---
title: O.C.G.A. § 43-34-242. Definitions.
collection: code
id: 43-34-242
cite_as: O.C.G.A. § 43-34-242 (2025)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/43-34-242
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/43-34-242.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/43-34-242/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/document/docs/default-source/joint-features-document-library/t43-ch33-51-(v30a)-pdf.pdf?sfvrsn=a025eeeb_0#page=78
date: 2025
status: active
corpus_version: 2025-supplement-89aa39ab3c68
license: CC0-1.0
publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice.
up: https://georgiacommons.org/code/43-34.md
previous: https://georgiacommons.org/code/43-34-241.md
next: https://georgiacommons.org/code/43-34-243.md
index: https://georgiacommons.org/code/index.md
version: the only printed version
in_force: true
current_through: Including Acts of the 2025 Regular Session of the General Assembly
heading_path: PROFESSIONS AND BUSINESSES / PHYSICIANS, ACUPUNCTURE, PHYSICIAN ASSISTANTS, CANCER AND GLAUCOMA TREATMENT, RESPIRATORY CARE, CLINICAL PERFUSIONISTS, AND ORTHOTICS AND PROSTHETICS PRACTICE / COSMETIC LASER SERVICES
extraction_warnings:
  - dehyphenation_unverified:micro-wave
---

# O.C.G.A. § 43-34-242. Definitions.

As used in this article, the term:

(1) “Board” means the Georgia Composite Medical Board created by Code Section 43-34-2.

(2) “Consulting physician” means a person licensed to practice medicine under Article 2 of this chapter and:

(A) Whose principal place of practice is within this state; or

(B) Whose principal place of practice is outside this state but is within 50 miles from the facility with whom he or she has an agreement to provide services in accordance with Code Section 43-34-248.

(3) “Consumer” means a person on whom cosmetic laser services are or are to be performed.

(4) “Cosmetic laser practitioner” means a person licensed under this article to provide cosmetic laser services as defined in this article and whose license is in good standing.

(5) “Cosmetic laser services” means nonablative elective cosmetic light based skin care, photo rejuvenation, or hair removal using lasers or pulsed light devices approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration for noninvasive procedures and includes energy based medical procedures using an ultrasound, cryolipolysis, microwave, or radio frequency device that is not expected or intended to remove, burn, or vaporize the live epidermal surface of the skin, but may damage underlying tissue if used inappropriately.

(6) “Facility” means any location, place, area, structure, office, institution, or business or a part thereof in which is performed or provided cosmetic laser services regardless of whether a fee is charged for such services.

(7) “License” means a valid and current certificate of registration issued by the board which shall give the person to whom it is issued authority to engage in the practice prescribed thereon.

(8) “Licensee” means any person holding a license under this article.

(9) “Medical practitioner” means a registered professional nurse, nurse practitioner, physician assistant, or physician.

(10) “Nurse” means a registered professional nurse or nurse practitioner.

(11) “Person” means a natural person.

## History

Code 1981, § 43-34-242, enacted by Ga. L. 2007, p. 626, § 1/HB 528; Ga. L. 2009, p. 859, § 1/HB 509; Ga. L. 2009, p. 989, § 1/SB 104; Ga. L. 2024, p. 93, § 1/HB 502, effective April 22, 2024.

## Amendments

The 2024 amendment, effective April 22, 2024, in paragraph (5), added “and includes energy based medical procedures using an ultrasound, cryolipolysis, microwave, or radio frequency device that is not expected or intended to remove, burn, or vaporize the live epidermal surface of the skin, but may damage underlying tissue if used inappropriately” at the end of the first sentence, and deleted the former second sentence, which read: “Such services and the provision thereof shall not be considered to be the practice of medicine.”