# Can a Clinic Geofence Ads Around Its Own or a Competitor's Location?

Reviewed October 24, 2026 · By Michael Borgia, MedScale Health

## Short answer

As of October 2026, a clinic cannot geofence ads around an in-person health care location in Washington, its own or a competitor's: the state's My Health My Data Act makes a geofence of 2,000 feet or less used to send health care ads unlawful. MedScale Health, a paid ads agency for US telehealth brands and clinics, targets broadly instead: adults in the regions a clinic can serve, with the creative doing the targeting. Elsewhere, check state law with counsel first.

## What does this mean for a clinic planning location-based ads?

- In Washington, a geofence of 2,000 feet or less around any business that provides in-person health care, used to send ads related to health care services, is unlawful. The clinic's own building counts as much as a competitor's.
- The Washington ban applies to any person who implements the geofence, not only to health businesses.
- Washington treats a violation as an unfair or deceptive act under its Consumer Protection Act.
- Google doesn't allow radius targeting under 1 km around any location, and Meta sets radius limits by location type, but a setting the platform accepts is not a reading of state law.
- Broad targeting of adults across the area a clinic serves, with creative that says who the service is for, reaches nearby patients without fencing any building.

MedScale Health runs Meta and Google ads for clinics and multi-location groups, with targeting kept broad. This page covers the ad side only: what Washington's statute says about geofenced ads, what the platforms' location tools do, and how to plan location targeting around both. This page is marketing guidance, not legal advice; check the sources at the end before acting on a rule.

## What does Washington's My Health My Data Act say about geofencing?

RCW 19.373.080 reads: "It is unlawful for any person to implement a geofence around an entity that provides in-person health care services where such geofence is used to: (1) Identify or track consumers seeking health care services; (2) collect consumer health data from consumers; or (3) send notifications, messages, or advertisements to consumers related to their consumer health data or health care services." The definitions section, RCW 19.373.010(14), defines a geofence as technology that uses global positioning coordinates, cell tower connectivity, cellular data, radio frequency identification, Wifi data or any other spatial or location detection to set a virtual boundary around a specific physical location, and limits the term to a boundary 2,000 feet or less from the perimeter of that location.

Three details matter for advertisers. The ban applies to "any person", not only to health businesses, so it reaches whoever implements the fence. The protected place is any entity that provides in-person health care services, so a clinic's own building is covered as much as a competitor's. And RCW 19.373.090 says a violation of the chapter is an unfair or deceptive act in trade or commerce and an unfair method of competition under Washington's Consumer Protection Act. MedScale's targeting rule is broad by default: adults in the regions a client can serve.

## Does the Washington ban cover a geofence around a clinic's own location?

The statute's wording draws no line between a clinic's own location and anyone else's. The fence is unlawful around "an entity that provides in-person health care services" when used for any of the three listed purposes, and the third purpose is sending ads related to health care services. On that wording, a Washington clinic cannot reach people near its own front door with a fence of 2,000 feet or less, and a competitor-conquest fence around another practice is covered the same way.

The distance runs from the perimeter of the physical location, not from a pin at its center, so a large medical building or campus pushes the protected boundary outward. MedScale builds clinic campaigns by service line and location, with targeting kept broad across the area each office serves.

## What do Meta and Google radius targeting allow?

Google's location targeting help says radius targeting, also called proximity targeting, shows ads to people within a set distance of a location, and that Google Ads does not allow radius targeting under 1 km (about 3,280 feet) around any location, because targets must meet minimum privacy thresholds for area and user counts. Google also says a small radius may serve intermittently or not at all, and that its default setting can show ads to people who have shown interest in a location as well as people who are physically there.

Meta's location help says ads show to people who spend time in the chosen locations, such as people living there or recently there. A dropped pin gets a default radius that can be adjusted with a slider, radius minimums and maximums vary by location type, and radius selection isn't possible for ZIP codes, states, regions or countries. Neither platform's settings decide what a state allows, and Meta's Advertising Standards say advertisers are responsible for understanding and complying with all applicable laws and regulations. A platform minimum is a product setting, not a legal safe harbor. MedScale's rule runs the other way from a tight fence: adults across the regions a client can serve, with the creative doing the targeting.

## How can a clinic reach nearby patients without a geofence?

Search reaches local intent without drawing a boundary around anyone's building, because the searcher states the treatment and the place. A person who searches for a treatment and a city finds the clinic through the query itself. On Meta, targeting adults across the clinic's service area, set by city, ZIP code or region, with creative that says plainly who the service is for and where it is, reaches the same neighborhoods. For a Washington campaign, confirm the location setup with counsel before launch.

Platform health rules apply on top of state law. Meta's Health and Wellness standard requires ads for cosmetic procedures and for weight loss products and services to target people 18 and over, so Meta ads for a med spa or a weight loss clinic set the age floor before the location. Telehealth brands face the same planning question one level up, choosing the states where they are licensed to launch. MedScale pre-checks every ad against the platforms' health rules before it spends, whatever the location setting.

## How does MedScale target clinic ads by location?

MedScale Health targets clinic ads broadly: adults in the regions the clinic can serve, automatic placements and no stacked interests, with the creative doing the targeting. Search campaigns are built by service line and location, every ad is pre-checked before it spends, and campaigns are live by Day 14 from access when certifications are in place. For a multi-location group, the Monday report shows results and cost per result by campaign and location. Book the free growth audit at medscale.health/audit for a written plan.

## Next step

**Check your ad before Meta does.** Paste your ad copy into the free pre-check. It flags the lines a reviewer reads as personal attributes, outcome promises or drug claims.

- [Run the free pre-check](https://medscale.health/pre-check)
- [Already restricted? Start a rescue](https://medscale.health/rescue)
- [Telehealth marketing agency](https://medscale.health/telehealth)
- [Get a free Growth Audit](https://medscale.health/audit): a written read of your ads, pages and eligibility, with a plan

## FAQ

**Is it legal to geofence a competitor's clinic with ads?**

Not in Washington, for ads related to health care services. RCW 19.373.080 makes it unlawful for any person to geofence an entity that provides in-person health care services to send ads related to health care services, with a geofence defined as 2,000 feet or less from the location's perimeter. Check other states with counsel.

**Can a clinic geofence its own location to reach nearby patients?**

Not in Washington. The statute covers a geofence around any entity that provides in-person health care services, which includes the clinic's own building. Broad targeting of the city, ZIP codes or region the clinic serves reaches nearby patients without a fence; confirm the setup with counsel.

**Does Google's radius targeting count as a geofence under Washington law?**

The platform setting doesn't settle it. Google doesn't allow radius targeting under 1 km around any location, but Washington measures 2,000 feet from the perimeter of the location, and Google may also serve to people who have shown interest in an area. Treat it as a legal question for counsel.

**What happens if a business breaks Washington's geofencing rule?**

Washington treats it as a Consumer Protection Act violation. RCW 19.373.090 says a violation of the My Health My Data Act is an unfair or deceptive act in trade or commerce and an unfair method of competition for the purpose of applying chapter 19.86 RCW.

## Sources

- [Washington RCW 19.373.080: Geofence restrictions (My Health My Data Act)](https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=19.373.080) (checked October 23, 2026)
- [Washington RCW 19.373.010: Definitions, (14) geofence](https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=19.373.010) (checked October 23, 2026)
- [Washington RCW 19.373.090: Application of consumer protection act](https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=19.373.090) (checked October 23, 2026)
- [Google Ads Help: Target ads to geographic locations (radius targeting minimum)](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/1722043?hl=en) (checked October 23, 2026)
- [Google Ads Help: About targeting geographic locations (physical location and location of interest)](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/2453995?hl=en) (checked October 23, 2026)
- [Meta Business Help Center: How to choose locations for your ad (location radius)](https://www.facebook.com/business/help/365561350785642) (checked October 23, 2026)
- [Meta Advertising Standards: Introduction (business assets, verification, circumvention, compliance with law)](https://transparency.meta.com/policies/ad-standards/) (checked October 23, 2026)
- [Meta Advertising Standards: Health and Wellness (change log Jul 22, 2026)](https://transparency.meta.com/policies/ad-standards/restricted-goods-services/health-wellness/) (checked October 23, 2026)

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- [How Do You Run Meta Ads for a Med Spa?](https://medscale.health/answers/how-to-run-meta-ads-for-a-med-spa)
- [What Are the Advertising Rules for Med Spas and Aesthetic Clinics on Meta and Google?](https://medscale.health/answers/aesthetic-clinic-advertising-rules)
- [What Are the Rules for Medical Weight Loss Clinic Ads on Meta and Google?](https://medscale.health/answers/medical-weight-loss-clinic-ads-rules)
- [How Should a Telehealth Brand Structure Its Meta Campaigns?](https://medscale.health/answers/telehealth-meta-campaign-structure)

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