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Does a med spa have to register or hold a license in District of Columbia?

Facility · part of The Practice Perimeter

No person may practice, attempt to practice, or OFFER to practice a health occupation regulated under the chapter unless currently licensed, registered or certified, or exempted — and “person” is defined to include a corporation, firm, partnership, society, school or other entity, so the prohibition reaches the business as well as the individual. These claims do not create a med-spa or facility registration regime; they make offering the regulated service without a credential unlawful whoever offers it. The cosmetology rules add a PREMISES license and its price. No person may operate a salon or shop in the District without the appropriate business licenses; each salon or shop owner obtains a salon or shop license from the Board without examination, one license per place of business with the appropriate fee for each; and the Beauty and Grooming Services License issues only after the Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection has verified the professional license, compliance, payment of the fees the Director establishes, and a Certificate of Occupancy. The licensing-fee chapter prices the practitioner: a cosmetologist pays a $65.00 application fee and $110.00 for a license of up to two years, $110.00 to renew ($155.00 for managers and instructors) and $50.00 for late renewal; a barber pays the same $65.00 and $110.00, including for an owner license. The licenses the Board issues include the esthetician, the master esthetician and the shop and salon owner. On compounded drugs what is on record is DEFINITIONAL, and should be read as no more than that: the pharmacy regulations define compounding as preparation on a practitioner’s prescription drug order, or for research, teaching or analysis and not for sale or dispensing, and include preparation IN ANTICIPATION of prescription orders based on routine, regularly observed prescribing patterns; a pharmacist must direct and supervise all compounding and the pharmacy must log every compounded drug; and the Health Occupations Revision Act places the compounding of drugs, as authorized by federal and District law, inside the practice of pharmacy. These claims do not survey a District rule on non-patient-specific or office-use compounded supply, and whether a compounded semaglutide or tirzepatide product may be supplied to or stocked by a med spa is not answered by them.

Drawn from 10 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 med-spa registration & licensing, each linked to its primary source.

  • No person shall practice, attempt to practice, or offer to practice a health occupation licensed, registered, certified, or regulated under this chapter in the District unless currently licensed, registered, or certified, or exempted from licensure, registration, or certification, under this chapter.

    D.C. Code §3-1210.01 (Practicing without license, registration, or certification) · verified Sep 3, 2026

  • Person means an individual, corporation, trustee, receiver, guardian, representative, firm, partnership, society, school, or other entity.

    D.C. Code §3-1201.01(11) (“Person” defined) · verified Sep 3, 2026

  • The examination, annual license fees and criminal background check fees for each class of license issued by the Department of Health shall be as follows: COSMETOLOGISTS: Application $65.00; License $110.00 (up to 2 years); Renewal $110.00 (up to 2 years); Renewal (Managers & Instructors) $155.00; Late Renewal Fee $50.00; Reinstated License $110.00 (up to 2 years). BARBERS: Application $65.00; License: (1) Barber $110.00 (up to 2 years) (2) Manager $110.00 (up to 2 years) (3) Instructor $110.00 (up to 2 years) (4) Owner $110.00 (up to 2 years).

    17 DCMR § 3500.1 (Licensing Fees — Cosmetologists; Barbers) · verified Sep 7, 2026

  • No person shall operate a salon or shop anywhere in the District without first having obtained the appropriate Business licenses, registrations, and/or certificates. Each salon or shop owner shall apply for and obtain from the Board a salon or shop license that shall be issued without examination. A license shall be obtained for each place of business and the appropriate fee shall be paid for each license.

    17 DCMR § 3716.1, .3, .5 (Barbershops and Cosmetology Salons) · verified Sep 7, 2026

  • Beauty and Grooming Services License to operate a salon or shop in the District shall be issued until the Director of the Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection has done the following: (a) Determined that the applicant has complied with all applicable laws and regulations enforced by the Department; (b) Verified that the proper barber, cosmetology, or specialty cosmetology professional license required by this chapter has been issued; and (c) Determined that the applicant has paid the applicable fees as established by the Director and has been issued the appropriate Certificate of Occupancy.

    17 DCMR § 3716.2 (Barbershops and Cosmetology Salons — Beauty and Grooming Services License) · verified Sep 7, 2026

  • The following licenses or certificates of registration shall be issued to natural persons as required by the Barber and Cosmetology Board pursuant to D.C. Official Code § 47-2853.08: among them Esthetician, which shall authorize the holder to engage in the practice of esthetics; Master esthetician, which shall authorize the holder to engage in the practice of master esthetics; and Barber, Cosmetology, or Specialty Cosmetology Shop and Salon Owner;

    17 DCMR § 3702.1 (Licenses Required) · verified Sep 7, 2026

  • Anticipatory compounding for later dispensing is inside the District's definition. Compounding - the preparation, mixing, assembling, packaging, or labeling of a drug or device as the result of a practitioner's prescription drug order or for the purpose of, or as an incident to, research, teaching, or chemical analysis and not for sale or dispensing. Compounding also includes the preparation of drugs or devices in anticipation of prescription drug orders based on routine, regularly observed prescribing patterns.

    22-B DCMR § 1999.1 (Pharmacies — Definitions: “Compounding”) · verified Sep 7, 2026

  • A pharmacist shall direct and supervise the compounding, repackaging, or prepackaging of drugs and make the final verification of the prepackaged product and document the verification. A pharmacy shall keep a log of drugs that have been compounded, repackaged, or prepackaged under a pharmacist's supervision.

    22-B DCMR § 1911.8-.9 (Packaging and Handling of Drugs and Medical Devices) · verified Sep 7, 2026

  • "Practice of pharmacy" means the interpretation and evaluation of prescription orders; the dispensing and labeling of drugs, devices, and biologicals; the compounding of drugs as authorized by federal and District law;

    D.C. Code §3-1201.02(11)(A)(i) (“Practice of pharmacy” defined) · verified Sep 7, 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).