LegitScript Certification for Telehealth Ads: Cost, Timeline, and What It Unlocks

Last updated: November 13, 2026 · By Jason Garrett, Founder, Coast Studio. Not legal advice — review claims with counsel.

Short answer: In the United States, a telehealth provider that wants to promote prescription drugs needs LegitScript Healthcare Merchant Certification before Meta or Google will approve it. Online pharmacies need LegitScript for Meta; on Google they can use LegitScript or NABP accreditation. Standard pricing is a nonrefundable $975 application fee plus $2,150 a year for each website you certify, or $3,125 in year one. Certification makes you eligible to apply. Google certification and Meta authorization are separate applications you file afterward.

Who needs it

Business	Google	Meta
Telehealth provider that prescribes	LegitScript certification, then Google healthcare certification	Active LegitScript certification, then Meta authorization
Online pharmacy	LegitScript or NABP accreditation, then Google certification	Active LegitScript certification, then Meta authorization
Addiction treatment	LegitScript addiction treatment certification	LegitScript addiction treatment certification
CBD seller	Varies by product and state	Active LegitScript certification plus Meta written authorization; US only
Pharmaceutical manufacturer	Certification varies by market	LegitScript, or Meta's internal review instead
Telehealth ads that name no prescription drug	Prescribing telehealth providers need certification as a business type; removing drug names does not exempt them	No authorization needed to promote telehealth services generally

Meta limits prescription drug ads to people 18 and older in the United States, Canada, and New Zealand. On Google, certification follows your business type and your keyword targeting. In the US, Canada, and New Zealand, targeting prescription drug keywords requires certification.

What it costs

Standard fee	Amount
Application, per certified website	$975, nonrefundable
Annual certification, per certified website	$2,150, due after approval
Year one, one website	$3,125
Expedited processing, per application	$2,500

Enterprise arrangements can differ. Disclose every domain you operate. Multiple websites can be included in one application, with separate application and annual certification fees for each domain you certify. Payment processors also recognize the certification, and certified merchants may avoid the high-risk fee card networks charge pharmacies and drug sellers.

How the process works

Inventory every website and domain you operate.
Gather licenses for the business, its prescribers, and its pharmacy partners in each state you serve.
Start the application at my.legitscript.com and pay the application fee.
Complete the questionnaire. LegitScript screens it for completeness, then reviews it against its certification standards.
Pay the annual fee after approval.
Apply for Google healthcare certification and Meta authorization. Each platform reviews you separately.

LegitScript publishes no standard review time. Expedited processing starts the review within two business days of submission. Build the launch plan on weeks, and start the platform applications the day certification lands.

What certification leaves out

Certification makes you eligible. Three things sit outside it:

Meta's health and wellness data restriction. A certified telehealth brand can still lose Purchase and other events. See our guide to Meta health and wellness restrictions.
Ad copy review. Every ad still has to pass Google's and Meta's policies on claims, targeting, and personal attributes.
FDA and FTC rules. Claims about compounded drugs and results follow federal rules whatever your certification status.

FAQ

Do I need LegitScript to run Meta ads for telehealth?
Only to promote prescription drugs. Meta lets telehealth providers promote their services generally without authorization. To name or promote a prescription drug, you need active LegitScript certification and Meta authorization.

Do I need LegitScript for Google Ads?
In the US, telemedicine providers need LegitScript before Google will certify them for prescription drug services. Online pharmacies can use LegitScript or NABP accreditation. Targeting prescription drug keywords also requires certification.

Is LegitScript certification the same as Google certification?
No. LegitScript certifies the business. Google certification is a second application inside Google Ads, and Meta authorization is a third.

How much does LegitScript certification cost?
$975 to apply and $2,150 a year, per website. The application fee is nonrefundable.

How long does it take?
LegitScript publishes no standard review time. Expedited processing, $2,500 per application, starts the review within two business days of submission.

Does LegitScript fix a Meta health and wellness restriction?
No. The data restriction applies to your pixel and Conversions API, and certification leaves it in place.

Do I need one certification per domain?
You must disclose every domain you operate, and you choose which ones to certify. One application can cover several websites, with separate application and annual fees for each domain you certify.

Can I advertise GLP-1 treatment without LegitScript?
On Meta, you can promote a telehealth service in general terms without authorization; promoting a prescription GLP-1 requires LegitScript and Meta authorization. On Google, a prescribing telehealth provider needs certification as a business type. See our GLP-1 advertising rules.

Sources

Not legal advice. Review claims with counsel.