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Start a clinic / Indiana

How to start a medical clinic in Indiana.

What a founder needs to know in Indiana: who can own a practice, which state approvals apply, how nurse practitioners and PAs can work, and where to register. Every fact links to its source.

Updated October 2026Sources linked
INIndianaStarting a clinic, at a glance
Corporate practice of medicine
ModerateRestricted, with exceptions
Certificate of need program
YesState review for some facilities or equipment
Nurse practitioner authority
Reduced practiceAANP classification
Register your business with
Indiana Secretary of State, Business Services (INBiz)
Checked October 2026

Ownership: Indiana recognizes a corporate practice of medicine restriction, but the Medical Practice Act exempts licensed hospitals and health care organizations whose members, shareholders or partners are licensed health care providers or facilities, so long as the entity does not direct or control the physician's independent medical judgment.

Certificate of need: Indiana's CON program covers only comprehensive care facilities (nursing homes), re-established in 2018, so physician offices, ASCs and imaging centers do not need a CON.

Nurse practitioners: AANP classifies Indiana as reduced practice; an APRN must operate in collaboration with a licensed practitioner as shown by a practice agreement, or under hospital privileges, and AANP lists no transition-to-practice pathway to independence.

Who can own a medical clinic in Indiana

Indiana recognizes a corporate practice of medicine restriction, but the Medical Practice Act exempts licensed hospitals and health care organizations whose members, shareholders or partners are licensed health care providers or facilities, so long as the entity does not direct or control the physician's independent medical judgment. A company owned by lay investors generally still uses a physician-owned professional corporation with a management agreement.

Sources: law.justia.com, ndlegis.gov

Business entity and registration

Physicians commonly form a professional corporation under IC 23-1.5, whose shares may be issued only to individuals authorized to render the professional services the articles permit (or qualifying partnerships, professional corporations or trusts); LLCs are also used. Business entities are filed with the Indiana Secretary of State through INBiz.

Sources: law.justia.com, inbiz.in.gov

Certificate of need in Indiana

Indiana's CON program covers only comprehensive care facilities (nursing homes), re-established in 2018, so physician offices, ASCs and imaging centers do not need a CON.

Sources: ncsl.org

Licenses, registrations and state agencies

The Indiana Department of Health licenses hospitals, ambulatory outpatient surgical centers, birthing centers and rural emergency hospitals under IC 16-21; ordinary physician offices are not on that list. Physician offices that perform or supervise procedures under anesthesia beyond local, topical, superficial nerve block or minimal sedation must be accredited by a Board-approved accreditor (QuadA, AAAHC, The Joint Commission or HFAP).

Sources: law.justia.com, law.justia.com, in.gov

Indiana-specific requirements to know

Practitioners need an Indiana controlled substance registration (CSR) in addition to DEA registration to prescribe, administer, store or dispense controlled substances. All practitioners must check INSPECT, the state PDMP, before prescribing an opioid or benzodiazepine (every 90 days for patients under a pain management contract). Medical spas must register with the PLA starting January 1, 2027, and office-based anesthesia requires accreditation.

Sources: in.gov, law.justia.com, in.gov

Agencies you will deal with

Nurse practitioners and physician assistants

Nurse practitioners: AANP classifies Indiana as reduced practice; an APRN must operate in collaboration with a licensed practitioner as shown by a practice agreement, or under hospital privileges, and AANP lists no transition-to-practice pathway to independence.

Sources: aanp.org, law.justia.com

Physician assistants: PAs practice in a dependent relationship with a collaborating physician under a written collaborative agreement listing delegated tasks, emergency procedures and the prescribing protocol, which the physician submits to the Medical Licensing Board.

Sources: law.justia.com

Med spas, injectables and IV therapy in Indiana

Indiana has a new medical spa statute (IC 25-22.5-12.5), and the Professional Licensing Agency says medical spa business registrations go live January 1, 2027 through its online licensing system. Confirm the details with the state board and a healthcare attorney.

Sources: in.gov

Planning an aesthetic or IV business? See how to start a med spa and how to start an IV therapy business.

Step-by-step checklist in Indiana

  1. Choose your structure and check ownership rules. Decide who will own the practice and confirm it fits Indiana’s corporate practice of medicine rules. Indiana recognizes a corporate practice of medicine restriction, but the Medical Practice Act exempts licensed hospitals and health care organizations whose members, shareholders or partners are licensed health care providers or facilities, so long as the entity does not direct or control the physician's independent medical judgment.
  2. Form the entity with the Indiana Secretary of State, Business Services (INBiz). Physicians commonly form a professional corporation under IC 23-1.5, whose shares may be issued only to individuals authorized to render the professional services the articles permit (or qualifying partnerships, professional corporations or trusts); LLCs are also used.
  3. Get federal numbers. Apply for an EIN from the IRS, then a Type 2 NPI for the practice and Type 1 NPIs for each clinician through NPPES.
  4. Confirm licenses with the Medical Licensing Board of Indiana (Indiana Professional Licensing Agency). Every physician needs a Indiana license. Check the board’s rules for any practice registrations, supervision agreements or office requirements before opening.
  5. Check certificate of need and facility licensing. Indiana's CON program covers only comprehensive care facilities (nursing homes), re-established in 2018, so physician offices, ASCs and imaging centers do not need a CON.
  6. Register to prescribe. Register with the DEA for controlled substances and complete any Indiana controlled substance registration and prescription monitoring program enrollment. Practitioners need an Indiana controlled substance registration (CSR) in addition to DEA registration to prescribe, administer, store or dispense controlled substances.
  7. Set up lab, safety and privacy basics. Get a CLIA certificate if you will run any lab tests, including waived tests, and put HIPAA privacy and security and OSHA policies in place.
  8. Enroll with Medicare, Medicaid and insurers. Enroll in Medicare through PECOS, enroll with Indiana Health Coverage Programs (IHCP) and start commercial credentialing early, because payer enrollment often takes months.
  9. Plan staffing around NP and PA rules. AANP classifies Indiana as reduced practice; an APRN must operate in collaboration with a licensed practitioner as shown by a practice agreement, or under hospital privileges, and AANP lists no transition-to-practice pathway to independence.
  10. Launch your marketing before opening day. Claim your Google Business Profile, publish a website with online booking and start ads and content four to eight weeks before you open, so the schedule is not empty on day one.

The national steps are explained in more detail in our guide to how to start a medical clinic, and costs are broken down in how much it costs to start a clinic.

Marketing a new clinic in Indiana

New clinics usually fail on cash flow before they fail on care. The fastest fix is patients booked before opening day: a complete Google Business Profile, a website with online booking, local search ads and a few weeks of social content showing the team and the space. We run that launch for new clinics and keep it going once the doors open.

Plan your Indiana launch with us →

Important. This guide is general information checked against official and professional sources in October 2026. It is not legal advice. Rules change and details depend on your services, so confirm your plan with a healthcare attorney licensed in Indiana and with the agencies listed above.

Sources

  1. https://law.justia.com/codes/indiana/title-25/article-22-5/chapter-1/section-25-22-5-1-2/
  2. https://ndlegis.gov/assembly/67-2021/testimony/SHUMSER-2128-20210125-3125-F-TRAYNOR_PAT.pdf
  3. https://law.justia.com/codes/indiana/title-23/article-1-5/chapter-3/section-23-1-5-3-1/
  4. https://inbiz.in.gov/
  5. https://www.ncsl.org/health/certificate-of-need-state-laws
  6. https://www.aanp.org/advocacy/indiana
  7. https://law.justia.com/codes/indiana/title-25/article-23/chapter-1/section-25-23-1-19-4/
  8. https://law.justia.com/codes/indiana/title-25/article-27-5/chapter-5/section-25-27-5-5-2/
  9. https://law.justia.com/codes/indiana/title-16/article-21/chapter-2/section-16-21-2-2/
  10. https://law.justia.com/codes/indiana/title-16/article-18/chapter-2/section-16-18-2-14/
  11. https://www.in.gov/pla/professions/physicians-home
  12. https://www.in.gov/pla/professions/controlled-substance-registration
  13. https://law.justia.com/codes/indiana/title-25/article-26/chapter-24/section-25-26-24-19/

Nearby state guides

IllinoisMichiganOhioKentuckyAll states
Indiana questions

Starting a clinic in Indiana, answered.

Can a non-physician own a medical clinic in Indiana?
Indiana recognizes a corporate practice of medicine restriction, but the Medical Practice Act exempts licensed hospitals and health care organizations whose members, shareholders or partners are licensed health care providers or facilities, so long as the entity does not direct or control the physician's independent medical judgment. A company owned by lay investors generally still uses a physician-owned professional corporation with a management agreement.
Does Indiana require a certificate of need to open a clinic?
Indiana's CON program covers only comprehensive care facilities (nursing homes), re-established in 2018, so physician offices, ASCs and imaging centers do not need a CON.
Can nurse practitioners open their own practice in Indiana?
AANP classifies Indiana as reduced practice; an APRN must operate in collaboration with a licensed practitioner as shown by a practice agreement, or under hospital privileges, and AANP lists no transition-to-practice pathway to independence.
Who can perform Botox, laser or IV therapy in Indiana?
Indiana has a new medical spa statute (IC 25-22.5-12.5), and the Professional Licensing Agency says medical spa business registrations go live January 1, 2027 through its online licensing system. Confirm the details with the state board and a healthcare attorney.
Where do I register a medical practice in Indiana?
Physicians commonly form a professional corporation under IC 23-1.5, whose shares may be issued only to individuals authorized to render the professional services the articles permit (or qualifying partnerships, professional corporations or trusts); LLCs are also used. Business entities are filed with the Indiana Secretary of State through INBiz.