Does Your Contractor License Number Have to Be on Your Website?

Most contractors think of a website as a brochure, but many licensing boards treat it as advertising. That matters because in a number of states the law requires your license number on advertising, and the definition of advertising reaches far past the newspaper. Below are the actual rules in eight states and New York City, each linked to the statute, rule or board page we read.

This is general information, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm the current rule with your licensing board or a lawyer before you rely on it.

Does your license number have to be on your website?

In many states, yes. Whether your state's rule mentions websites by name matters less than how it defines advertising, because that definition decides everything else.

Some states name the Internet outright. Others write "all advertising" and leave the rest to the board. Georgia's air conditioning rule lists print media and says nothing about websites, and Washington excludes certain vehicle signs.

With that much variation, the safe default is to put the number, in your board's required format, on every page of your site. It costs nothing, and it settles the website question in every state below.

What do individual states actually require?

Penalties are included only where the source states them.

California

Business and Professions Code § 7030.5 requires a licensee's number on all construction contracts, subcontracts and calls for bid, and on all forms of advertising as prescribed by the registrar. The Contractors State License Board's advertising guidelines list a website or any post that solicits business on the Internet as a form of advertising. Those guidelines still show a $100 to $1,000 penalty, but since July 1, 2026, Business and Professions Code § 7099.2 sets the civil penalty for most citations, including this one, at $500 to $8,000.

Vehicles have their own rule. Under § 7029.5, C-36 plumbing, C-45 sign and C-57 well-drilling contractors must show the business name, permanent business address and license number on each side of every commercially registered vehicle in letters at least 1½ inches high. Under § 7029.6, all other contractors must show the business name and license number in or on each commercially registered vehicle, in a clearly visible location, in at least 72-point type or letters at least ¾ inch high and wide.

Florida

For construction contractors, § 489.119(5)(b) requires the registration or certification number in each offer of services, business proposal, bid, contract or advertisement, "regardless of medium," as defined by board rule. Business stationery and promotional novelties are excluded. Under § 489.119(5)(c), if a vehicle bears your name or contracting artwork, the number must appear conspicuously with it, though the statute says it does not create a mandatory vehicle signage requirement.

Electrical and alarm system contractors fall under § 489.521(7)(b), which uses the same "regardless of medium" language. Alarm system contractors may leave the number off newspaper, magazine, flyer, billboard, phone book, Internet and broadcast ads, but only if the ad directs consumers to the contractor's website and that website shows the number. For an alarm contractor relying on that exception, the website is the one place the number cannot be missing. Section 489.521(7)(c) directs the board to assess a fine of not less than $100 or issue a citation for an advertisement without the number.

Texas

Texas regulates electricians and air conditioning contractors through the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR). Its electricians penalty schedule lists failing to include the contractor name and license number in advertising as a violation of 16 TAC § 73.51(e), in the Class A range of $500 to $2,000. Occupations Code § 1305.166 and 16 TAC § 73.51(d), as TDLR's electricians compliance guide explains, require the name and license number on both sides of each work vehicle in contrasting letters at least two inches high, with an electrical contractor's number preceded by "TECL."

For air conditioning and refrigeration contractors, TDLR's penalty schedule lists failing to include the license number in an advertisement that requires it under 16 TAC § 75.71(h), and the requirement under § 75.71(g) to show the license number and company name on both sides of each vehicle in letters at least two inches high, both Class A violations at $500 to $1,000.

Arizona

Arizona's rule is A.R.S. § 32-1124(B), which requires the license number, preceded by "ROC," on bids and estimates, on published advertising and on broadcast, internet or billboard advertising. The last category has an exception: the number may be left off if the ad includes a web address that links directly to a website that prominently displays your name and license number. The Registrar of Contractors' Substantive Policy Statement 2021.02 reads "prominently" to mean that the address links directly to your home page (or your Arizona page, if you work in several states), and that your name and ROC number appear on that page, clearly visible, in an appropriately sized font and not in the footer. The registrar applies the same choice to vehicle ads: show the ROC number, or a web address that meets that standard. The statement is advisory, but it is how the registrar reads the law. A violation is grounds for discipline at the registrar's discretion, but the statute says it is not grounds for voiding a contract.

Nevada

In Nevada, NRS 624.720(4) requires all advertising by a licensed contractor to include the company name and license number. The statute defines advertising to include markings on a motor vehicle, newspapers, "airway transmission," any directory listing under contractor and the Internet. Under NRS 624.710, the board may impose an administrative fine of $1,000 to $50,000 for each violation.

Washington

RCW 18.27.100(3)(a) requires all advertising that shows the contractor's name or address to show the current registration number. The same applies to all materials used to solicit business from retail customers who are not businesses. Airwave advertising and signs on certain motor vehicles are excluded. The Department of Labor and Industries' registration page names internet ads, business cards, estimates and bid proposals. The statute allows a penalty of up to $10,000 and says penalties do not apply to an inadvertent error.

Georgia

Georgia's Rule 121-3-.05 requires conditioned air contractors to display the business registration number, written as "GA. REG." followed by the CN or CR license number. It applies to invoices and proposals; to ads in the yellow pages beyond a standard listing, newspapers or printed matter distributed to the public; and to both sides of commercial vehicles, in characters at least two inches high. The rule does not mention websites, which is a good reason to read a rule itself rather than a summary of it. We would still put the number on the site.

New York City

New York City licenses home improvement contractors through the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP). Its inspection checklist states that advertising must include the contractor's DCWP license number, citing 6 RCNY § 2-222(a).

Massachusetts

In Massachusetts, the rule for home improvement contractors is M.G.L. c. 142A, § 17(8), which prohibits a home improvement contractor or subcontractor from publishing any advertisement relating to home construction or home improvements that does not contain the certificate of registration number. The program's regulation, 201 CMR 18.00, requires the number on every advertisement for residential contracting and defines advertisement to include web pages, web ads, listing sites and signs on a vehicle.

Where should the number go on your website?

It belongs on every page, in a spot where a customer can see it without hunting for it.

Footer on every page

Put it in the site template so a new page can never ship without it. Use the exact name the license is issued under, and your board's format: "TECL" for a Texas electrical contractor, "ROC" in Arizona, "GA. REG." for Georgia conditioned air. In Arizona, if any truck, radio, internet or billboard ad shows your web address instead of your ROC number, also put your name and ROC number in the body of your home page, because the registrar does not count a footer as prominent.

Contact and about pages

These are where a careful customer goes to check you out. Write the number in plain text, not inside an image, so it can be copied into the state's lookup.

Service pages

If you hold several licenses, show the relevant one on each service page: the electrical number on electrical pages, the mechanical number on HVAC pages.

Structured data, if you want it

Schema.org's hasCredential property can describe a credential held by an Organization. It is optional. We know of no Google search feature that displays it, so add it if you like tidy markup and do not expect it to move rankings.

For the rest of the local picture, see local SEO for plumbers, electricians and HVAC companies.

What about Google Business Profile and Local Services Ads?

Google has its own rules for both, and they are separate from your state board's.

Keep the number out of your Business Profile name. Google's Business Profile guidelines say the name should reflect your real-world name and bar additions such as taglines and phone numbers. The business description is meant for information about your services and history, so a short licensing line fits there. The same guidelines say a service-area business, such as a plumber working from home, should hide its address.

Local Services Ads screen for licenses. Google's screening and verification requirements list state-level business and owner licenses for home service categories and say additional requirements may apply depending on your business type and state. When you upload a license, you enter the business name, license number and expiration date. Passing Google's check does not mean every ad meets your board's rule, so keep the website number current too. We cover the program in Google Local Services Ads for contractors.

What should you check this week?

Run through this list once, then again whenever a license renews or changes.

• Look up your own license on your board's site and copy the exact name and number
• Read your board's definition of advertising, not a summary of it
• Add the number, in the required format, to the site footer
• Repeat it in plain text on the contact and about pages
• Match each service page to the license that covers that work
• Check every truck against your state's letter-size and placement rule
• Add the number to estimates, proposals, invoices and business cards
• Review Facebook, Yelp, Nextdoor and directory listings that ask for work
• Confirm the license on file with Local Services Ads has not expired
• Set a reminder to update everything when you renew

Common questions about contractor license numbers on websites

Do I need my license number on my truck?

In several states, yes, and the rules are specific. California requires the business name and license number on commercially registered vehicles, with minimum letter sizes. Texas electrical and air conditioning contractors and Georgia conditioned air contractors must show the number on both sides of their vehicles in characters at least two inches high. Nevada, and Massachusetts for home improvement contractors, count vehicle markings as advertising, and Arizona's registrar accepts either the ROC number or a qualifying web address on vehicle ads. Washington is the exception in this guide: its statute says signs on certain motor vehicles do not count as advertising. Florida's construction contracting statute says it creates no mandatory vehicle sign requirement, but if the truck carries your name or contracting artwork, the number must appear with it.

Does putting my license number on my website help SEO?

We know of no Google statement that a license number on a page improves rankings, so do not add it for that reason. Add it because your state may require it and because it lets a customer check your license before calling. Those are reasons enough.

What if I hold licenses in more than one state or trade?

List each one, labeled by state and trade, in the format each board requires. A Texas electrical contractor number is written with the TECL prefix, and an Arizona number with ROC. A footer line such as the state, the license type and the number for each license is clear to customers and to inspectors.

Do social media pages and directory listings count as advertising?

Often they do. Nevada's definition of advertising names the Internet and any directory listing under contractor, and California's board says a website or post that solicits business on the Internet is advertising. If a page asks for work, treat it as an ad and put the number on it.

I do not need a license for the work I do. Do I have to say so?

In Nevada, yes. NRS 624.720 requires an unlicensed person who advertises construction work or a work of improvement to state in the advertisement that the person is not licensed under that chapter. Other states handle unlicensed advertising differently, so check your own board before you publish anything.

Related reading: Google Local Services Ads for Contractors · Local SEO for Plumbers, Electricians and HVAC · Plumber Websites · Electrician Websites · HVAC Websites