Addiction treatment advertising
LegitScript certification, explained for treatment centers
LegitScript certification is a third-party compliance review that Google and Meta require before a US addiction treatment provider can advertise. Licensed programs apply per facility: LegitScript publishes a $1,595 application fee and a $3,095 annual fee for one to nine facilities. It makes you eligible to apply to each platform. It does not guarantee your ads will run.
Last checked October 19, 2026. What we checked: LegitScript’s Addiction Treatment and Healthcare certification pages and FAQs, Google Ads’ Healthcare and medicines and Addiction services policies, and Meta’s Drug and Alcohol Addiction Treatment policy, each read on October 19, 2026. Fees and rules change; re-read the source before you budget.
Three separate approvals, in this order
The basics
What is LegitScript certification?
It is a compliance check run by a private company, LegitScript, that the big ad platforms use to decide which addiction treatment providers may advertise. LegitScript reviews your licenses, ownership, staff, website, advertising and history against a published set of standards. If you pass, you pay an annual fee, you are certified, and LegitScript keeps monitoring you.
It is not a clinical accreditation and it is not a state license. It sits on top of both. LegitScript’s own page puts the advertising point plainly:
“LegitScript Certification is required to run addiction treatment ads on platforms including Google, Meta, Microsoft Ads, and Nextdoor.”
LegitScript, Addiction Treatment Certification, www.legitscript.com/certification/addiction-treatment-certification, read October 19, 2026.
There are two certifications a behavioral health owner will hear about, and they are not interchangeable.
- Addiction Treatment Certification is for organizations that provide substance use disorder treatment or recovery services. It is priced per facility and judged against 16 standards.
- Healthcare Merchant Certification is for pharmacies, telemedicine providers that prescribe, digital health platforms, drug manufacturers and some medical spas. It is priced per website and judged against its own published standards. Google accepts it for US telemedicine providers, and accepts it or NABP accreditation for US online pharmacies.
If your website talks about substance use treatment at all, LegitScript’s general FAQ says ad platforms “may classify your business under their addiction treatment policies” even if you do not plan to advertise those services, and in that case it generally recommends Addiction Treatment Certification.
LegitScript, Getting Started FAQs, www.legitscript.com/certification/faq, read October 19, 2026.
Who needs it
Who needs LegitScript certification, and who cannot get it?
If you provide licensed drug or alcohol addiction treatment and want to run ads on Google or Meta in the United States, you need it. Some business types cannot get it at all, and on Google that means they cannot advertise addiction services. Find your row:
| Your business | Certification | Verdict | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detox, residential or inpatient treatment | Addiction Treatment | Likely eligible | Licensed clinical treatment, in a clinical setting. |
| Outpatient programs and outpatient counseling | Addiction Treatment | Likely eligible | LegitScript names outpatient treatment and outpatient counseling. |
| Medication-assisted treatment (MAT) | Addiction Treatment | Likely eligible | Only drugs permitted by regulators (Standard 11). Controlled-substance prescribers need current DEA certificates. |
| Telehealth substance use treatment | Addiction Treatment | Likely eligible | LegitScript: a brick-and-mortar facility is not required. |
| Dual diagnosis or co-occurring programs | Addiction Treatment | Likely eligible | Addiction treatment inside a co-occurring program qualifies. |
| Credentialed interventionist, in person | Addiction Treatment | Likely eligible | Virtual or online intervention services are not eligible. |
| Crisis hotline or mutual support group | Addiction Treatment | Likely eligible | Hotlines may not steer callers to specific providers. Family-only groups are not eligible. |
| Sober living or recovery residence | None available | Generally not eligible | No licensed clinical treatment. Google still restricts sober living ads. |
| Lead generator, call center, paid referral service | None available | Explicitly disallowed | Owning or answering a hotline for one can sink a provider's own application. |
| Peer or sober coaching, sober transport, DUI classes, assessment only | None available | Generally not eligible | LegitScript: these do not require professional licensure, or offer no treatment. |
| Mental health only, no substance use treatment | Usually none | Not in the addiction policies | Unless you prescribe through telemedicine, which is Healthcare Merchant territory. |
| Gambling, gaming or other behavioral addiction only | None | Out of scope | Out of scope for Google's addiction policy; generally not eligible for LegitScript. |
| Online pharmacy or telemedicine prescribing | Healthcare Merchant | Likely eligible | Google's US route for telemedicine providers; online pharmacies may use it or NABP. |
LegitScript’s own five-question self check: do you treat substance use disorder; is treatment given by licensed or credentialed professionals; is it given in a clinical setting or by telehealth; are you in the United States or Canada; and does your website promote your own treatment rather than refer people elsewhere? Five yeses means you are likely eligible.
LegitScript, Addiction Treatment Certification FAQs, www.legitscript.com/certification/addiction-treatment-certification/faq, read October 19, 2026.
Treatment must be given in a clinical setting. LegitScript says services from private residences or other non-clinical locations are generally not eligible. If you are unsure, LegitScript will review your eligibility by email; send your legal business name, website and a description of your services.
Cost
How much does LegitScript certification cost?
For a single addiction treatment facility, LegitScript publishes $1,595 to apply and $3,095 a year, so $4,690 in year one. The application fee is nonrefundable whatever the outcome. The annual fee is due only once you are approved. These are LegitScript’s fees, paid to LegitScript; they are separate from your ad spend and from any agency.
| Program and size | Application fee | Annual fee | First year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Addiction Treatment, 1 to 9 facilities | $1,595 per facility | $3,095 per facility | $4,690 per facility |
| Addiction Treatment, 10 to 24 facilities | $1,495 per facility | $2,775 per facility | $4,270 per facility |
| Addiction Treatment, 25 or more | $1,395 per facility | $2,550 per facility | $3,945 per facility |
| Individual practitioner | $535 | $1,070 | $1,605 |
| Healthcare Merchant | $975 per website | $2,150 per website | $3,125 per website |
| Expedited processing, any program | $2,500 per application | None | Starts review in 2 business days |
- A “facility” is a distinct location that provides addiction treatment, even under one corporate registration. LegitScript may treat nearby sites (within a mile), shared ownership, shared management and shared policies as one facility, at its discretion.
- Individual practitioner pricing is for practices with three or fewer client-facing practitioners, one location, one website, and no tie to a larger treatment organization. LegitScript assigns it during enrollment; you cannot pick it.
- Ten or more facilities: the certification page lists the lower tiers above, while the FAQ points groups of ten or more to Enterprise Certification with “an alternative pricing model”. LegitScript does not publish Enterprise prices; it quotes them per organization.
- Nonprofits may qualify for a hardship waiver on the addiction program. LegitScript says there is no nonprofit pricing on the healthcare program.
- Refunds: the application fee may be refundable only if you withdraw before LegitScript’s review begins; after that it is not. The annual fee can be canceled in writing at any time, which ends certification at once, with no prorated refund.
Fees and terms: LegitScript Addiction Treatment Certification, www.legitscript.com/certification/addiction-treatment-certification, read October 19, 2026. Healthcare fees: legitscript.com/certification/healthcare-certification. Facility definition and refunds: LegitScript Getting Started FAQs.
Timeline
How long does LegitScript certification take?
LegitScript does not publish a timeline, and says so. Its general FAQ answers the question directly:
“Every application is different, so we’re unable to provide an estimated certification timeline.”
LegitScript, Getting Started FAQs, Certification Timeline, www.legitscript.com/certification/faq, read October 19, 2026.
It names four things that move the clock: how complex your organization is, how complete your submission is, how quickly you answer analyst requests, and how many applications are in the queue. Applications are generally reviewed in the order received, and you cannot see your place in line.
Expedited processing ($2,500) buys a faster start, not a faster review. LegitScript says it begins your review within two business days of screening and “does not shorten the compliance review itself.” Any agency quoting you a firm number of weeks is guessing. The part you control is the paperwork in the next section.
Step by step
How do you get LegitScript certified and approved to advertise?
Fix the website and gather the documents first, apply to LegitScript, then apply to Google and Meta separately. Most guides stop at step six. The ads cannot run until steps seven and eight are done.
Confirm you are in scope
Use the table above and LegitScript’s five questions. If any part of your organization is a referral service or lead generator, or answers a hotline for one, resolve that before you apply. LegitScript’s Standard 12 says such ties “may be grounds for immediate denial.”
Make your website match reality
Standard 9 requires the physical address of every facility where services are given, the specific services offered, and photos that “truthfully and accurately depict” your facilities. Post a privacy policy where the law requires one, and remove any claim to serve places you do not.
Gather the documents
Facility names, addresses, lease or ownership records, liability insurance and licenses; business registration numbers for the organization and its principals; staff licensure; current DEA certificates for anyone prescribing controlled substances; and every domain you own, even ones you are not certifying.
Pause uncertified addiction ads
LegitScript’s advertising standard says applicants seen advertising on Google, Bing or Facebook without certification may be treated as trying to circumvent the program, and that may be grounds for denial.
Apply and pay the application fee
Create an account at certification.legitscript.com, choose Addiction Treatment Certification, complete the enrollment form, pay, then finish and submit the questionnaire. Progress saves as you go.
Work the review with the analyst
LegitScript calls its review collaborative: it asks for missing items rather than denying on the spot, and you may fix problems during review without penalty. Answer fast and in full. Compliance matters are generally handled in writing.
Get approved, pay the annual fee, then apply to Google
Paying the annual fee finalizes certification. Then file Google’s healthcare certification application under the Addiction Services category, from the ad account itself, not the manager account, with your customer ID and certified domain. An agency filing for you must include proof of its relationship with you.
Request written permission from Meta
Meta requires both LegitScript certification and its own written permission, requested through the form linked from its policy page. Only then build the campaigns.
Stay certified
Tell LegitScript within 30 days about significant changes: new services, licensure or accreditation changes, discipline, investigations or warning letters. New locations are added by email with a compliance review and an application fee, and share your renewal date.
Steps 1 to 6 and 9: LegitScript Addiction Treatment Certification standards and FAQs, www.legitscript.com/certification/addiction-treatment-certification, read October 19, 2026. Step 7: Google Ads, Apply to advertise healthcare and medicines. Step 8: Meta, Drug and Alcohol Addiction Treatment.
What you pay LegitScript before a single ad runs
Denials and delays
Why do LegitScript applications get denied or stall?
LegitScript does not publish denial rates or a ranked list of reasons. Its 16 standards do name what can sink an application, and these are the ones that touch a treatment center’s marketing and operations most directly:
- The business model is out of scope. Sober living, peer coaching, assessment only, referral and lead generation are generally not eligible.
- A tie to a lead generator, including co-ownership by anyone with real decision-making power, or sponsoring or answering a lead generator’s hotline (Standard 12).
- Patient incentives. Standard 14 says programs that offer things like paid travel “will not be eligible for approval,” and names paying rent or insurance premiums during treatment as other problems.
- A website that oversells. Stock or borrowed photos, missing facility addresses, services you do not provide, or locations you do not serve (Standards 9 and 13). Ads may not use another business’s name.
- History. All criminal, regulatory and civil violations and any litigation from the past ten years must be disclosed; recent or repeated discipline or warning letters can disqualify (Standard 7).
- Licensing gaps for any service or any state you serve (Standards 1 and 2), and medication programs that rely on unapproved drugs (Standard 11).
- Partners who are not certified. Partner pharmacies that fill your patients’ prescriptions are generally required to be LegitScript-certified or accredited by another recognized body (Standard 15).
- Incomplete answers. Standard 16: failure to provide full and accurate information as requested “will result in denial.” Remedial fixes during review are allowed without penalty.
LegitScript, Our 16 Certification Standards, on the Addiction Treatment Certification page, www.legitscript.com/certification/addiction-treatment-certification, read October 19, 2026.
The platforms
How do Google Ads and Meta use LegitScript certification?
Both treat it as the entry ticket, then add their own approval on top. Here is each rule in the platform’s own words.
Google Ads
“In order to advertise for recovery-oriented drug and alcohol addiction services, you must be certified as an addiction services provider by the LegitScript Certification program.”
“Not all drug and alcohol addiction services are eligible for LegitScript Certification. Those that are not eligible for certification are not allowed to advertise for drug and alcohol addiction services on Google.”
“Advertisers must also be certified with Google.”
Google Ads, Healthcare and medicines, United States table, support.google.com/adspolicy/answer/176031, read October 19, 2026.
- What counts: Google’s examples are clinical treatment providers, recovery support such as sober living and mutual help groups, lead generators and referral agencies, and crisis hotlines. Impulse control, behavioral and nicotine addiction services are out of scope.
- Where: certified providers can advertise in the United States and Canada. In Australia, France, Ireland and New Zealand, Google allows these ads from government entities only. Each location or group of locations needs its own application.
- Enforcement: Google says a violation of this policy brings a warning at least 7 days before any account suspension.
- Audiences: addiction counseling is health content under Google’s personalized advertising rules, so you cannot use advertiser-curated audiences such as Customer Match, your data segments or lookalike segments. Google’s predefined audiences can still be used.
Google Ads, Addiction services, support.google.com/adspolicy/answer/15598649, read October 19, 2026. Audiences: Health in personalized advertising. Keyword targeting: Restricted drug terms.
What we could not confirm, said as unknown
- Medication names as keywords. Google requires certification to keyword-target prescription drug terms, and it names online pharmacies, telemedicine providers and manufacturers as the certified business types. Whether the Addiction Services certification alone covers targeting a MAT medication by name is not stated on the pages we read. Ask Google before you build those keywords.
Meta (Facebook and Instagram)
“Advertisers can run ads for drug and alcohol addiction treatment in the United States as long as they’re certified with LegitScript and have written permission from Meta.”
Meta Advertising Standards, Drug and Alcohol Addiction Treatment, transparency.meta.com/policies/ad-standards/restricted-goods-services/drug-alcohol-addiction-treatment, read October 19, 2026.
- What counts: in-person treatment, addiction hotlines, mutual support groups, and online treatment such as recovery apps. Physical rehabilitation can run without Meta’s permission.
- Ad copy: Meta’s personal attributes rule bars ads that imply the advertiser knows a viewer’s medical information. Meta’s own allowed example is “Depression counseling”; its banned example is “Depression getting you down? Get help now.” Write about your program, never about the reader.
Meta Advertising Standards, Privacy Violations and Personal Attributes, transparency.meta.com/policies/ad-standards/objectionable-content/privacy-violations-personal-attributes, read October 19, 2026.
And the line every owner should hear before paying anyone: LegitScript’s addiction FAQ says certification “does not guarantee advertising approval,” and its general FAQ says LegitScript “cannot predict, interpret, modify, or appeal” platform decisions. Ad disapprovals go to the platform, not to LegitScript.
After certification
What should you do once you are certified?
Certification opens the door. Admissions come from what you build behind it. This is what we set up once a center is approved:
- Separate campaigns by level of care and location, each pointing to a page that names that service and that facility’s real address and photos, the same facts LegitScript just verified.
- Track calls and forms through to admissions, not clicks. A click that never becomes a call, a form or an intake is not a result, so call tracking and a written intake follow-up time come before any bid setting.
- Keep copy about the program. Levels of care, licensed staff, insurance accepted, location. No outcome promises, no claims about the reader.
- Show the seal the way LegitScript issues it. LegitScript says a genuine seal links to a page confirming your current certification status, and anyone can check a site at legitscript.com/websites. A copied or unlinked seal undercuts the trust it is meant to build.
- Build what does not need certification alongside: organic search pages for each service and city, your Google Business Profile, and directories. They keep inquiries coming if an ad is ever paused for review.
Seal: Naomi Moono, “Behind the Seal,” LegitScript, September 17, 2026, legitscript.com, read October 19, 2026.
How PELORA helps
From certified to booked admissions
PELORA is a healthcare marketing agency that leads with behavioral health. Our founder built and ran Epic Journey Recovery, so we have sat on the owner’s side of the admissions phone and the ad bill. In healthcare, we work only with licensed providers.
- Before you apply: we review your website against the LegitScript standards that touch marketing (addresses, real photos, service claims, privacy policy, advertising) and fix the pages we build. The application itself is yours, in your name; LegitScript handles compliance matters with you directly.
- Once you are certified: we help you file the Google healthcare certification and the Meta permission request, then build and run Google and Meta campaigns with every ad, keyword and landing page checked against both platforms’ policies before it goes live.
- Alongside the ads: organic search and AI search pages, your Business Profile, and reporting on calls and admissions, not clicks.
Retainers start at $3,500 a month plus a one-time setup, and ad spend is paid to Google or Meta directly, never marked up. LegitScript’s fees are paid to LegitScript. See every tier and price. We cannot promise any platform will approve you, and nobody honest can.
Questions owners ask
LegitScript certification FAQ
How much does LegitScript certification cost?
For addiction treatment, LegitScript publishes $1,595 to apply and $3,095 a year per facility for one to nine facilities, so one facility costs $4,690 in the first year. Individual practitioners pay $535 and $1,070. Healthcare Merchant Certification is $975 to apply and $2,150 a year per website. Expedited review adds $2,500 per application.
How long does LegitScript certification take?
LegitScript does not publish a timeline. Its own FAQ says every application is different, so it is unable to provide an estimate; review time depends on complexity, completeness, how fast you answer questions, and application volume. Expedited processing starts the review within two business days but does not shorten it.
Does LegitScript certification mean my Google and Meta ads are approved?
No. LegitScript says certification does not guarantee advertising approval. Google also requires its own healthcare certification application, Meta requires written permission through its own form, and each platform still reviews every ad and landing page.
Can I advertise rehab without LegitScript?
Not for drug and alcohol addiction services on Google or Meta in the United States. Google says providers that are not eligible for certification are not allowed to advertise those services, and Meta requires LegitScript plus its written permission. These are paid ad rules; organic search results are not ads.
Do mental health treatment centers need LegitScript certification?
Not for the addiction policies, if you treat no substance use disorder. Google's and Meta's addiction rules cover drug and alcohol treatment only. But LegitScript warns that a website describing substance use treatment may be classed as addiction treatment, and telemedicine prescribing needs Healthcare Merchant Certification to advertise on Google in the US.
Can sober living homes or lead generators get LegitScript certified?
Generally no. LegitScript lists sober living homes and other non-clinical recovery residences as generally not eligible, and it calls lead generators, call centers and paid referral marketers explicitly disallowed. Google lists both as restricted, so without certification they cannot run addiction ads there.
Should I apply for Healthcare Merchant or Addiction Treatment Certification?
If your website describes substance use disorder treatment, LegitScript generally recommends Addiction Treatment Certification, because platforms may class you under their addiction policies. Healthcare Merchant Certification is for pharmacies, telemedicine prescribing and other businesses that sell or facilitate prescription medication online.
What happens if we advertise addiction treatment before we are certified?
It can cost you the certification. LegitScript's advertising standard says applicants seen advertising on Google, Bing or Facebook without certification may be treated as trying to circumvent the program, which may be grounds for denial. Google also restricts the ads themselves.
Who wrote this
Written by an operator, checked against the source.
This guide was written by Preston Durnford, who founded and runs PELORA Marketing from Newport Beach, California, working with healthcare providers nationwide. He built and ran Epic Journey Recovery, a behavioral health company, and sold Fresh Start of California Detox, one of the two businesses he has sold.
Every fee, rule and quote on this page was read from LegitScript’s, Google’s, Meta’s and SAMHSA’s own pages on October 19, 2026, and the page was fact-checked against those sources before publishing. Where a source does not say something, we wrote that it does not, instead of guessing.
PELORA is not affiliated with LegitScript, Google or Meta, and this page is not legal advice. For a ruling on your organization, ask LegitScript; for an ad decision, ask the platform.
- $5M+Ad spend managed
- 5.0Google rating
- 10 yearsThe core team has worked together
- TwoBusinesses the founder has sold, including Fresh Start of California Detox
Sources
Every source, with the date we read it.
- LegitScript, Addiction Treatment Certification: legitscript.com/certification/addiction-treatment-certification, read October 19, 2026.
- LegitScript, Addiction Treatment Certification FAQs: legitscript.com/certification/addiction-treatment-certification/faq, read October 19, 2026.
- LegitScript, Getting Started FAQs: legitscript.com/certification/faq, read October 19, 2026.
- LegitScript, Healthcare Certification: legitscript.com/certification/healthcare-certification, read October 19, 2026.
- Google Ads, Healthcare and medicines: support.google.com/adspolicy/answer/176031, read October 19, 2026.
- Google Ads, Addiction services: support.google.com/adspolicy/answer/15598649, read October 19, 2026.
- Google Ads, Prescription drugs (restricted drug terms and how to apply): support.google.com/adspolicy/answer/15595717, read October 19, 2026.
- Google Ads, Health in personalized advertising: support.google.com/adspolicy/answer/16701855, read October 19, 2026.
- Meta, Drug and Alcohol Addiction Treatment: transparency.meta.com, read October 19, 2026.
- Meta, Privacy Violations and Personal Attributes: transparency.meta.com, read October 19, 2026.
- LegitScript, “Behind the Seal,” Naomi Moono, September 17, 2026: legitscript.com/healthcare/behind-the-seal, read October 19, 2026.
- SAMHSA, National Helpline: samhsa.gov/find-help/helplines/national-helpline, read October 19, 2026.
Read next
The rest of the treatment center playbook.
Fifteen minutes
Bring your website and your plan. We will show you the gaps.
On a call we read your site the way a LegitScript analyst and a Google reviewer would, tell you what to fix before you apply, and show you how the ads would run once you are approved. You keep the findings either way.
PELORA Marketing is headquartered in Newport Beach, California and works with licensed healthcare providers nationwide.