Minnesota Advertising Rules for Health and Wellness Practices
This brief summarizes Minnesota's advertising standards for physicians, nurses, dentists, and chiropractors, drawn directly from state statutes and board rules. Every rule below was verified against the primary source cited, fetched on the date shown. It is an educational summary, not legal advice.
Verified against Minnesota Board of Medical Practice sources, 2026-07-02
Educational summary for practice owners. Not legal advice.
False, misleading, and superiority claims by physicians
The Medical Practice Act lists as grounds for discipline any advertising that is false or misleading, that violates a board rule, or that claims without substantiation the positive cure of any disease, or professional superiority to or greater skill than that possessed by another physician. This means unsubstantiated cure language and comparative claims like best or most skilled are disciplinary matters, not just marketing choices. The same statute separately disciplines knowingly providing false or misleading information directly related to a patient's care.
Minn. Stat. 147.091 subd. 1(e) checked 2026-07-02
Fee splitting and paid referral arrangements
Physicians may not pay, offer to pay, receive, or agree to receive a commission, rebate, or remuneration, directly or indirectly, primarily for the referral of patients or the prescription of drugs or devices. Fee divisions with another physician or professional corporation are allowed only in proportion to services provided and responsibility assumed, with disclosed terms. Referrals to entities in which the physician holds a financial interest require advance written disclosure and notice that the patient is free to choose a different provider. This bears on influencer commissions, affiliate codes, and cross referral deals common in aesthetics marketing.
Minn. Stat. 147.091 subd. 1(p) checked 2026-07-02
Nurse advertising standard
The Nurse Practice Act makes engaging in false, fraudulent, deceptive, or misleading advertising a ground for board action against a nursing license, including denial, suspension, revocation, or limitation. Because RNs and APRNs deliver most med spa injectable and IV services, this standard reaches the marketing those nurses appear in or run, not only physician advertising.
Minn. Stat. 148.261 subd. 1(23) checked 2026-07-02
Dental specialty advertising
A dentist may advertise as a specialist only with evidence of graduating from a postdoctoral specialty program accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation in one of the recognized specialty areas, such as orthodontics, endodontics, or periodontics. A dentist who restricts practice to certain services without that credential must not use the terms specialist, specialty, specializing, or limited to, and the advertising must state that the services are provided by a general dentist. The Dental Practice Act also disciplines knowingly providing false or misleading information related to patient care.
Minn. R. 3100.7000 checked 2026-07-02
Chiropractic testimonials, name in ad, and prohibited claims
Chiropractic advertising must identify the practitioner by name; ads soliciting patronage without disclosing the practitioner's name are prohibited, with an exception for institutional ads by professional groups. Testimonials, treatment summaries, and case examples require the patient's written consent and a signed release kept on file, and statements that are untruthful, improbable, misleading, or impossible may not be used even with patient approval. A companion rule treats terms like cure or guarantee to cure as fraudulent and misleading, and a separate part requires the words chiropractor or chiropractic to appear in ads at print size or audibility equal to the rest of the advertisement.
Minn. R. 2500.0200, 2500.0400, 2500.0510 checked 2026-07-02
Free and discounted service advertising by chiropractors
Free or discounted examinations must provide sufficient information to allow a diagnosis and initiation of treatment unless clearly identified as screenings, and free or discounted treatments must be comparable to the nondiscounted equivalent. Patients receiving free services must sign an acknowledgment that subsequent services will be billed at explained fees. Chiropractors also may not advertise or accept assigned third party payments as payment in full where the effect is to suggest the patient's deductible or copayment is waived. The board may also discipline advertising that is false or misleading or that claims the cure of any condition or disease.
Minn. Stat. 148.10 subd. 1, 1a checked 2026-07-02
Who may own a professional practice
Under the Minnesota Professional Firms Act, ownership interests in a professional firm are restricted to professionals who are licensed and not disqualified in at least one category of the firm's professional services, along with certain qualifying professional entities and limited arrangements such as voting trusts and surviving spouses. Owners may not transfer interests except to persons meeting these requirements, and noncompliant transfers are void. Practice owners marketing under investor backed or MSO structures should have counsel confirm the entity structure fits these ownership limits.
Minn. Stat. 319B.07 checked 2026-07-02
What this means by practice type
Med spas
Med spa marketing in Minnesota sits under two boards at once: physician medical directors answer to the false or misleading and unsubstantiated cure standard in Minn. Stat. 147.091 subd. 1(e), and nurse injectors answer to the false, fraudulent, deceptive, or misleading advertising ground in Minn. Stat. 148.261 subd. 1(23). Ads promising results, permanent outcomes, or comparative superiority should be reviewed against both. Commission or affiliate arrangements tied to patient referrals need review against the fee splitting prohibitions in 147.091 subd. 1(p).(Minn. Stat. 147.091; Minn. Stat. 148.261)
Dental
The clearest Minnesota rule for dental marketing is specialty labeling. A general dentist offering implants, clear aligners, or sedation may describe those services but may not use specialist, specialty, specializing, or limited to without CODA accredited specialty training, and the ad must state the services are provided by a general dentist under Minn. R. 3100.7000.(Minn. R. 3100.7000)
Chiropractic
Minnesota regulates chiropractic advertising in more detail than any other vertical covered here. Every ad needs the practitioner's name and an equally prominent chiropractic reference, testimonials need signed written releases on file, cure and guarantee language is treated as fraudulent, and free exam promotions carry statutory disclosure and comparability requirements under Minn. Stat. 148.10 subd. 1a. New patient special campaigns should be built around these provisions from the start.(Minn. Stat. 148.10; Minn. R. 2500.0200 to 2500.0510)
Longevity and GLP-1
Weight loss and longevity programs marketing GLP-1 therapy fall under the physician standard prohibiting unsubstantiated cure claims and false or misleading advertising, so specific outcome promises such as guaranteed pounds lost warrant caution. Programs prescribing via telehealth should note that Minn. Stat. 147.033 allows the physician patient relationship to be established through telehealth but holds the physician to the same standards of practice and conduct as in-person care.
Telehealth posture
Minnesota expressly permits establishing a physician patient relationship through telehealth, and a physician providing telehealth services in the state is held to the same standards of practice and conduct as for in-person care under Minn. Stat. 147.033. The companion Minnesota Telehealth Act, Minn. Stat. 62A.673, defines telehealth as real time two way interactive audio and visual communication and permits audio-only visits until July 1, 2027 where the standard of care can be met that way. Practices advertising virtual consults or online prescribing should treat telehealth encounters as fully subject to board discipline standards.
Minn. Stat. 147.033; Minn. Stat. 62A.673 checked 2026-07-02
Markets in Minnesota
Common questions
Can a Minnesota med spa advertise discounts or promotional pricing?
The Board of Medical Practice's published statutes do not address discount advertising directly; the governing standard is that advertising must not be false or misleading and must not make unsubstantiated cure or superiority claims under Minn. Stat. 147.091 subd. 1(e). By contrast, chiropractors face explicit statutory conditions on free and discounted services under Minn. Stat. 148.10 subd. 1a, including signed patient acknowledgments and a bar on implying deductible or copay waivers. Discount promotions should state real prices and terms accurately.
Are patient testimonials allowed in Minnesota healthcare advertising?
For chiropractors, yes with conditions: Minn. R. 2500.0200 subp. 3 requires written consent and a signed release kept in the patient file, and bars untruthful, improbable, misleading, or impossible statements even with patient approval. The medical and nursing boards' published rules do not address testimonials directly; testimonials by physicians and nurses are governed by the general prohibitions on false or misleading advertising in Minn. Stat. 147.091 and 148.261. HIPAA authorization for any identifiable patient content applies regardless.
Who can own a medical or med spa practice in Minnesota?
Under the Minnesota Professional Firms Act, ownership interests in a professional firm are limited to licensed, nondisqualified professionals in the firm's service categories, plus certain qualifying professional entities and narrow exceptions such as voting trusts and surviving spouses; transfers to nonqualifying persons are void under Minn. Stat. 319B.07. Practices considering investor or management company structures should have Minnesota counsel confirm the arrangement before marketing under it.
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.