South Carolina Advertising Rules for Medical Practices
This brief summarizes what South Carolina's medical, dental, and chiropractic statutes and board advisories state about advertising by licensed practices. Every entry cites a fetched primary source. Topics that could not be verified are omitted.
Verified against SC Board of Medical Examiners (LLR) sources, 2026-07-02
Educational summary for practice owners. Not legal advice.
False, deceptive, or dishonorable conduct (physicians)
South Carolina's medical practice act does not contain a standalone advertising section. Instead, Section 40-47-110(B) makes it grounds for discipline when a licensee engages in dishonorable, unethical, or unprofessional conduct likely to deceive, defraud, or harm the public (item 9), uses a false or fraudulent statement in a document connected with the practice (item 10), or obtains fees under dishonorable, false, or fraudulent circumstances (item 11). Advertising claims by a physician-led practice are evaluated against these general standards.
SC Code Sec. 40-47-110 checked 2026-07-02
Dental advertising and superiority claims
Section 40-15-130 permits dentists to advertise their services so long as the communications are not false, deceptive, or misleading and do not create any impression, unsupported by fact, of superior skills or qualifications. The section also requires a dentist practicing under a trade name to conspicuously display the dentist's name and licensed area of practice at the office entrance.
SC Code Sec. 40-15-130 checked 2026-07-02
Dental fee and skill misrepresentation
Section 40-15-190(A) lists misconduct grounds that include making a false, fraudulent, deceptive, or misleading statement as to skill or methods of practice (item 5) and representing the care rendered or the fees charged in a false or misleading manner (item 11). Discount and fee advertising by a dental practice is measured against these provisions.
SC Code Sec. 40-15-190 checked 2026-07-02
Chiropractic advertising and solicitation standards
Board of Chiropractic Examiners Regulation 25-8 governs any communication, solicitation, or advertisement, including social media. It prohibits material misrepresentation of fact, omitting a fact that makes the message materially misleading, creating an unjustified expectation about results, and comparing the chiropractor's services with others unless the comparison can be factually substantiated. Signs and ads must clearly indicate that chiropractic services are being offered, and every licensee must prominently display the word chiropractor or D.C. in the office.
SC Reg. Chapter 25, Sec. 25-8 checked 2026-07-02
Chiropractic specialty and free x-ray claims
Regulation 25-7(F) states that practitioners may not advertise or hold themselves out as a specialist or as specializing in any activity unless certified by an approved specialty council, an accredited chiropractic college, or the Board. Regulation 25-8(D)(7) separately bars advertising free x-ray services without explanation of need or otherwise implying indiscriminate use of x-radiation.
SC Reg. Chapter 25, Sec. 25-7 and 25-8 checked 2026-07-02
Med spa laser and light-based procedures as the practice of medicine
The Board of Medical Examiners advisory on lasers, pulsed light, radiofrequency, and other light-based techniques states that surgery using these techniques constitutes the practice of medicine and is subject to the same regulation as any medical procedure regardless of the site of service. These procedures may be delegated to appropriately trained physician assistants and nurse practitioners under supervision or a written practice agreement, and a practitioner must examine each patient before initial treatment or before authorizing treatment by a non-physician. A med spa's marketing should reflect that these are delegated medical procedures, not spa services.
SC BME Lasers and Other Devices Advisory Opinion checked 2026-07-02
What this means by practice type
Med spas
Because the Board of Medical Examiners treats laser and light-based procedures as the practice of medicine, advertising should not present these as non-medical spa treatments. The advisory requires a qualified practitioner to examine each patient before initial treatment or before authorizing a non-physician to treat, so ad language promising treatment without an intake examination misstates the required standard.(SC BME Lasers and Other Devices Advisory Opinion)
Dental
Dental ads may state services and prices but, under Section 40-15-130, may not imply superior skill or qualifications unsupported by fact, and Section 40-15-190 treats false or misleading fee representations as misconduct. A practice operating under a trade name should also display the treating dentist's name and licensed area of practice at the office entrance.(SC Code Sec. 40-15-130)
Chiropractic
Regulation 25-8 reaches social media and other digital messaging, so before/after posts and testimonials are evaluated for whether they create an unjustified expectation of results. Comparative claims against other practitioners are permitted only where they can be factually substantiated, and specialty claims require the certification described in Regulation 25-7(F).(SC Reg. Chapter 25, Sec. 25-8)
Longevity and GLP-1 clinics
South Carolina does not publish a GLP-1-specific advertising rule in the sources reviewed here. Weight-loss, hormone, and longevity claims by a physician-led clinic are evaluated under the general Section 40-47-110 standards barring deceptive conduct likely to harm the public and false statements connected with the practice, so outcome and results claims should be substantiated and not overstated.
Telehealth posture
Section 40-47-37 requires a licensee providing telemedicine to adhere to the same standard of care as in-person care and to verify the identity and location of the patient while informing the patient of the licensee's name, location, and professional credentials. It also limits certain controlled-substance prescribing through telemedicine. Practices advertising virtual visits should ensure the offering reflects these identity-disclosure and standard-of-care requirements.
SC Code Sec. 40-47-37 checked 2026-07-02
Common questions
Can a South Carolina practice advertise discounts or promotional pricing?
The statutes reviewed here do not prohibit truthful price or discount advertising. They do bar misleading fee representations: Section 40-15-190 treats representing fees in a false or misleading manner as dental misconduct, and Section 40-47-110 covers obtaining fees under dishonorable, false, or fraudulent circumstances. A discount offer should therefore state its actual terms clearly.
Are patient testimonials and before-and-after photos allowed?
The chiropractic rule is the most explicit: Regulation 25-8 prohibits advertising that creates an unjustified expectation about results, which reaches testimonials and result-based social media posts. The medical and dental statutes reviewed do not contain a separate testimonial provision, so such content is evaluated under their general bans on false, deceptive, or misleading statements rather than a specific testimonial rule.
Who may perform laser or injectable procedures advertised by a med spa?
The Board of Medical Examiners advisory classifies laser and light-based procedures as the practice of medicine, which may be delegated to appropriately trained physician assistants or nurse practitioners under physician supervision or a written practice agreement, with a required patient examination before treatment. The board's published rules reviewed here do not set out a single ownership or corporate-structure standard, so questions about who may own a med spa should be confirmed directly with the board or 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.