Who may operate a cosmetic laser in District of Columbia?
Oversight · part of The Practice Perimeter
The practice of basic esthetics is limited to listed skin care procedures done for cosmetic purposes and not for the treatment of medical, physical, or mental ailments, and its hair-removal component is limited to removing superfluous hair by means other than electrolysis, laser procedures, or intense pulsed light.
17 DCMR § 3799.1 (Definitions — “Practice of basic esthetics”) · verified Sep 8, 2026 · regulatory monitoring, not legal advice
Related District of Columbia rules
The practice of medicine includes offering or performing any type of invasive procedure of the body, whether through a body opening or a cutting of the skin, or otherwise affecting the layer of skin below the stratum corneum, for surgical, therapeutic, or cosmetic purposes, excluding procedures known as body tattooing or body piercing.
D.C. Code §3-1201.02(7)(A)(iv) · verified Sep 3, 2026
Nothing in this paragraph shall be construed as preventing or restricting other health professionals from offering or undertaking any type of invasive procedure of the body, whether through a body opening or a cutting of the skin, or otherwise affecting the layer of skin below the stratum corneum, for surgical, therapeutic, or cosmetic purposes, if the procedure has been authorized by a licensed physician; or is performed by an advanced practice registered nurse, an anesthesiologist assistant, a dentist, a physician assistant, a podiatrist, a practical nurse, a registered nurse, or a surgical assistant who has received the necessary training and experience to perform the procedure in a safe and effective manner.
D.C. Code §3-1201.02(7)(B) · verified Sep 3, 2026
How other states answer this
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Florida
- Georgia
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Louisiana
- Maryland
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
Related District of Columbia questions
- Does a med spa in District of Columbia need a medical director?
- What must the supervising physician actually do in District of Columbia?
- Can a medical assistant give injections in District of Columbia?
- May an esthetician or laser technician perform microneedling in District of Columbia?
Get District of Columbia changes as they publish
We scan the District of Columbia legislature and licensing boards daily, plus the FDA and the Federal Register. Free weekly Brief — what changed, in plain language, with the source.
Free · unsubscribe in one click · we never sell your address
← All District of Columbia rules and changes · MedSpaRadar is regulatory monitoring and reference: it summarizes public laws, regulations and agency actions and links each to its source. It is not legal, medical, or compliance advice, and using it creates no attorney-client relationship. A summary can lag its source or leave out detail, and monitoring itself can be interrupted — so an absence of alerts means nothing reached you, not that nothing happened. Read the cited source, check its effective date, and confirm any change to your operations or clinical practice with qualified health-law counsel and your medical director. Legislative data via LegiScan (CC BY 4.0).