Medical Spa Laws and Requirements in Nashville

Under Tennessee law, a medical spa is any business that provides cosmetic medical services, which are procedures that alter living tissue to improve a patient’s appearance. While there are no regulations specific to Nashville, this guide will walk you through the statewide requirements you must follow to operate a compliant and successful practice.

How Medical Spa Laws Work in Nashville

Understanding the medical spa laws in Nashville begins with recognizing the state's legal definitions. A medical spa is an entity performing cosmetic medical services capable of altering living tissue, which distinguishes it from a traditional day spa. This classification is the primary reason for different med spa regulations and compliance requirements.

Because these services are considered the practice of medicine, they are regulated far more strictly to ensure patient safety. This framework establishes clear medical spa requirements in Nashville, covering everything from procedures to HIPAA compliance. Adhering to these rules is fundamental for your operational success.

Several state-level agencies oversee these operations, with the Tennessee Board of Medical Examiners and the Board of Nursing playing central roles. These boards dictate supervision rules and scope of practice, which directly impacts who can own a med spa. While the Board of Cosmetology licenses aestheticians, it does not regulate the medical facility itself.

Medical Spa Requirements in Nashville

To operate successfully, you must understand several key areas of med spa compliance. The medical spa laws in Nashville are defined by statewide med spa regulations, which dictate everything from who can own a med spa to how you can advertise your services. We will cover the strict physician-ownership models, annual registration duties, and the specific supervision required for your staff. Following these medical spa requirements in Nashville is crucial for building a lasting and compliant practice.

Medical Spa Ownership & Business Structure Requirements in Nashville

Medical spa ownership laws in Nashville are dictated by Tennessee's strict adherence to the Corporate Practice of Medicine (CPOM) doctrine. This legal framework means that only a licensed physician, or a physician in partnership with specific professionals like physician assistants or podiatrists, can own a med spa. Consequently, non-physicians are prohibited from having any direct ownership stake in the medical practice itself.

While direct ownership is off the table for non-physicians, you can participate in the business through a Management Services Organization (MSO) structure. In this compliant model, a non-physician-owned company provides non-clinical services to the physician-owned med spa for a fee. The medical practice itself must be formed as a professional corporation or a similar physician-owned entity to meet state med spa regulations.

Every med spa must appoint a licensed physician as its medical director, who is responsible for registering the practice annually with the state and overseeing all clinical operations. This role requires active involvement, including establishing formal collaboration agreements with nurse practitioners and physician assistants and supervising all delegated medical tasks. Fulfilling these medical spa requirements in Nashville is fundamental to ensuring both med spa compliance and patient safety.

Facility, Licensing, and Compliance Requirements in Nashville

To secure a medical spa license in Nashville, you must first understand that compliance is handled at the state level through mandatory registration. Your appointed medical director is required to register the facility annually with the Tennessee Board of Medical Examiners. Additionally, all spas in Nashville must display the medical director’s name on-site and in all advertising to meet state med spa regulations.

As medical facilities, med spas must adhere to federal safety and privacy standards, including OSHA and HIPAA. This involves implementing clear policies for infection control, bloodborne pathogens, and laser safety to satisfy OSHA requirements. Beyond federal law, Tennessee has its own HIPAA-style statute that adds another layer of protection for patient data, a critical component of med spa compliance.

Protecting your practice requires carrying the right insurance, including mandatory malpractice coverage and recommended general and product liability policies. Your advertising must be truthful and include practitioner qualifications, and Tennessee law also prohibits paying for referrals through discount sites. Finally, you must maintain patient records for at least ten years after the last contact, fulfilling a key operational duty.

Who Can Perform Medical Spa Procedures in Nashville?

In Tennessee, procedures that alter living tissue for aesthetic results—including injectables, microneedling, and laser treatments—are considered cosmetic medical services. This classification as the practice of medicine is central to the med spa regulations that determine who can perform treatments. Understanding this scope of practice is a core part of maintaining med spa compliance for spas in Nashville.

Answering the question of who can inject Botox in Nashville involves a hierarchy of licensed professionals. Physicians, physician assistants (PAs), and nurse practitioners (NPs) may perform medical services like injectables and laser treatments, provided it is within their scope and any required collaborative agreements. Registered nurses (RNs) can also perform many of these procedures, including microneedling and IV therapy, when properly delegated.

Delegation requires strict supervision; for an RN to perform a delegated medical task, a physician, PA, or NP must be present on-site. The state's laser regulations for Nashville also permit licensed electrologists to perform laser hair removal, while aestheticians are limited to non-medical skin treatments. Medical assistants cannot be delegated medical treatments like injections or laser procedures, and all patients must receive a good faith exam from a physician, PA, or NP before their first procedure.

Laser & Energy Device Regulations in Nashville

Tennessee's laser regulations for Nashville define energy devices as tools for cosmetic medical services, since they use a "displaced energy form" to alter living tissue. State med spa regulations permit only certain licensed professionals—such as physicians, PAs, and APRNs—to operate these devices, along with licensed electrologists. Registered nurses (RNs) may also perform these treatments, but only when the task is properly delegated by a qualified supervisor.

Meeting the medical spa requirements in Nashville means adhering to strict supervision and training standards for these procedures. For an RN to perform a delegated laser treatment, a physician, PA, or NP must be physically present on-site, and electrologists must complete a 600-hour course for state licensure. While Tennessee law does not mandate specific adverse event reporting for lasers, med spa compliance with OSHA requires you to maintain a laser safety policy and appoint a safety officer.

Medical Spa Enforcement, Penalties & Risk Management in Nashville

Failing to adhere to the medical spa laws in Nashville can expose your practice to significant risk. Tennessee's regulatory boards actively enforce these rules to protect public safety, and violations can result in serious consequences that jeopardize your business. Enforcement actions range from cease-and-desist orders and substantial fines to professional discipline against the medical director, including license suspension or revocation. For spas in Nashville, maintaining med spa compliance is not just a legal formality—it's a fundamental part of your risk management strategy.

Many violations stem from a few common missteps. Understanding these pitfalls is the first step toward avoiding them. Here are some of the most frequent mistakes that lead to penalties:

• Improper Delegation and Supervision: Delegating a medical task to an unqualified individual or failing to provide the required on-site supervision for RNs is a serious offense
• Unlicensed Practice of Medicine: This often occurs when non-physicians have ownership or control over clinical decisions, violating the state's rules on who can own a med spa and who can open a med spa
• Misleading Advertising: Promoting services without clearly identifying the medical director or using prohibited referral-for-payment models can attract regulatory scrutiny

Proactive measures are your best defense against enforcement actions. Building a culture of compliance protects your investment and your patients. To stay compliant with med spa regulations, which often reflect broader trends in med spa laws by state, we recommend implementing these best practices:

• Conduct Regular Audits: Periodically review your operations against the medical spa requirements Nashville has in place, from ownership structure to patient record-keeping
• Invest in Staff Training: Document all training sessions on protocols, safety, and compliance so every team member understands their scope of practice
• Maintain Thorough Documentation: Keep detailed records of everything, including patient exams, delegation protocols, and collaborative agreements, to demonstrate your commitment to med spa compliance

Stay Compliant with Portrait Care in Nashville

Navigating Nashville's medical spa regulations means focusing on a few critical areas: physician-only ownership laws, annual state registration, and direct supervision for delegated tasks. Adhering to federal and state rules for patient records and advertising is also fundamental to operating a successful practice. To help you get started, you can learn more about opening a compliant med spa with our detailed guide.

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. We strongly recommend consulting with a qualified healthcare attorney to address your specific circumstances.

At Portrait Care, we provide the technology and support to help you run a smarter, compliant, and faster-growing clinic. Discover how our all-in-one platform can simplify your operations and schedule your demo today.