If you run an addiction treatment program, prescribe through telehealth, or sell prescription weight loss care online, there is a step between you and Google or Meta ads: LegitScript certification. If you run a therapy practice or an in-office clinic, you probably don't need it. The hard part is telling which side of that line you are on before you build a campaign.
This guide goes through it practice type by practice type, with fees and timelines as LegitScript publishes them, what Google and Meta ask for on top, and what you can do while you wait. Every platform rule below was checked on 8 October 2026. They change, so check them again before you apply.
What is LegitScript certification?
LegitScript certification is an independent review of a healthcare business's licensing, legal history, website and advertising, followed by ongoing monitoring. Google and Meta rely on it to decide who may advertise addiction treatment in the US, and which online pharmacies and telehealth providers may promote prescription drugs. There are two programs: Healthcare Certification and Addiction Treatment Certification.
LegitScript is a private company. On its certification status page it describes itself as a private certification body, not a law enforcement agency. Certification is not a license to practice, and it doesn't replace your state license or your board's advertising rules.
Who requires LegitScript certification
- Google, for addiction services. In the US, advertisers of recovery-oriented drug and alcohol addiction services must be certified by LegitScript's addiction program and then by Google. Google's healthcare and medicines policy adds that services not eligible for LegitScript certification are not allowed to advertise addiction services on Google at all. Its addiction services policy lists treatment providers, sober living, mutual help groups, crisis hotlines and lead generators as in scope, and services for impulse control disorders, behavioral addictions or nicotine as out of scope.
- Google, for prescription drug services. In the US, Google allows online pharmacies accredited by LegitScript or NABP, and telemedicine providers accredited by LegitScript. Both must also be certified with Google. Its prescription drug services policy says it decides whether you are promoting online prescribing from your ads, site and services, and errs on the side of caution.
- Meta, for addiction treatment. Meta's drug and alcohol addiction treatment policy allows these ads in the United States from advertisers certified with LegitScript who also have written permission from Meta. It covers in-person and online treatment, addiction hotlines and mutual support groups.
- Meta, for prescription drugs. Meta's drugs and pharmaceuticals policy requires online pharmacies and telehealth providers to be actively certified with LegitScript, obtain Meta's authorization, target only the US, Canada or New Zealand, target only people 18 or older, and include a disclaimer to consult a licensed health professional.
- Microsoft Advertising. LegitScript says its addiction treatment certification is required to run addiction treatment ads on Microsoft Ads. We couldn't open Microsoft's own healthcare policy page on 8 October 2026, so check the current rules in the Microsoft Advertising Help Center before you run ads on Bing.
- Payment processors. LegitScript says Visa and Mastercard recognize its Healthcare Certification, which helps with approval for card-not-present payments. Ask your processor what it requires of you.
These sit on top of the rules every health ad follows, such as no targeting by health condition. Our guide to healthcare advertising rules covers those.
Do you need LegitScript? By practice type
This is how LegitScript's eligibility pages and the Google and Meta policies line up for the practices we work with. It is a starting point for your own check, not a ruling. LegitScript decides eligibility, and each platform decides what it will run.
| Practice type | Usually needs | Why, and what to check |
|---|---|---|
| Substance use IOP or PHP | Addiction Treatment Certification | Google and Meta require it for US addiction treatment ads. LegitScript says addiction treatment delivered as part of a co-occurring program qualifies. |
| Mental-health-only IOP or PHP | Usually neither | Google's addiction policy covers drug and alcohol services. But LegitScript says that if your site describes substance use treatment, platforms may classify you under their addiction policies anyway, and it then recommends Addiction Treatment Certification. |
| In-office ketamine clinic | Usually not eligible | LegitScript says in-person-only clinics that don't prescribe through telemedicine or take card-not-present payments for prescription drugs are generally not eligible for Healthcare Certification. Google's prescription drug terms rules still apply to your ads (see below). |
| Ketamine prescribed through telehealth | Healthcare Certification | Telemedicine that may result in a prescription is in scope. LegitScript also warns that ketamine services may face extra advertising restrictions it can't predict. |
| Spravato treatment center | Usually not eligible | Spravato is given only in certified settings, so it is in-office by definition. The FDA's REMS certification is a separate requirement; see our guide to Spravato REMS requirements. |
| GLP-1 weight loss through telehealth | Healthcare Certification | Same as any telehealth prescriber. Google's list of monitored prescription drugs names semaglutide, tirzepatide, Ozempic and Wegovy. |
| In-person weight loss clinic or med spa | Depends | Generally eligible only if you prescribe through telemedicine or take online or card-not-present payments for prescription medications. LegitScript says payments for consultations, appointments or deposits alone don't make a med spa eligible. |
| Psychiatry that prescribes through telehealth | Healthcare Certification, if you advertise the online service | Online consultations that may result in a prescription are in scope, and Google decides whether you promote online prescribing from your ads, site and services. |
| Therapy practice | Usually neither | Talk therapy that doesn't prescribe or treat substance use sits outside both programs. A practice that treats substance use disorders and wants to advertise that on Google or Meta needs Addiction Treatment Certification. |
| Functional medicine | Usually not | Only if you prescribe through telehealth or take online or card-not-present payments for prescription drugs. LegitScript says businesses selling only dietary supplements are generally not eligible. |
If you're in one of the "usually not" rows, your ads still follow the ordinary health ad rules. For an IOP or PHP, which category you land in decides what can be built, which is why our IOP and PHP marketing work starts there.
What LegitScript reviews
Each program publishes its standards. In short, the Healthcare Certification standards check that you:
- are licensed for your services where you prescribe or dispense and where the patient is located;
- disclose any criminal, regulatory or civil violations and litigation from the past ten years;
- work with partner pharmacies that are LegitScript-certified or accredited by another recognized body, with limited exceptions;
- say on your website which states or countries you serve;
- prescribe only after care from a licensed professional, and follow telemedicine law;
- keep your offers, claims and ads accurate and within platform terms.
The Addiction Treatment Certification standards are longer, sixteen in all. The ones that most often touch marketing:
- Website content. Your site must conspicuously show the physical address where services are given and the specific services offered, and every photo must truthfully show your own facilities.
- Advertising. Ads must identify you, must not use other businesses' names, and must not claim locations where you don't treat patients.
- Lead generators. Co-owning, or any formal or informal affiliation with, a lead generator is prohibited and may mean immediate denial.
- Incentives. All patient incentives must be disclosed, and programs offering things like paid travel generally won't be approved.
- Staff and facilities. Proof of clinical staff qualifications, licensure, insurance where the law requires it, and ownership or lease records for each location.
LegitScript certification cost and timeline
These are the fees LegitScript publishes, as of 8 October 2026. The application fee is paid up front and is nonrefundable. The annual fee is due only if you're approved.
| Program | Application fee | Annual fee |
|---|---|---|
| Healthcare Certification, standard | $975 per website | $2,150 per website |
| Healthcare Certification, probationary | $975 per website | $3,995 per website |
| Addiction Treatment, 1 to 9 facilities | $1,595 per facility | $3,095 per facility |
| Addiction Treatment, 10 to 24 facilities | $1,495 per facility | $2,775 per facility |
| Addiction Treatment, 25 or more facilities | $1,395 per facility | $2,550 per facility |
| Addiction Treatment, individual practitioner | $535 | $1,070 |
- What counts. Healthcare Certification is priced per root domain, so subdomains are covered. Addiction Treatment Certification is priced per unique facility, meaning each distinct treatment location.
- Individual practitioner pricing is for practices with three or fewer client-facing addiction treatment providers, one location, one website and no affiliation with a larger organization. LegitScript applies it automatically if you qualify.
- Probationary certification is for businesses that meet the standards but, in LegitScript's view, need closer monitoring. LegitScript decides this during review.
- Nonprofits. The healthcare program has no nonprofit pricing. The addiction program says hardship waivers may be available for qualifying nonprofits.
- Expedited processing costs $2,500 more per application, in both programs.
Adding those up, a single website's first year of standard Healthcare Certification is $3,125, a single-facility addiction program's is $4,690, and an individual practitioner's is $1,605, before any expedite fee.
On timing, LegitScript's certification FAQ says it can't give an estimate. Review time depends on how complex and complete your application is, how quickly you answer its analysts, and how many applications it has. Expedited processing starts your review within two business days after screening; LegitScript says it does not shorten the review itself. If you withdraw before the review begins, it may refund the application fee; after that, it won't.
How to apply for LegitScript certification
- Pick the program. Healthcare if you sell, prescribe or take payment for prescription drugs online. Addiction Treatment if you treat substance use disorders. If your site describes substance use treatment, LegitScript generally recommends the addiction program.
- Fix your website first. Address, services, the states you serve, real photos and a privacy policy are all checked against the standards above. LegitScript allows reasonable fixes during review, but it is simpler to start with a site that already meets them.
- Gather the documents. LegitScript publishes an application checklist for each program: business and professional licenses, registration numbers, DEA certificates for anyone prescribing controlled substances, partner and affiliate details, and a list of every domain you own, including ones you aren't certifying.
- Apply in the portal. Create an account at certification.legitscript.com, choose the program, complete the enrollment form, pay the application fee, and submit.
- Answer the analysts. LegitScript says review is collaborative and a missing item doesn't mean automatic denial. Prompt answers are the one part of the timeline you control.
- Pay the annual fee once you're approved, which completes certification.
After LegitScript: Google and Meta still decide
LegitScript certification makes you eligible to apply. It doesn't switch ads on. LegitScript's own FAQ says certification does not guarantee advertising approval, that each platform makes its own decisions, and that LegitScript can't predict, interpret, modify or appeal them.
- Google. Apply for Google's healthcare certification through its online form, in the advertiser's own account (not a manager account), with the Google Ads customer ID and the certified domain. An agency applying for a client sends documentation of that relationship. If your ads target more than one location, such as more than one country, Google wants a separate application for each location or group of locations, and approved ads run as "Eligible (limited)".
- Meta. Addiction treatment advertisers request written permission through Meta's form. Prescription drug advertisers obtain Meta's authorization and complete its onboarding.
- Keeping it. Certification is monitored. The addiction program asks you to report significant changes, such as new services, licensing changes or regulatory actions, within 30 days. Cancel the annual fee and certification ends immediately.
What you can do before you're certified
The honest answer depends on what you offer, and for some services it is: no paid ads yet.
Addiction treatment: no Google, Meta or Microsoft ads until you're certified. Google and Meta require certification for the service itself, however an ad is worded. LegitScript's addiction standards go further: applicants seen advertising on Google, Bing or Facebook without certification may be treated as trying to get around the program, which can be grounds for denial. So put the waiting time into channels that don't need ad approval:
- Organic search. Service pages that state your address and services, which LegitScript checks anyway, plus your level of care, schedule and who the program is for. Our guide to local SEO for healthcare covers the rest.
- Your Google Business Profile for each location. See our guide to Google Business Profile for doctors.
- Referrals. The clinicians who already see your future patients: therapists, psychiatrists, primary care and hospital discharge teams.
- Directories. SAMHSA lists FindTreatment.gov as its confidential, anonymous resource for people seeking treatment for mental and substance use disorders. Check how listings work on the site itself. Steer clear of paid referral and lead-generation sites: LegitScript prohibits affiliation with lead generators, and it can sink your application.
Prescription drug services: only what the policy allows without certification.
- Google, US campaigns. The restricted drug terms policy lets you use prescription drug terms in ads and landing pages for promotional purposes without certification, in line with the law, but you must be certified to target those terms as keywords. Online pharmacies and telemedicine providers need certification regardless. Google's examples of certification types are online pharmacy, addiction services, telemedicine, health insurance and pharmaceutical manufacturer, and it says not to apply for one that doesn't match your business. So an in-office clinic may name a drug in its ads and on its page but not bid on it as a keyword, and a telehealth service that prescribes can't advertise that service on Google until it is certified.
- Meta. Its drugs and pharmaceuticals policy lists two kinds of ad that don't need written authorization: ads that educate, advocate or give public service announcements about prescription drugs, and ads that promote telehealth services generally. An ad that promotes a prescription drug is not one of those, however it is framed: online pharmacies and telehealth providers need active LegitScript certification and Meta's authorization to run it.
Rewording is not a workaround. Taking the drug name out of an ad that still sells the prescription doesn't change what it promotes, and Google judges that from your ads, site and services. Making variations of a disapproved ad or page to get it through, showing Google's reviewers a different page from the one patients see, or spreading ads across accounts to promote a service you aren't certified for all break Google's circumventing systems policy. Google treats that as egregious: the account is suspended on detection, without warning. LegitScript's standards also say advertising in apparent violation of a platform's terms can be grounds to deny or revoke certification.
For an in-office ketamine or Spravato clinic, the claims matter as much as the category. Our ketamine clinic marketing page covers how we keep the ad and the landing page to one claim set.
How to check whether a site is LegitScript certified
Search the website on LegitScript's certification status lookup. LegitScript's guide to verifying its seal adds three points:
- A real seal is a live link to the business's status page on legitscript.com. An image that doesn't link there proves nothing.
- Status changes. A business can lose certification and keep showing the seal, so the lookup is more reliable than the badge.
- Look-alikes often show small tells: "Legit Script" as two words, colors or fonts that don't match, or an altered or lower-quality copy of the seal.
Run the same check on any partner pharmacy before you rely on it. LegitScript's healthcare standards expect partner pharmacies to be certified or accredited.
Where we fit
We are a marketing company, not a certification consultant or your compliance officer. We run medical PPC in the practice's own ad accounts, and the first thing we settle is which advertising category each service falls into, because it decides what can be built. We can't promise approval from LegitScript, Google or Meta; nobody can. For a telehealth weight loss service, that usually puts certification ahead of any paid GLP-1 marketing that promotes the prescription. How we work inside the rules is on our compliance page.
Sources
- LegitScript — Healthcare Certification: standards, eligibility and pricing, checked 8 October 2026
- LegitScript — Healthcare Certification FAQs, checked 8 October 2026
- LegitScript — Addiction Treatment Certification: standards, eligibility and pricing, checked 8 October 2026
- LegitScript — Addiction Treatment Certification FAQs, checked 8 October 2026
- LegitScript — Getting Started certification FAQs (timeline, expedited processing, refunds, advertising decisions), checked 8 October 2026
- LegitScript — Website certification status lookup, checked 8 October 2026
- LegitScript — Behind the Seal: how to verify it's real (17 September 2026), checked 8 October 2026
- Google Ads Help — Healthcare and medicines policy, including United States requirements, checked 8 October 2026
- Google Ads Help — Addiction services, checked 8 October 2026
- Google Ads Help — Prescription drug services, and how to apply for healthcare certification, checked 8 October 2026
- Google Ads Help — Restricted drug terms, checked 8 October 2026
- Google Ads Help — Prescription drugs list (non-exhaustive), checked 8 October 2026
- Google Ads Help — Circumventing systems, checked 8 October 2026
- Meta Transparency Center — Drug and alcohol addiction treatment ad standards, checked 8 October 2026
- Meta Transparency Center — Drugs and pharmaceuticals ad standards, checked 8 October 2026
- SAMHSA — Treatment locators, checked 8 October 2026