Licence numbers in tradie ads: the rules in WA, NSW, QLD and VIC

This is general information, checked in October 2026, not legal advice.

WA, NSW, QLD and VIC all require some trades to show a licence or registration number in their advertising. But the rules differ on who, what and where. A Perth electrician and a Brisbane builder face different wording, different regulators and different penalties.

We run Google Ads for Australian trades. So we check this before an ad goes live. Below is what each regulator actually publishes, with links, so you can check it yourself.

Do I have to put my licence number in my ads?

Yes, in all four states, if you hold a contractor licence or registration for the work you advertise. The legal source and the detail change by state and trade.

The regulators read “advertisement” broadly. The ones that list media name websites, social media pages, online directories and vehicle signage. None of the pages we read mentions paid search ads by name. The one exception is a Queensland electrical exemption for online ads that link to your website, covered below.

The safe reading is simple. If it promotes your business to the public, treat it as an ad.

What are the rules in Western Australia?

WA has three separate rules, one each for building, plumbing and electrical contractors. All three sit in legislation, and Building and Energy administers them.

Builders

Section 8 of the Building Services (Registration) Act 2011 says a building service contractor must cause its registration number “to appear in any advertisement” about its availability to carry out prescribed building services. The penalty is a fine of $5,000.

Building and Energy’s Industry Bulletin 029 adds that companies can face up to five times that amount under the Sentencing Act 1995.

Plumbers

Regulation 25(2) of the Plumbers Licensing and Plumbing Standards Regulations 2000 requires a licensed plumbing contractor to make sure the licence number appears in “any advertisement relating to the business”. The penalty is a fine of $2,000.

The regulation says an advertisement includes a business card or letterhead. So it reaches further than most tradies expect.

Electricians

Regulation 45(1) of the Electricity (Licensing) Regulations 1991 requires your licence number to be “conspicuously displayed in any advertisement” for your electrical contracting business.

Building and Energy’s guidelines on licence numbers in electrical contractor advertising get specific:

• The number carries the EC prefix. Leading zeros can be dropped.
• As a guide, it should be at least 50% of the size of the largest lettering in the ad.
• It must sit with the main body of the ad, not tucked away where it bears no relation to it.
• Web pages, business cards, directories and vehicle signage are all listed.
• Every ad on the front, back or sides of a vehicle needs the number.

We couldn’t confirm the penalty amount for the electrical rule from the regulation text we opened. Check with Building and Energy if that matters to you.

Roofers

We couldn’t confirm a separate WA advertising rule for roofers. If your roofing work needs a building contractor registration, the section 8 rule above applies to you. Check with Building and Energy.

What are the rules in New South Wales?

NSW requires the licensee’s name and contractor licence number in all advertising for residential building work and specialist work. The detail sits in clause 33 of the Home Building Regulation 2014, made under the Home Building Act 1989.

The NSW Government’s building trade advertisements page puts it plainly. “The licensee’s name and licence number must be shown in all advertising.” You can use your registered business name in place of your own name.

Who it covers:

• Builders doing residential building work. NSW requires a licence for residential work over $5,000.
• Specialist trades, which need a licence at any value. That means electrical wiring, plumbing, draining, gasfitting, and air conditioning and refrigeration work.
• Roofers who hold a NSW contractor licence for their work. The rule attaches to the licence, not the job title.

The page says the laws apply to print, internet, television, radio and other advertising. It doesn’t list vehicles or social media separately.

When clause 33 was made in 2014, the maximum penalty was 20 penalty units for a corporation and 10 for anyone else. Check the current version on the NSW legislation site before relying on that figure.

What are the rules in Queensland?

Queensland requires licensed contractors to show the name they’re licensed under, their QBCC licence number, and a statement that they’re licensed under the QBCC Act. The QBCC advertising page sets this out under the Queensland Building and Construction Commission Act 1991.

The key points:

• A trading name is fine, but it must sit alongside the licensed name. The QBCC says an ad with only the trading name “will most likely be non-compliant”.
• Details must be easily legible and reasonably prominent. In audio and video, they must be as clear as the rest of what’s said.
• Covered media include websites, social media pages, online directories, vehicle signage, radio, TV, billboards and on-hold messages.
• Hi-vis shirts and similar clothing are exempt.

The QBCC lists a maximum of 35 penalty units under section 54 for licensees. When we checked, it put that at $6,044 for individuals and $30,222 for companies.

Unlicensed operators have a different rule. They must state the value of work they can do without a licence. For work that always needs a licence, such as plumbing and drainage, the required wording is “Cannot perform building work valued in excess of $0.”

Electricians in Queensland

Electrical contractors answer to the Electrical Safety Office as well. Its advertising guidance says you must include your registered name and electrical contractor licence number on all advertising.

It lists websites, social media, vehicle signage, flyers, fridge magnets and switchboard stickers. It also has an exempt list. Uniforms, business cards, merchandise and shop fronts are on it. So is online advertising that links to your website or social media homepage. Your website itself is not exempt. The page doesn’t state a penalty.

What are the rules in Victoria?

Victoria requires registered building practitioners to show their name and registration number when advertising domestic building work. Registered electrical contractors must show their REC number. We couldn’t confirm a published advertising rule for plumbers.

Builders and roofers

Sections 169H and 169I of the Building Act 1993 require advertising and written offers for domestic building work to show the practitioner’s name and registration number. The regulator’s guidance on names and registration numbers says both must be “clearly legible”.

It covers print and online advertising, including social media, and written quotes. Practitioners registered through a company must also say whether they or the company will do the work. If you’re registered for roofing as domestic building work, this applies to you.

The Victorian Building Authority now trades as the Building and Plumbing Commission. The guidance page doesn’t state a penalty or mention vehicles.

Electricians

Energy Safe Victoria tells registered electrical contractors to “ensure your REC registration number is on all promotional materials”. Its examples are advertisements, notices and statements. The page refers to the Electricity Safety Act and related regulations but doesn’t cite a section or a penalty.

Plumbers

We couldn’t confirm a published rule requiring Victorian plumbers to show a licence or registration number in ads. Check with the Building and Plumbing Commission. Showing it anyway costs nothing, and customers can look you up on the BPC’s register.

What must appear, state by state?

Here’s the short version. Follow the source link for the full wording.

State	Trade	What must appear	Source
WA	Builder	Building service contractor registration number	BSR Act 2011, s 8
WA	Plumber	Plumbing contractor licence number	PLPS Regs 2000, r 25
WA	Electrician	EC licence number, conspicuously displayed	Building and Energy guidelines
WA	Roofer	No separate rule confirmed. Check with Building and Energy	Not confirmed
NSW	Builder, roofer, plumber, electrician	Licensee name or registered business name, plus contractor licence number	NSW Government
QLD	Builder, roofer, plumber	Licensed name, QBCC licence number, and a statement that you’re licensed under the QBCC Act	QBCC
QLD	Electrician	Registered name and electrical contractor licence number	Electrical Safety Office
VIC	Builder, roofer (domestic building work)	Practitioner name and registration number	VBA (now BPC)
VIC	Electrician	REC registration number	Energy Safe Victoria
VIC	Plumber	No published rule confirmed. Check with the BPC	Not confirmed

What if I advertise in more than one state?

Show the number that each state’s regulator issued you. A QBCC number does nothing for an ad aimed at Sydney homeowners. If you run one website across several states, list every licence number you hold in the footer, labelled by state.

In Google Ads, split campaigns by state. Then each ad can carry the right number without cramming three into 90 characters.

How do I show my licence number in Google Ads?

Put it on the landing page first, then in the ad where space allows. We couldn’t find a Google Ads policy that requires a licence number. The obligation comes from the state rules above, not from Google.

Space is the problem. Google’s responsive search ads help page allows headlines of up to 30 characters and descriptions of up to 90. Here’s how we’d handle it:

1. Description line. “Licensed electrical contractor EC [your number]” fits in under 50 characters. Pin that description to position 1 if you want it in every ad.
2. Callout or sitelink. A short callout with your licence number works. So does a sitelink to a licences and insurance page.
3. Landing page. Put the number near the main call button, not only in the footer. WA’s electrical guideline wants it with the main body of the ad. Our view is the page a click lands on should meet the same test.
4. Website footer. Every page, every state you hold a licence in. Service pages and blog posts promote your business too.
5. Google Business Profile. Add the number to your business description. Customers read it before they call.
6. Vehicles. Every sign on every side. WA spells this out for electricians, and QBCC lists vehicle signage as an ad.

This matters for results as much as compliance. A licence number is proof a customer can check on the regulator’s register before they call. For electricians, plumbers, builders and roofers, that check can set you apart from an unlicensed operator on the next listing.

Who can set this up for me?

We can. SimplyGJ runs Google Ads for Perth tradies and trades across Australia from Singapore, on the same time zone as Perth.

Pricing is a one-off US$300 setup, then US$300 a month plus 15% of ad spend. Minimum ad spend is A$2,000 a month, with a 3-month minimum. For what that spend buys in Perth, read our breakdown of Google Ads costs in Perth.

Your licence number is the cheapest trust signal you’ll ever put in an ad. The law already makes you show it. So put it where it does some work.