LegitScript certification: cost, timeline, and whether you need it

LegitScript certification is an independent review that Google may require before a telehealth company can advertise prescription services. It costs $975 to apply per website and $2,150 per year once approved. LegitScript will not promise a review timeline. Those facts, all from LegitScript's own published pages, can decide a launch timeline before creative does. This page covers what certification clears, what it costs, and the one thing it does not do.

The numbers, from LegitScript's own pages

Source: LegitScript's healthcare certification pricing page and FAQ.

Do we need LegitScript certification to run ads?

For Google Ads, prescription-service advertisers must be certified by Google. Google's policy says some certifications require third-party accreditation first, including LegitScript. That makes approval a two-step process: the outside accreditation and Google's own certification. Requirements vary by business model and location, so confirm the exact path in Google's current policy before planning a launch date.

How long does certification take?

Nobody will promise you, and the one company that could, declines to. LegitScript's own FAQ says review time "depends on the order in which an application has been received, the complexity of the application, applicant responsiveness," and ends with: "we are unable to give time estimates." The only dated commitment for sale is expedited processing, $2,500 extra, which starts review within 2 business days of submission. Starts, not finishes. The planning consequence is simple: certification can become the least controllable wait in a telehealth launch, so treat it as an early dependency. Teams that file it last discover their launch date belongs to a review queue they cannot see into.

What does the review actually look at?

LegitScript reviews the business against its published certification standards: licensing, transparency about who operates the site, business affiliations, and patient-safety practices. A few operational details from its own FAQ matter more than teams expect. Every website you operate must be disclosed in the application, and each domain you want certified pays its own fees. A wireframe or demonstration site is usually acceptable to start review, with a final check when you go live. And the application fee is gone whether you pass or not, so the cheap path is applying once, prepared, rather than treating the application as a first draft. Telehealth companies contracting with large clinician networks or multiple pharmacies may be routed to enterprise certification instead, which is a conversation with LegitScript rather than a form.

What if we've already had compliance problems?

Then certification costs more, and that price is worth staring at. LegitScript publishes a probationary tier for businesses with "significant past compliance issues": the same $975 application, but $3,995 per year instead of $2,150, with more in-depth and frequent monitoring. A compliance record can therefore raise the annual cost and scrutiny of certification before you count rebuilt accounts or lost launch time. That is enough reason to fix the underlying disclosure or operating problem instead of routing around it.

What does certification not do?

It clears the business for a defined certification process, not each ad. Creative and landing pages still face separate platform review. Certification also is not a claims-substantiation program. The claim side lives in why health ads get rejected. Before you spend behind a certified account, use the paid-ads preflight to review the claim, landing page, measurement plan, and patient handoff together. And it is not a growth strategy: paying $3,125 to enter the auction does not make the auction affordable, which is a question about what acquiring a telehealth patient actually costs.

What should happen while the review is pending?

Use the wait to remove avoidable rework. Confirm which legal entity, websites, pharmacy relationships, and clinician networks belong in the application. Keep ownership and contact information consistent across the site and supporting documents. Build landing pages around claims the company can substantiate, then review the intake and measurement flow separately so certification does not become a substitute for privacy work. Creative, measurement, and patient-handoff planning can move in parallel, but do not buy media against a launch date the reviewer has not promised. Keep one owner accountable for answering reviewer questions and updating the launch plan. Record each answer so the campaign team does not quietly reintroduce a contradiction after approval. That record also reduces handoff errors when ownership changes during review. The useful milestone is not "application submitted." It is a complete operating package that can survive both the accreditation review and the later campaign review without changing its story.

FAQ

How much does LegitScript certification cost for a telehealth company?

$975 to apply per website (nonrefundable) and $2,150 per year once approved, per LegitScript's published pricing. First year, one site: $3,125. Expedited review adds $2,500.

How long does LegitScript take to approve a telehealth company?

LegitScript states it cannot give time estimates. The only dated commitment is expedited processing: review starts within 2 business days of submission, for $2,500 more.

Can we advertise while the application is pending?

On Google, prescription-service ads cannot run until the required accreditation and Google certification are complete. Other campaigns still have to meet Google's current healthcare and medicines policy.

Does LegitScript certification transfer if we rebrand or change domains?

Certification is per website, and each certified domain carries its own application and annual fee, per LegitScript's pricing page. A new domain means a new application.

Sources, refreshed 2026-08-24: LegitScript healthcare certification pricing, FAQ, and Google Ads Healthcare and medicines policy. Prices and platform requirements can change; the linked pages are the living source. This page is marketing operations guidance, not legal advice.