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Can a non-physician own a med spa in District of Columbia?

Ownership · part of The Practice Perimeter

⛔ THE DISTRICT REQUIRES EVERY SHAREHOLDER, DIRECTOR AND OFFICER TO BE LICENSED — AND THEN EXPRESSLY DECLINES TO REQUIRE THEM TO WORK THERE. A professional corporation may be organized solely to render professional services through its shareholders, directors, officers, employees or agents who are themselves licensed, and a person may not be a shareholder, director or officer, or render professional services on its behalf, unless they are an individual licensed to render a professional service for which the corporation is organized — with one narrow exception, that a single-shareholder corporation’s secretary need not be licensed, and must not perform professional services if they are not. The definition says the same from the other direction: shareholders may be only individuals duly licensed to render THE SAME professional service as the corporation. But §29-508(c) is the provision to read before structuring anything: nothing in the chapter requires a shareholder or incorporator to have a present or future EMPLOYMENT relationship with the corporation, or actively to participate in any capacity in the production of its income or the performance of its professional services. Licensure is required; labor is not. The Health Occupations Revision Act then reaches the arrangement from the disciplinary side: paying or agreeing to pay anything of value to, or splitting or dividing fees for professional services with, any person for bringing or referring a patient is a ground for disciplinary action.

Drawn from 7 verified rules in this section · regulatory monitoring, not legal advice

The rest of what District of Columbia says on this

Every other rule we have verified under ownership & corporate practice of medicine, each linked to its primary source.

  • A professional corporation may be organized solely to render professional services through its shareholders, directors, officers, employees, or agents who are themselves licensed to render the particular service, and to render service ancillary thereto. A professional corporation may employ individuals who are not licensed, but they shall not perform professional services.

    D.C. Code §29-505(a) (Purpose for organization; powers authorized) · verified Sep 3, 2026

  • A disciplinary action may be taken against a person who submits false statements to collect fees for which services are not provided or submits statements to collect fees for services which are not medically necessary.

    D.C. Code §3-1205.14(a)(13) · verified Sep 3, 2026

  • A person shall not be a shareholder, director, or officer of a professional corporation or render professional services on its behalf unless the person is an individual licensed to render a professional service for which the corporation is organized; provided, that if a professional corporation has only one shareholder, the secretary of the corporation need not be licensed to perform, and shall not perform if not so licensed, such professional services.

    D.C. Code §29-508(b) · verified Sep 3, 2026

  • Nothing in this chapter shall require a shareholder or incorporator of a professional corporation to have a present or future employment relationship with the corporation or actively to participate in any capacity in the production of income of, or performance of professional service by, such corporation.

    D.C. Code §29-508(c) · verified Sep 3, 2026

  • "Professional corporation" means a corporation organized under this chapter solely for the specific purposes provided under this chapter and which has, as its shareholders, only individuals who themselves are duly licensed to render the same professional service as the corporation.

    D.C. Code §29-502(2) · verified Sep 3, 2026

  • A disciplinary action may be taken against a person who pays or agrees to pay anything of value to, or splits or divides fees for professional services with, any person for bringing or referring a patient.

    D.C. Code §3-1205.14(a)(14) · verified Sep 3, 2026

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← All District of Columbia rules and changes · MedSpaRadar is regulatory monitoring and reference, not legal, medical, or compliance advice. Verify against the linked primary source and consult qualified counsel before acting — rules change and turn on your specific facts. Legislative data via LegiScan (CC BY 4.0).