Who may operate a cosmetic laser in Montana?
Oversight · part of The Practice Perimeter
Short answer
The cited rules do not settle this — they define a procedure that cuts or alters tissue by laser energy as "surgery," and surgery may never be delegated to a medical assistant, but they name no class of operator authorized for cosmetic lasers generally.
"Supervision" may be of the following types: (i) "Direct supervision" means the supervisor is physically present with the person being supervised; (ii) "On-site supervision" means the supervisor must be in the facility and quickly available to the person being supervised. (o) "Surgery" means any procedure in which human tissue is cut or altered by mechanical or energy forms, including electrical or laser energy or ionizing radiation.
Mont. Admin. R. 24.156.403(1)(n)-(o) · verified Sep 8, 2026 · regulatory monitoring, not legal advice
Related Montana rules
"Practice of medicine" means the diagnosis, treatment, or correction of or the attempt to or the holding of oneself out as being able to diagnose, treat, or correct human conditions, ailments, diseases, injuries, or infirmities, whether physical or mental, by any means, methods, devices, or instrumentalities, including electronic and technological means such as telemedicine. If a person who does not possess a license to practice medicine in this state under this chapter and who is not exempt from the licensing requirements of this chapter performs acts constituting the practice of medicine, the person is practicing medicine in violation of this chapter.
Mont. Code Ann. § 37-3-102(11) · verified Sep 8, 2026
The board shall adopt guidelines by administrative rule for: (a) the performance of administrative and clinical tasks by a medical assistant that are allowed to be delegated by a physician, physician assistant, or podiatrist, including the administration of medications; and (b) the level of physician, physician assistant, or podiatrist supervision required for a medical assistant when performing specified administrative and clinical tasks delegated by a physician, physician assistant, or podiatrist. However, the board shall adopt a rule requiring onsite supervision of a medical assistant by a physician, physician assistant, or podiatrist for invasive procedures, administration of medication, or allergy testing.
Mont. Code Ann. § 37-3-104(1) · verified Sep 8, 2026
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← All Montana 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).