Arkansas Med Spa Regulations
Arkansas has no med-spa-specific statute or rule (a proposed 2020 Medical Board rule was withdrawn); cosmetic injections and lasers are the "practice of medicine" governed by the Medical Practices Act and Board regulations, performable by physicians, APRNs, and PAs, or by RNs under a prescriber's order, while entity ownership is statutorily limited to Medical-Practices-Act licensees despite a documented APRN-ownership gray area.
Last reviewed: 2026-07-21
Who can inject Botox and dermal fillers in Arkansas?
Cosmetic injectables (Botox, dermal fillers) are the practice of medicine in Arkansas. They may be performed by a physician (MD/DO), an APRN with prescriptive authority, or a physician assistant acting under a supervising physician's delegation; a registered nurse (RN) may administer injections only pursuant to a patient-specific order (standing orders permitted) written by a delegating physician or supervising APRN. The Board of Nursing expressly places aesthetic procedures outside the scope of an LPN or licensed psychiatric technician nurse.
Source: AR State Board of Nursing Position Statement 21-1, Role of the Licensed Nurse in the Practice of Aesthetics (adopted 2021, rev. 2022), AR State Medical Board Regulation 31, Physician Delegation of Medical Tasks, AR State Medical Board Rule 24, Rules Governing Physician Assistants
Does Arkansas require a good-faith exam before treatment?
Arkansas does not use the statutory term 'good faith exam,' but requires its functional equivalent. Aesthetic procedures 'shall be prescribed by a qualified physician or an APRN with prescriptive authority,' and an RN performs them only under a patient-specific order from the delegating physician/APRN that includes a patient-specific diagnosis (AR Board of Nursing Position Statement 21-1). The underlying physician-side requirement is Arkansas State Medical Board Regulation No. 2, Section 8 ('Requiring minimum standards for establishing physician/patient relationships'), not Regulation 22 (which is the Laser Surgery Guidelines regulation and contains no diagnose-before-delegate/prescribe provision). Regulation 2, Section 8 provides that a physician exhibits gross negligence — a ground for license discipline under Ark. Code Ann. § 17-95-409(a)(2)(G) — if he provides or recommends any treatment, including prescribing legend drugs, without first establishing a proper physician/patient relationship, defined at minimum as either (a) a history and physical examination adequate to establish a diagnosis and identify contraindications to the treatment, or (b) personal knowledge of the patient's general health status through an ongoing personal/professional relationship, with appropriate follow-up. Telehealth can satisfy this: under the Telemedicine Act, telemedicine may be used to establish the professional relationship only for situations in which the standard of care does not require an in-person encounter, and the relationship is NOT established solely through an internet questionnaire, email message, patient-generated medical history, text messaging, facsimile, or any combination of those (A.C.A. § 17-80-403).
Source: AR State Board of Nursing Position Statement 21-1, Role of the Licensed Nurse in the Practice of Aesthetics, AR State Medical Board Regulation No. 2, Section 8 — Minimum standards for establishing physician/patient relationships (Arkansas Register, May 2002 filing), Ark. Code Ann. § 17-95-409(a)(2)(G), Denial, suspension, or revocation — grounds (grossly negligent or ignorant malpractice), Ark. Code Ann. § 17-80-403, Establishment of professional relationship (Telemedicine Act)
Does a med spa in Arkansas need a medical director?
Arkansas has no med-spa-specific statute and does not require a med spa to appoint a titled 'medical director' (a proposed 2020 Board rule addressing aesthetic oversight was withdrawn). Because injectables and lasers are the practice of medicine, however, the procedures must be prescribed and ordered by a physician or an APRN with prescriptive authority, who remains responsible and available; the medical acts of an RN require a delegating physician or supervising APRN, and those of a PA require a supervising physician. In effect a supervising/prescribing clinician is required even though no 'medical director' designation is codified.
Source: AR State Board of Nursing Position Statement 21-1, Role of the Licensed Nurse in the Practice of Aesthetics, AR State Medical Board, Arkansas Medical Practices Acts & Regulations — Regulation 22, Laser Surgery Guidelines, AR State Medical Board Regulation 31, Physician Delegation of Medical Tasks
Can a non-physician own a med spa in Arkansas?
By statute, only persons licensed under the Arkansas Medical Practices Act may form, own, or control a medical corporation or professional LLC that provides medical services: a medical corporation may be formed and staffed only by such licensees (A.C.A. § 4-29-305), all officers, directors, and shareholders must be so licensed, and no unlicensed person may participate in ownership, management, or control (A.C.A. § 4-29-307). The Board of Nursing's own overview notes the Nurse Practice Act is silent on entity ownership and that many Arkansas clinics are in fact owned and operated by APRNs, creating a documented regulatory gray area rather than clear permission.
What supervision does Arkansas require for med-spa procedures?
For RN-performed aesthetics, the RN must work under a patient-specific order (standing orders allowed if documented in the record and reviewed annually) from a delegating physician or supervising APRN, who must be available in person or through electronic communication during the procedure (Position Statement 21-1). Physician assistants practice under a supervising physician per a Board-approved practice/delegation agreement, with the physician available for immediate telephone contact (Rule 24). An APRN who lacks full independent practice authority must maintain a current collaborative practice agreement with a physician to hold prescriptive authority (17 CAR § 123-601, § 123-207).
Source: AR State Board of Nursing Position Statement 21-1, Role of the Licensed Nurse in the Practice of Aesthetics, AR State Medical Board Rule 24, Rules Governing Physician Assistants, AR Admin. Code 17 CAR § 123 (APRN prescriptive authority; collaborative practice agreement / full practice authority)
What can an esthetician legally do in Arkansas?
An Arkansas-licensed aesthetician's scope is limited to non-medical, external skin care — 'beautifying the body by cleaning, waxing, externally manipulating, or stimulating the body by means of the hands, devices, apparatus, or appliances with or without the use of cosmetic preparations, antiseptics, tonics, lotions, and creams' (Rules for Cosmetology and Body Art § 201(a); the aesthetics curriculum covers facials, makeup, and hair removal). Injectables and medical/ablative lasers are the practice of medicine and fall outside an aesthetician's scope, and even aesthetic nursing procedures are outside the scope of an LPN.
Source: AR Dept. of Health, Rules for Cosmetology and Body Art in Arkansas — § 201(a) Aesthetician, AR State Medical Board Regulation 22, Laser Surgery Guidelines (lasers = practice of medicine), AR State Board of Nursing Position Statement 21-1 (LPN excluded from aesthetics)
Who can operate a cosmetic laser in Arkansas?
The Arkansas State Medical Board finds that the use of medical lasers on humans for therapeutic or cosmetic purposes constitutes the practice of medicine (Regulation 22, Laser Surgery Guidelines; surgery is defined to include cutting, altering, or infiltrating tissue by lasers). Lasers must therefore be operated by, or under the responsibility and supervision of, a physician (or an APRN acting within authority); a physician may delegate the procedure to appropriately trained personnel such as an RN only after personally diagnosing the patient and prescribing the treatment, and remains legally responsible for the delegated act.
Source: AR State Medical Board Regulation 22, Laser Surgery Guidelines (Arkansas Medical Practices Acts & Regulations), AR State Medical Board Regulation 31, Physician Delegation of Medical Tasks
What are the rules for IV therapy and vitamin drips in Arkansas?
Arkansas has no med-spa-specific IV-therapy rule. IV hydration/vitamin therapy uses prescription fluids and drugs, which must be ordered by a physician or an APRN with prescriptive authority; a registered nurse may then administer the IV under that patient-specific or standing order, consistent with the nursing framework for aesthetics (Position Statement 21-1) and the physician-delegation rule, under which delegated drug administration is permitted only within the delegating physician's office setting and never for anesthesia (Regulation 31). LPNs may not perform aesthetic procedures, and unlicensed persons may not administer IV medications.
Source: AR State Board of Nursing Position Statement 21-1, Role of the Licensed Nurse in the Practice of Aesthetics, AR State Medical Board Regulation 31, Physician Delegation of Medical Tasks (drug administration within office; no anesthesia)
Does a med spa have to register or hold a license in Arkansas?
Arkansas does not license or register 'medical spas' as a distinct facility type, and a proposed 2020 Board rule on aesthetic practices was withdrawn, so no med-spa permit exists. A business that provides medical services must instead be organized as a medical corporation or professional LLC; a PLLC engaged in the practice of medicine must obtain a certificate of registration from the Arkansas State Medical Board and comply with the Medical Corporation Act (A.C.A. § 4-38-1203). That entity registration, not any med-spa-specific license, is the only facility-level requirement.
What are the penalties for practicing outside scope in Arkansas?
Practicing medicine without complying with the Medical Practices Act — which includes performing cosmetic injections or laser 'surgery' without a license or proper delegation — is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of $250 to $500 and/or 1 to 11 months in the county jail, with each day of practice a separate offense; such practice is declared a public nuisance and may be enjoined by the courts (A.C.A. § 17-95-402). Separately, a licensed physician who violates the Act (for example, through improper delegation) is subject to Board discipline including license revocation, suspension, probation, reprimand, and fines up to $1,000 per violation (A.C.A. § 17-95-410).
Source: AR State Medical Board, Arkansas Medical Practices Acts & Regulations — A.C.A. § 17-95-402, Penalties/Injunction (unlicensed practice = misdemeanor, public nuisance), Ark. Code Ann. § 17-95-410 (Board disciplinary penalties, fines up to $1,000 per violation)
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This information is provided for general educational purposes only and is not legal advice. Regulations change — verify current requirements with your state medical/nursing board before acting.