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Start a clinic / New York

How to start a medical clinic in New York.

What a founder needs to know in New York: 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
NYNew YorkStarting a clinic, at a glance
Corporate practice of medicine
StrictOwnership generally limited to licensed physicians
Certificate of need program
YesState review for some facilities or equipment
Nurse practitioner authority
Full practiceAANP classification
Register your business with
New York Department of State, Division of Corporations (with NYSED Office of the Professions licensure certification)
Checked October 2026

Ownership: New York bars business corporations from hiring licensees to provide professional services unless a law authorizes it (hospitals and other Public Health Law facilities, HMOs), and it is a felony for an unlicensed person to practice a licensed profession.

Certificate of need: New York's CON program governs establishment, ownership, construction, service changes and major equipment for Article 28 facilities, including hospitals, diagnostic and treatment centers and ambulatory surgery centers, with approval from DOH or the Public Health and Health Planning Council; the amended 10 NYCRR 710.1 took effect August 6, 2025.

Nurse practitioners: AANP classifies New York as full practice: NPs with 3,600 hours or less need a written practice agreement and protocols with a collaborating physician, while NPs with more than 3,600 hours are exempt until July 1, 2030, after which they must instead maintain documented collaborative relationships with physicians or a hospital.

Who can own a medical clinic in New York

New York bars business corporations from hiring licensees to provide professional services unless a law authorizes it (hospitals and other Public Health Law facilities, HMOs), and it is a felony for an unlicensed person to practice a licensed profession. Medical practices are owned by physicians through PCs or PLLCs, and outside investors typically use a management services organization, which since 2023 can trigger the material transaction notice law.

Sources: op.nysed.gov, op.nysed.gov, nysenate.gov

Business entity and registration

Physicians form a professional service corporation (PC) under Business Corporation Law Article 15 or a professional service LLC (PLLC); the certificate of incorporation filed with the Department of State must attach a licensing authority certificate confirming every shareholder, director and officer is licensed, and a certified copy goes back to the Education Department within 30 days. General business corporations generally cannot be used.

Sources: nysenate.gov, op.nysed.gov, op.nysed.gov

Certificate of need in New York

New York's CON program governs establishment, ownership, construction, service changes and major equipment for Article 28 facilities, including hospitals, diagnostic and treatment centers and ambulatory surgery centers, with approval from DOH or the Public Health and Health Planning Council; the amended 10 NYCRR 710.1 took effect August 6, 2025. Private physician practices are not on the list of covered facility types.

Sources: health.ny.gov, health.ny.gov, ncsl.org

Licenses, registrations and state agencies

The Department of Health licenses Article 28 facilities such as diagnostic and treatment centers (clinics), ambulatory surgery centers and midwifery birth centers, but a physician's private practice is not an Article 28 facility. A private practice that performs procedures under moderate or deep sedation or general anesthesia, or liposuction beyond a minor amount, must hold full accreditation as an office-based surgery practice and report adverse events within three business days.

Sources: health.ny.gov, nysenate.gov

New York-specific requirements to know

Practitioners must consult the I-STOP prescription monitoring registry before prescribing Schedule II, III or IV controlled substances, and nearly all prescriptions must be sent electronically. Mergers, acquisitions and MSO arrangements involving physician practices must be reported to DOH at least 30 days before closing under the material transaction law, unless they add less than $25 million in in-state revenue.

Sources: nysenate.gov, nysenate.gov, nysenate.gov, nysenate.gov

Agencies you will deal with

Nurse practitioners and physician assistants

Nurse practitioners: AANP classifies New York as full practice: NPs with 3,600 hours or less need a written practice agreement and protocols with a collaborating physician, while NPs with more than 3,600 hours are exempt until July 1, 2030, after which they must instead maintain documented collaborative relationships with physicians or a hospital.

Sources: aanp.org, nysenate.gov

Physician assistants: PAs work under continuous physician supervision within the supervising physician's scope (physical presence not required), and a physician may supervise no more than six PAs in private practice at one time.

Sources: nysenate.gov

Med spas, injectables and IV therapy in New York

A business not authorized by New York law to provide medical or nursing care cannot hire nurses to provide nursing services, so a med spa offering injectables, lasers or IV therapy must be structured as a physician-owned PC or PLLC (or an authorized facility). RNs carry out regimens ordered for a specific patient; non-patient-specific orders are limited to listed services such as immunizations and do not cover cosmetic treatments.

Sources: op.nysed.gov, op.nysed.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 New York

  1. Choose your structure and check ownership rules. Decide who will own the practice and confirm it fits New York’s corporate practice of medicine rules. New York bars business corporations from hiring licensees to provide professional services unless a law authorizes it (hospitals and other Public Health Law facilities, HMOs), and it is a felony for an unlicensed person to practice a licensed profession.
  2. Form the entity with the New York Department of State, Division of Corporations (with NYSED Office of the Professions licensure certification). Physicians form a professional service corporation (PC) under Business Corporation Law Article 15 or a professional service LLC (PLLC); the certificate of incorporation filed with the Department of State must attach a licensing authority certificate confirming every shareholder, director and officer is licensed, and a certified copy goes back to the Education Department within 30 days.
  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 New York State Board for Medicine (NYSED Office of the Professions). Every physician needs a New York 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. New York's CON program governs establishment, ownership, construction, service changes and major equipment for Article 28 facilities, including hospitals, diagnostic and treatment centers and ambulatory surgery centers, with approval from DOH or the Public Health and Health Planning Council; the amended 10 NYCRR 710.1 took effect August 6, 2025.
  6. Register to prescribe. Register with the DEA for controlled substances and complete any New York controlled substance registration and prescription monitoring program enrollment. Practitioners must consult the I-STOP prescription monitoring registry before prescribing Schedule II, III or IV controlled substances, and nearly all prescriptions must be sent electronically.
  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 New York State Medicaid (eMedNY) and start commercial credentialing early, because payer enrollment often takes months.
  9. Plan staffing around NP and PA rules. AANP classifies New York as full practice: NPs with 3,600 hours or less need a written practice agreement and protocols with a collaborating physician, while NPs with more than 3,600 hours are exempt until July 1, 2030, after which they must instead maintain documented collaborative relationships with physicians or a hospital.
  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 New York

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 New York 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 New York and with the agencies listed above.

Sources

  1. https://www.op.nysed.gov/corporate/corporate-practice-professions
  2. https://www.op.nysed.gov/corporate/disclaimer/how-to-file
  3. https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/PBH/4550
  4. https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/BSC/1503
  5. https://www.op.nysed.gov/Corporate-Entities
  6. https://www.health.ny.gov/facilities/cons/
  7. https://www.health.ny.gov/facilities/cons/more_information/
  8. https://www.ncsl.org/health/certificate-of-need-state-laws
  9. https://www.aanp.org/advocacy/new-york
  10. https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/EDN/6902
  11. https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/EDN/6542
  12. https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/PBH/230-D
  13. https://www.op.nysed.gov/professions/registered-professional-nursing/practice-information-for-nursing
  14. https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/PBH/3343-A
  15. https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/PBH/281
  16. https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/PBH/4552

Nearby state guides

New JerseyPennsylvaniaConnecticutMassachusettsVermontAll states
New York questions

Starting a clinic in New York, answered.

Can a non-physician own a medical clinic in New York?
New York bars business corporations from hiring licensees to provide professional services unless a law authorizes it (hospitals and other Public Health Law facilities, HMOs), and it is a felony for an unlicensed person to practice a licensed profession. Medical practices are owned by physicians through PCs or PLLCs, and outside investors typically use a management services organization, which since 2023 can trigger the material transaction notice law.
Does New York require a certificate of need to open a clinic?
New York's CON program governs establishment, ownership, construction, service changes and major equipment for Article 28 facilities, including hospitals, diagnostic and treatment centers and ambulatory surgery centers, with approval from DOH or the Public Health and Health Planning Council; the amended 10 NYCRR 710.1 took effect August 6, 2025. Private physician practices are not on the list of covered facility types.
Can nurse practitioners open their own practice in New York?
AANP classifies New York as full practice: NPs with 3,600 hours or less need a written practice agreement and protocols with a collaborating physician, while NPs with more than 3,600 hours are exempt until July 1, 2030, after which they must instead maintain documented collaborative relationships with physicians or a hospital.
Who can perform Botox, laser or IV therapy in New York?
A business not authorized by New York law to provide medical or nursing care cannot hire nurses to provide nursing services, so a med spa offering injectables, lasers or IV therapy must be structured as a physician-owned PC or PLLC (or an authorized facility). RNs carry out regimens ordered for a specific patient; non-patient-specific orders are limited to listed services such as immunizations and do not cover cosmetic treatments.
Where do I register a medical practice in New York?
Physicians form a professional service corporation (PC) under Business Corporation Law Article 15 or a professional service LLC (PLLC); the certificate of incorporation filed with the Department of State must attach a licensing authority certificate confirming every shareholder, director and officer is licensed, and a certified copy goes back to the Education Department within 30 days. General business corporations generally cannot be used.