New Jersey: who may do what, and how to check a license

A Board of Medical Examiners rule, as amended in 2018, lets a physician direct a certified medical assistant employed in the physician's practice to give the physician's patients intradermal, intramuscular, or subcutaneous injections, or to perform venipuncture, but only in the limited circumstances the section sets out. Those include documented qualifications and training: at least ten hours of injection training and ten supervised injections of each type. The rule does not mention cosmetic injectables specifically. N.J.A.C. 13:35 was readopted effective January 8, 2025.

Source: N.J.A.C. 13:35-6.4, Delegation of administration of subcutaneous and intramuscular injections and performance of venipuncture to certified medical assistants (adoption notice, 50 N.J.R. 1284(a))

Law or regulationPublished or effective May 21, 2018Checked Sep 25, 2026

New Jersey's Nursing Practice Act defines registered professional nursing to include executing medical regimens as prescribed by a licensed or otherwise legally authorized physician or dentist. This is the general definition of RN practice. It does not mention cosmetic injections.

Source: N.J.S.A. 45:11-23, Definitions (Nursing Practice Act)

Law or regulationPublished or effective 2026Checked Sep 25, 2026

The Board of Medical Examiners' professional practice structure rule, in the text adopted in 2005, lists acceptable practice forms. It lets a practitioner practice in a partnership, professional association, or LLC only if the entity is made up solely of health care professionals licensed to render the same or a closely allied professional service. Later amendments to N.J.A.C. 13:35-6.16 could not be checked, because the current official code text is behind a LexisNexis gate. The 13:35 chapter was readopted in 2025.

Source: N.J.A.C. 13:35-6.16(f)2, Professional practice structure (adoption notice, 37 N.J.R., June 20, 2005)

Law or regulationPublished or effective Jun 20, 2005Checked Sep 25, 2026

In 2013 the Board of Medical Examiners denied a petition to amend N.J.A.C. 13:35-6.16(f) so physicians could be employees of certain hospital-subsidiary corporations. The Board said that without fiscal control of the practice, physicians' independent medical judgment may be compromised. It also said corporate owners and non-licensees would be outside its jurisdiction. This is a notice of Board action on a rulemaking petition, not a rule.

Source: N.J.A.C. 13:35-6.16 Notice of Action on Petition for Rulemaking: Permit Licensed Physicians to Be Employees of a Corporation Under Certain Circumstances (New Jersey Register, Nov. 18, 2013)

Board guidance — may not be bindingPublished or effective Nov 18, 2013Checked Sep 25, 2026

New Jersey's Professional Service Corporation Act lets one or more persons licensed to render the same or a closely allied professional service form a professional corporation to render that service. It does not mention medical spas.

Source: N.J.S.A. 14A:17-5, Professional corporation

Law or regulationPublished or effective 1995Checked Sep 25, 2026

In its rules for surgery, special procedures, and anesthesia performed in an office setting (N.J.A.C. 13:35-4A, as amended in 2021), the Board of Medical Examiners defines "surgery" to include the use of lasers performed on the body. A separate provision requires a practitioner who wants to use laser surgery techniques in an office, without hospital or ambulatory surgery center privileges to do so, to apply to the Board. These provisions do not specifically address cosmetic laser hair removal or IPL, or delegation to non-physicians.

Source: N.J.A.C. 13:35-4A.3 definitions, Surgery, Special Procedures, Anesthesia Services Performed in an Office Setting (adoption notice, 53 N.J.R. 2013(a))

Law or regulationPublished or effective Dec 6, 2021Checked Sep 25, 2026

The Cosmetology and Hairstyling Act defines "skin care specialty" (the license estheticians hold) as cosmetic, non-disease services. It covers applying cosmetic preparations to the scalp, face, or neck, and massaging, cleansing, or stimulating the face, neck, or upper body by hand or with mechanical or electrical appliances. It also covers removing superfluous hair with depilatories, waxing, or tweezers, but not by electrolysis.

Source: N.J.S.A. 45:5B-3(y), Definitions: "Skin care specialty"

Law or regulationPublished or effective 2025Checked Sep 25, 2026

A Board of Cosmetology and Hairstyling rule, as amended in 2021, prohibits a practicing licensee (including skin care specialists) from using any medical device to perform licensed services other than Class I medical devices approved by the FDA. It also requires following manufacturers' instructions for those devices. The adoption notice shows only this item of the prohibited-practices list; items 1-7 and 9-12 were unchanged and their text was not visible.

Source: N.J.A.C. 13:28-2.15(b)8, Prohibited practices (adoption notice, 53 N.J.R. 1798(a))

Law or regulationPublished or effective Oct 18, 2021Checked Sep 25, 2026