia
- Georgia-licensed physicians matched to the APRN’s specialty, not to whoever was available to sign.
- Nurse protocol agreements written against your actual service menu, with the annual review calendared so it does not lapse.
- The four-APRN cap modelled against your hiring plan before you sign the next lease.
- Separate, correct documentation where PAs are in the staffing mix.
- Licensed providers, pharmacy sourcing and lab draws.
See everything that is included, or book a call and tell us which states you operate in.
Read the detail on Georgia
Frequently asked questions
How many nurse practitioners can one Georgia physician cover?
Four at any one time under a nurse protocol agreement. The statutory exceptions cover hospitals, health departments and similar settings — not private aesthetic clinics.
Does Georgia license med spas?
No. There is no facility license and no state med spa registry in Georgia. The scrutiny falls on the people and the paperwork.
How often must a nurse protocol agreement be updated?
Annually by statute, and in practice whenever the service menu, products or staff change. A protocol that predates your current offering does not cover it.
General information about Georgia practice structure and med spa regulation, not legal advice. Statutes, board rules and scope-of-practice requirements change. Confirm your obligations with healthcare counsel licensed in Georgia.