Maryland has the bluntest ownership provision in this batch and an unusually strong characterisation of laser treatment.
§ 14-303(a) of the Health Occupations Article prohibits corporations, associations, partnerships and other business entities from practising medicine or employing physicians to provide professional medical services. Maryland follows the common-law corporate practice doctrine, and it reaches professional service corporations and limited liability companies too — which is why the management services organisation is the route non-licensees actually use here.
What Maryland actually requires
- A medical entity that does not run afoul of § 14-303(a) — no business entity practising medicine, and no business entity employing physicians to deliver professional medical services.
- A management services organisation, separately owned, for the administrative and business side.
- Recognition that the Board of Physicians treats laser hair removal as a surgical act (Declaratory Ruling 00-1, October 2002), performable by physicians, certified nurse practitioners, registered nurses under the Board of Nursing’s own declaratory ruling, and physician assistants.
- Delegation to unlicensed personnel handled under COMAR 10.32.09, with physician responsibility and training documented.
- Three regulators kept straight: the Board of Physicians defines which procedures are medical, the Board of Nursing governs nursing scope, and facility licensing sits elsewhere again.
Who may do what in Maryland
| Licence | What they may do |
|---|---|
| MD or DO | Independent; may perform laser hair removal |
| Certified nurse practitioner | May use lasers for hair removal |
| Registered nurse | May use lasers for hair removal under the Board of Nursing’s declaratory ruling |
| Physician assistant | May use lasers for hair removal |
| Unlicensed personnel | Delegation governed by COMAR 10.32.09; not for surgical acts |
| Business entity | May not practise medicine or employ physicians to do so |
Calling laser hair removal a surgical act is not rhetorical. It sets the ceiling on who may perform it and it frames how every downstream delegation question is answered.
What MDside provides in Maryland
- A Maryland-licensed MD or DO as medical director, doing the work rather than lending a name.
- A structure that keeps physicians out of an employment relationship with a business entity, which is the specific thing § 14-303(a) prohibits.
- The professional entity and management agreement built to Maryland rather than to a national template.
- Licensed physicians for the good faith exams behind prescriptions and injectables.
- 503A and 503B pharmacy relationships and lab draws.
See what is included, or book a call and tell us which states you operate in.
Read the detail on Maryland
Frequently asked questions
Can a corporation own a med spa in Maryland?
A business entity may not practise medicine or employ physicians to provide professional medical services under § 14-303(a). Non-licensees participate by owning a management services organisation.
Who may perform laser hair removal in Maryland?
The Board of Physicians treats it as a surgical act. Physicians, certified nurse practitioners, registered nurses under the Board of Nursing’s declaratory ruling, and physician assistants may perform it.
What governs delegation to unlicensed staff?
COMAR 10.32.09, with physician responsibility and documented training.
General information about Maryland 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 Maryland.