May an esthetician or laser technician perform microneedling in Illinois?
Oversight · part of The Practice Perimeter
✅ ILLINOIS NAMES MICRONEEDLING AS THE PRACTICE OF MEDICINE, AND SETS NO DEPTH THAT MAKES IT LAWFUL. IDFPR has stated that the following are the practice of medicine and outside the scope of a cosmetologist or esthetician: botulinum toxin, chemical peels other than superficial peels, collagen injections, colonics, liposuction, microblading, microneedling and radiofrequency. Unlike the states that draw a depth line, Illinois puts the procedure itself on the far side of the license.
IDFPR Statement on Prohibited Practices (IDFPR/IDPH med spa memo) · verified Sep 2, 2026 · regulatory monitoring, not legal advice
The rest of what Illinois says on this
Every other rule we have verified under physician supervision & delegation, each linked to its primary source.
The use of a Class 3b or Class 4 laser, an intense pulsed-light device, a radiofrequency device or a medical microwave device for dermatologic conditions or cosmetic procedures that disrupt the epidermal surface of the skin — ablative or non-ablative — is the practice of medicine, and may be performed only by a licensed physician or under delegation as the Section provides.
68 Ill. Adm. Code 1285.336 (as stated in the IDFPR/IDPH med spa memo) · verified Aug 17, 2026
A physician may delegate ABLATIVE procedures to a licensed practical nurse, a registered professional nurse, a full practice authority APRN or another person only with on-site supervision by the physician. For NON-ABLATIVE procedures the physician may instead be available by telephone or other electronic means to respond promptly to any question or complication.
68 Ill. Adm. Code 1285.336 · verified Aug 17, 2026
Anyone delegated an ablative or non-ablative procedure must have received appropriate, documented training and education in the safe and effective use of each system used — competence on one device is not competence on the next.
68 Ill. Adm. Code 1285.336 · verified Aug 17, 2026
In an office or practice setting and within a physician-patient relationship, a physician may delegate patient care tasks to an unlicensed person who has appropriate training and experience, provided a health care professional is on site to provide assistance. Delegation may be by oral, written or electronic means, by standing orders, protocols, guidelines or verbal orders.
225 ILCS 60/54.2(b), (f) · verified Aug 17, 2026
A task that is mandated by statute or by rule to be performed by a physician may not be delegated at all, and anything that is delegated must sit within the scope of practice, education, training or experience of the delegating physician.
225 ILCS 60/54.2(a), (c) · verified Aug 17, 2026
In an office or practice setting and within a physician-patient relationship, a physician may delegate patient care tasks or duties to an unlicensed person who possesses appropriate training and experience, provided a health care professional who is practicing within the scope of that professional's individual licensing Act is on site to provide assistance; and any such task or duty delegated to a licensed or unlicensed person must be within the scope of practice, education, training, or experience of the delegating physician and within the context of a physician-patient relationship.
225 ILCS 60/54.2(b)–(c) · verified Sep 8, 2026
How other states answer this
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
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- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
Related Illinois questions
- Does a med spa in Illinois need a medical director?
- What must the supervising physician actually do in Illinois?
- Who may operate a cosmetic laser in Illinois?
- Can a medical assistant give injections in Illinois?
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← All Illinois 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).