Kentucky Advertising Rules for Medical and Wellness Practices
A sourced summary of Kentucky statutes and board regulations that govern advertising by physicians, chiropractors, dentists, and nurses. Every rule below was verified against the primary statute or regulation text on the cited date. Educational summary, not legal advice.
Verified against Kentucky Board of Medical Licensure sources, 2026-07-02
Educational summary for practice owners. Not legal advice.
Extravagant claims and cure promises by physicians
KRS 311.597(2) declares it dishonorable, unethical, or unprofessional conduct for a licensee to issue, publish, or make oral or written representations containing grossly improbable or extravagant statements with a tendency to deceive or defraud the public. This expressly includes claiming to cure or treat diseases, ailments, or infirmities by any method or treatment the licensee knows or has reason to know has little or no therapeutic value, and holding oneself out as able to treat conditions under a system of practice for which the licensee holds no license, degree, or accredited credential. The statute states that actual injury to a patient need not be established.
KRS 311.597 checked 2026-07-02
General discipline standard: deceptive conduct and fraudulent cure representations
KRS 311.595 lets the board deny, restrict, suspend, or revoke a license where the licensee has engaged in dishonorable, unethical, or unprofessional conduct of a character likely to deceive, defraud, or harm the public (subsection 9), or has obtained a fee on the fraudulent representation that a manifestly incurable condition could be cured (subsection 15). Practicing under a false or assumed name is a separate ground under subsection 14. These are the disciplinary hooks that Kentucky applies to misleading practice marketing, since the Medical Practice Act contains no standalone advertising code.
KRS 311.595 checked 2026-07-02
Referral fees and fee-splitting
KRS 311.595(19) makes it a disciplinable offense to give or receive, directly or indirectly, any fee, commission, rebate, or other compensation for sending, referring, or otherwise inducing a person to communicate with a physician, or for professional services not actually and personally rendered. The statute carves out legitimate partnerships, associations, and professional service corporations among licensed physicians, and fee division with the patient's full knowledge in proportion to services performed. Paid patient-referral arrangements dressed up as marketing sit inside this prohibition.
KRS 311.595(19) checked 2026-07-02
Aiding unlicensed practice
Under KRS 311.595(11), a physician who employs any person not duly licensed as a practitioner of medicine, or otherwise aids, assists, or abets the unlawful practice of medicine or any other healing art, is subject to discipline. For practices that advertise physician-grade services delivered by non-physician staff, the advertising and the underlying staffing model are evaluated together: promoting services the practice cannot lawfully deliver through its actual personnel implicates both this subsection and the deception standard in subsection 9.
KRS 311.595(11) checked 2026-07-02
Med spa delegation and supervision (Board of Nursing)
The Kentucky Board of Nursing's med spa guidance states that it is outside the scope of practice for an RN to independently practice, order products, prescribe treatments, or perform medical aesthetic procedures such as Botox or dermal fillers. A qualified healthcare provider (physician, PA, dentist, or APRN) must establish the treatment plan; RNs may then implement interventions and administer medications as prescribed and supervised, including under standing orders or protocol. Advertising a nurse-run injectable service with no qualified provider establishing plans of care misdescribes what Kentucky permits.
KBN, RN Med Spas guidance (AOS #35) checked 2026-07-02
Chiropractic advertising: identification and discount rescission
201 KAR 21:065 permits chiropractors to advertise through any medium if the advertisement is not false, deceptive, or misleading. If the word chiropractic is not in the business name, the ad must name at least one doctor in the office and clearly identify them as a doctor of chiropractic, or otherwise make clear the office is a chiropractic office. Any advertisement of free or discounted services must carry notice, in print no smaller than 10 point font, of the consumer's 72 hour right of rescission, and the licensee must produce a copy of the advertisement (including audio or video) if a complaint arises.
201 KAR 21:065 checked 2026-07-02
Dental discipline posture
KRS 313.080 subjects dentists, hygienists, and dental assistants to discipline for violating any provision of the chapter or any board regulation, for fraud or deceit, and for acting in a manner inconsistent with the moral or ethical standards of the discipline. The statute contains no advertising-specific subsection, and our review of the board's practice regulations (201 KAR Chapter 8) found no standalone dental advertising rule; misleading marketing by a Kentucky dental practice would be pursued under these general ethics and fraud grounds.
KRS 313.080 checked 2026-07-02
What this means by practice type
Med spas
Kentucky evaluates the marketing and the delivery model together. Ads for injectables, lasers, or IV services should accurately reflect that a qualified healthcare provider establishes each treatment plan and that nurses administer under prescription and supervision; copy implying independent nurse or aesthetician practice misstates the Board of Nursing's published scope guidance. Any supervising physician also carries KRS 311.595(11) exposure for aiding unlicensed practice.(KBN, RN Med Spas guidance (AOS #35))
Chiropractic
Kentucky is unusually specific here. If the clinic name does not include the word chiropractic, every ad needs a named doctor identified as a D.C. or a clear statement that it is a chiropractic office, and any free or discounted offer (free consults, new patient specials) must disclose the 72 hour right of rescission in at least 10 point print. Keep copies of every ad, including audio and video, in case of a complaint.(201 KAR 21:065)
Longevity / GLP-1
Two provisions matter most. KRS 311.597(2) reaches extravagant or grossly improbable claims, so guarantees about weight loss, hormone optimization, or life extension outcomes are the highest-risk copy category. And KRS 311.597(1)(e) makes prescribing in response to electronic communication dishonorable conduct unless the physician verifies identity, establishes a documented diagnosis, and maintains a current record; the statute states an online or telephonic questionnaire is inadequate for the initial evaluation. Do not advertise a prescribe-by-quiz funnel.(KRS 311.597)
Dental
Kentucky publishes no dental-specific advertising code, so marketing is judged under the KRS 313.080 general grounds: fraud, deceit, and conduct inconsistent with the ethical standards of the profession. Practical translation of the already-cited rules: keep outcome claims accurate, do not misstate credentials, and treat any deceptive promotion as a licensure matter rather than only a consumer-protection matter.
Telehealth posture
KRS 311.5975 requires a treating physician who provides or facilitates telehealth to obtain the patient's informed consent before services are delivered and to maintain confidentiality of medical information through processes and technology designated by the board. It also directs the Board of Medical Licensure to adopt regulations to prevent abuse, fraud, and fee-splitting through telehealth services. Practices advertising virtual visits should build consent capture into the telehealth intake flow.
KRS 311.5975 checked 2026-07-02
Common questions
Can a Kentucky med spa or medical practice advertise discounts and specials?
For physician-owned practices, the board's published rules do not address discount advertising directly; offers are judged under the general standards in KRS 311.595 and 311.597, so the price and its conditions must not be deceptive. Chiropractic clinics face a specific rule: under 201 KAR 21:065, any advertisement of free or discounted services must disclose the consumer's 72 hour right of rescission in print of at least 10 point font.
Are patient testimonials allowed in Kentucky healthcare advertising?
The Kentucky statutes and regulations we reviewed do not contain a testimonial-specific rule for physicians, dentists, or chiropractors. Testimonials are instead measured against the general standards: KRS 311.597(2) prohibits grossly improbable or extravagant representations with a tendency to deceive, including cure claims, so a testimonial that implies a guaranteed or typical result the practice cannot substantiate carries the same risk as making the claim directly.
Who can own and market an aesthetic medicine practice in Kentucky?
The board's published rules we reviewed do not set out a standalone corporate practice or ownership code. The operative constraints are indirect: KRS 311.595(11) disciplines physicians who aid the unlawful practice of medicine, KRS 311.595(19) prohibits referral fees and fee-splitting outside legitimate physician partnerships and professional service corporations, and Board of Nursing guidance requires a qualified healthcare provider to establish every med spa treatment plan. Ownership structures and the advertising built on them should be vetted against those provisions with counsel.
Marketing that survives your board
The free growth audit includes a compliance read of your current site and ads against your state's advertising rules.