Maine Advertising Rules for Med Spas and Health Practices
A sourced summary of Maine's advertising standards for medical, dental, chiropractic, and wellness practices. Every rule below was verified against Maine statutes or board rules fetched on July 2, 2026. This is an educational reference, not legal advice.
Verified against Maine Board of Licensure in Medicine sources, 2026-07-02
Educational summary for practice owners. Not legal advice.
False, misleading or deceptive advertising by physicians
Maine's medical practice act lists "engaging in false, misleading or deceptive advertising" as a ground for discipline of physicians at 32 M.R.S. section 3282-A(2)(I). The same section separately reaches "the practice of fraud, deceit or misrepresentation" in connection with services rendered within the scope of the license (subsection 2(A)). The statute does not define permitted ad formats; it sets a truthfulness floor that applies to any medium, including websites and social posts.
32 M.R.S. sec. 3282-A, Disciplinary sanctions checked 2026-07-02
Osteopathic physicians: advertising under another name and fee division
For DOs, 32 M.R.S. section 2591-A(2)(I) makes false, misleading or deceptive advertising disciplinable, and subsection 2(J) separately prohibits "advertising, practicing or attempting to practice under a name other than one's own." Subsection 2(L) also bars division of professional fees not based on actual services rendered. A DO-supervised practice marketing under a trade name should keep the licensee's own name identifiable in its materials.
32 M.R.S. sec. 2591-A, Disciplinary actions (osteopathic) checked 2026-07-02
Dental advertising standard
The Maine dental practice act makes "engaging in false, misleading or deceptive advertising" a ground for discipline of dental licensees under 32 M.R.S. section 18325(1)(G). Subsection 1(A) also reaches fraud, deceit or misrepresentation in obtaining a license or in connection with services. The Board of Dental Practice's published statute does not add format-specific rules for testimonials or photos; the deception standard is the operative test.
32 M.R.S. sec. 18325, Disciplinary action (dental) checked 2026-07-02
Chiropractic advertising, scope claims, and fee-splitting
In addition to the generic grounds in 10 M.R.S. section 8003(5-A), the chiropractic statute at 32 M.R.S. section 503-B lists "engaging in false, misleading or deceptive advertising" (subsection 3), "offering health services outside the field of chiropractic" (subsection 4), and splitting a fee with an individual who is not a licensed chiropractic associate (subsection 5) as disciplinable. An ad that promotes services beyond chiropractic scope is therefore a separate violation from any deception in the ad itself.
32 M.R.S. sec. 503-B (Title 32, ch. 9, Chiropractors) checked 2026-07-02
Telehealth product promotion and pharmacy steering
The joint telehealth rule (02-373/380/383 C.M.R. ch. 11, section 3(19)) states that advertising or promotion of goods or products from which the licensee receives direct remuneration, benefit or incentives is prohibited to the extent prohibited by state or federal law, and that licensees should not benefit financially from health-information links they provide. It also prohibits maintaining a preferred pharmacy relationship or steering prescriptions to a pharmacy in exchange for any consideration, absent a collaborative practice agreement.
02-373 C.M.R. ch. 11, Joint Rule Regarding Telehealth Standards of Practice, sec. 3(19) checked 2026-07-02
Required fee and credential disclosures for telehealth services
Chapter 11, section 3(17) requires licensees providing telehealth to clearly disclose to patients the types of services provided, fees for services and cost-sharing responsibilities, financial interests other than fees charged, and the identity, licensure, credentials and qualifications of all providers delivering the services. Marketing a virtual service line without surfacing who is actually providing care and what it costs runs against these disclosure duties.
02-373 C.M.R. ch. 11, sec. 3(17), Disclosure and Functionality checked 2026-07-02
What this means by practice type
Med spas
Maine's medical board publishes no med spa specific advertising chapter; its rule list covers physicians, physician associates, citations, collaborative drug therapy, sexual misconduct, telehealth, opioid treatment, and controlled substances for pain. Promotion of injectables, lasers, and IV therapy is therefore governed by the general false, misleading or deceptive advertising standard in 32 M.R.S. section 3282-A(2)(I), and Chapter 11 confirms that telehealth does not expand any licensee's scope or change delegation and supervision rules.(Maine BOLIM Rules & Statutes page)
Dental
Dental practices sit under 32 M.R.S. section 18325(1)(G): the deception standard is the whole published advertising rule. Claims about outcomes, comfort, or technology should be objectively supportable, since the board can also reach misrepresentation in connection with services under subsection 1(A).(32 M.R.S. sec. 18325)
Chiropractic
Chiropractors carry the most specific statutory exposure of the verticals reviewed: 32 M.R.S. section 503-B makes false advertising, offering services outside the field of chiropractic, and fee-splitting with non-chiropractors each independently disciplinable. Ads that promise systemic or non-musculoskeletal outcomes risk both the advertising and the scope provisions at once.(32 M.R.S. sec. 503-B (Title 32, ch. 9))
Longevity / GLP-1
Chapter 11, section 3(21) prohibits prescribing based solely on an internet request or a static internet questionnaire, and, absent a valid licensee-patient relationship, prescribing based solely on a telephonic evaluation. Marketing a GLP-1 or hormone program as "complete a quick online form and get your prescription" describes a workflow the rule forbids; funnels should route to an adaptive clinical interview with a Maine-licensed prescriber.(02-373 C.M.R. ch. 11, sec. 3(21))
Telehealth posture
Maine's joint telehealth rule (02-373/380/383 C.M.R. ch. 11, amended July 24, 2022) requires physicians, physician assistants, and APRNs treating a patient located in Maine to hold an active Maine license or interstate consultative registration, and holds telehealth providers to the same standard of care and ethics as in-person care. It prohibits prescribing based solely on a static internet questionnaire, requires verification of patient and provider identity, informed consent documented in the record, and clear disclosure of services, fees, and provider credentials.
02-373 C.M.R. ch. 11, Joint Rule Regarding Telehealth Standards of Practice checked 2026-07-02
Common questions
Can a Maine med spa advertise discounts or promotional pricing?
The board statutes reviewed for this brief do not directly regulate fee or discount advertising. The operative constraints are the false, misleading or deceptive advertising standard (32 M.R.S. sec. 3282-A(2)(I)) and, for osteopathic and chiropractic licensees, prohibitions on fee division and fee-splitting. A discount ad that states the real price, real terms, and real limitations does not appear to conflict with any published rule; a teaser price that patients cannot actually obtain does.
Are patient testimonials and before-and-after photos allowed in Maine?
The board's published statutes and rules reviewed here do not address testimonials or before-and-after photos directly. They are evaluated under the general standard: content that creates a false, misleading or deceptive impression, such as unrepresentative results presented as typical, is disciplinable under 32 M.R.S. sec. 3282-A(2)(I) and the parallel dental and chiropractic provisions.
Who can own a med spa or medical practice in Maine?
The statutes and board rules fetched for this brief do not set out a corporate practice of medicine ownership rule, and the medical board publishes no med spa ownership guidance in its rule chapters. What is verified: Chapter 11 states delegation and supervision rules are unchanged by telehealth, and licensees remain accountable for services delivered under their license. Ownership structuring questions should go to Maine health care 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.