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Start a clinic / Louisiana

How to start a medical clinic in Louisiana.

What a founder needs to know in Louisiana: 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
LALouisianaStarting 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
Louisiana Secretary of State
Checked October 2026

Ownership: Louisiana professional medical corporations must be owned by Louisiana-licensed physicians (or another professional medical corporation), and the Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners says only physician-owned professional medical corporations may practice medicine.

Certificate of need: Louisiana runs a Facility Need Review (FNR) process rather than a program it calls Certificate of Need, though researchers generally count it as a CON state.

Nurse practitioners: AANP classifies Louisiana as reduced practice; APRN acts of medical diagnosis and prescribing must be done under a written collaborative practice agreement with one or more physicians or dentists (La.

Who can own a medical clinic in Louisiana

Louisiana professional medical corporations must be owned by Louisiana-licensed physicians (or another professional medical corporation), and the Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners says only physician-owned professional medical corporations may practice medicine. The Board also says a physician's employment by an ordinary business corporation is not per se unlawful, provided the employer does not control the physician's medical judgment or interfere with the physician-patient relationship.

Sources: legis.la.gov, a.storyblok.com, lsbme.la.gov

Business entity and registration

Physicians commonly form a professional medical corporation under the Louisiana Medical Corporation Law (La. R.S. 12:901 et seq.), whose shares may be held only by Louisiana-licensed physicians or another professional medical corporation. Entities are registered with the Louisiana Secretary of State.

Sources: legis.la.gov

Certificate of need in Louisiana

Louisiana runs a Facility Need Review (FNR) process rather than a program it calls Certificate of Need, though researchers generally count it as a CON state. FNR covers nursing facilities, ICF-DD, certain home and community-based services, hospice, pediatric day health care and certain behavioral health providers; physician offices, ASCs and imaging are not on the FNR list.

Sources: ncsl.org, ldh.la.gov

Licenses, registrations and state agencies

The LDH Health Standards Section licenses facility types such as ambulatory surgical centers, pain management clinics, rural health clinics, free-standing birthing centers, outpatient physical therapy and laboratories; ordinary physician offices and urgent care centers are not on its list of licensed provider types. Pain management clinics must be licensed by LDH and owned and operated by a physician board-certified in pain management, with limited grandfather exceptions.

Sources: ldh.la.gov, ldh.la.gov, legis.la.gov

Louisiana-specific requirements to know

Pain management clinics need an LDH license and must be owned and operated by a physician board-certified in pain management. Prescribers of controlled substances hold a state Controlled Dangerous Substance (CDS) license from the Louisiana Board of Pharmacy, which automatically grants PMP access, and must check the PMP before an initial opioid prescription and every 90 days for longer therapy, with listed exemptions. Any physician who dispenses medication must register with the medical board.

Sources: legis.la.gov, pharmacy.la.gov, a.storyblok.com

Agencies you will deal with

Nurse practitioners and physician assistants

Nurse practitioners: AANP classifies Louisiana as reduced practice; APRN acts of medical diagnosis and prescribing must be done under a written collaborative practice agreement with one or more physicians or dentists (La. R.S. 37:913).

Sources: storage.aanp.org, legis.la.gov

Physician assistants: Louisiana PAs practice under the supervision of a supervising physician, are deemed the physician's agent, may prescribe only as delegated by that physician, and the supervision arrangement must be documented and reviewed annually (La. R.S. 37:1360.31).

Sources: legis.la.gov

Med spas, injectables and IV therapy in Louisiana

The Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners treats laser and chemical skin treatments as the practice of medicine: they may be done by a physician, or by a trained non-physician only under the physician's immediate personal supervision (physician on the premises), after a physician exam and diagnosis. The Board's 2024 retail IV hydration statement requires a full in-person or virtual history and exam before IV therapy, rejects standing orders and patient-selected menus, and allows RNs to act only on patient-specific orders. Because practices that deliver medical services must be physician-owned professional medical corporations, med spa ownership by non-physicians generally needs a compliant physician-owned structure.

Sources: a.storyblok.com, a.storyblok.com, a.storyblok.com

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 Louisiana

  1. Choose your structure and check ownership rules. Decide who will own the practice and confirm it fits Louisiana’s corporate practice of medicine rules. Louisiana professional medical corporations must be owned by Louisiana-licensed physicians (or another professional medical corporation), and the Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners says only physician-owned professional medical corporations may practice medicine.
  2. Form the entity with the Louisiana Secretary of State. Physicians commonly form a professional medical corporation under the Louisiana Medical Corporation Law (La. R.S. 12:901 et seq.), whose shares may be held only by Louisiana-licensed physicians or another professional medical corporation.
  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 Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners. Every physician needs a Louisiana 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. Louisiana runs a Facility Need Review (FNR) process rather than a program it calls Certificate of Need, though researchers generally count it as a CON state.
  6. Register to prescribe. Register with the DEA for controlled substances and complete any Louisiana controlled substance registration and prescription monitoring program enrollment. Pain management clinics need an LDH license and must be owned and operated by a physician board-certified in pain management.
  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 Louisiana Medicaid (Louisiana Department of Health; enrollment run by Gainwell Technologies) and start commercial credentialing early, because payer enrollment often takes months.
  9. Plan staffing around NP and PA rules. AANP classifies Louisiana as reduced practice; APRN acts of medical diagnosis and prescribing must be done under a written collaborative practice agreement with one or more physicians or dentists (La. R.S. 37:913).
  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 Louisiana

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 Louisiana 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 Louisiana and with the agencies listed above.

Sources

  1. https://www.legis.la.gov/legis/Law.aspx?d=76645
  2. https://a.storyblok.com/f/150540/x/b9d7227069/corporate-practice-of-medicine-sop-dec-2024-v2.pdf
  3. https://lsbme.la.gov/content/statements-position
  4. https://www.ncsl.org/health/certificate-of-need-state-laws
  5. https://ldh.la.gov/assets/medicaid/hss/docs/FNR/FNR_Rule_24.02.pdf
  6. https://storage.aanp.org/www/documents/no-index/state-fact-sheets/louisiana.pdf
  7. https://legis.la.gov/legis/Law.aspx?d=166383
  8. https://legis.la.gov/Legis/Law.aspx?d=93215
  9. https://ldh.la.gov/assets/LLHA/2025/2025-HSS-Fact-Sheet.pdf
  10. https://www.ldh.la.gov/page/ambulatory-surgical-center-asc
  11. https://legis.la.gov/Legis/Law.aspx?d=321411
  12. https://a.storyblok.com/f/150540/f0f9952fd4/useofmedicallaserschemicalskintreatment.pdf
  13. https://a.storyblok.com/f/150540/x/e145f68cf6/retail-intravenous-iv-hydration-therapy-sop-august-2024.pdf
  14. https://www.pharmacy.la.gov/assets/docs/Bulletins/Bulletin_17-01.pdf

Nearby state guides

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Louisiana questions

Starting a clinic in Louisiana, answered.

Can a non-physician own a medical clinic in Louisiana?
Louisiana professional medical corporations must be owned by Louisiana-licensed physicians (or another professional medical corporation), and the Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners says only physician-owned professional medical corporations may practice medicine. The Board also says a physician's employment by an ordinary business corporation is not per se unlawful, provided the employer does not control the physician's medical judgment or interfere with the physician-patient relationship.
Does Louisiana require a certificate of need to open a clinic?
Louisiana runs a Facility Need Review (FNR) process rather than a program it calls Certificate of Need, though researchers generally count it as a CON state. FNR covers nursing facilities, ICF-DD, certain home and community-based services, hospice, pediatric day health care and certain behavioral health providers; physician offices, ASCs and imaging are not on the FNR list.
Can nurse practitioners open their own practice in Louisiana?
AANP classifies Louisiana as reduced practice; APRN acts of medical diagnosis and prescribing must be done under a written collaborative practice agreement with one or more physicians or dentists (La. R.S. 37:913).
Who can perform Botox, laser or IV therapy in Louisiana?
The Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners treats laser and chemical skin treatments as the practice of medicine: they may be done by a physician, or by a trained non-physician only under the physician's immediate personal supervision (physician on the premises), after a physician exam and diagnosis. The Board's 2024 retail IV hydration statement requires a full in-person or virtual history and exam before IV therapy, rejects standing orders and patient-selected menus, and allows RNs to act only on patient-specific orders. Because practices that deliver medical services must be physician-owned professional medical corporations, med spa ownership by non-physicians generally needs a compliant physician-owned structure.
Where do I register a medical practice in Louisiana?
Physicians commonly form a professional medical corporation under the Louisiana Medical Corporation Law (La. R.S. 12:901 et seq.), whose shares may be held only by Louisiana-licensed physicians or another professional medical corporation. Entities are registered with the Louisiana Secretary of State.