Tradie Licence Numbers and Badges: How to Show Them Online (2026)

Executive Summary

Key takeaways: what you'll get from this guide

The difference between your state trade licence (required by law) and optional badges like Master Builders, Master Plumbers, NECA and HIA
Why most regulators say your licence number has to be in your advertising, and your website counts
The two mistakes that quietly cost trust: a licence number buried in the footer, and badges for memberships that have lapsed
Exactly where to put credentials on your site: the header, a trust bar under the main headline, and behind-the-scenes code Google can read
How to get your licence in front of people on your Google Business Profile too

A trade licence is a government permission to do regulated work, issued by your state regulator, and in most states the licence number has to appear wherever you advertise. A membership or accreditation is something extra you choose to hold, like Master Plumbers or HIA, that tells a customer you go beyond the legal minimum.

Homeowners do not always know the difference, but they do notice when a tradie's website shows neither. Before someone hands over a deposit for a bathroom reno or a switchboard upgrade, they want a reason to believe you are the real deal.

This guide focuses on the licence side and the practical "how do I show it" side. If you want the trade-by-trade list of memberships and what they cost, read our companion guide on trade accreditations and memberships worth getting.

A few numbers worth knowing:

Nearly 90% of homeowners do not run a tradie's licence number through the regulator before giving the go-ahead, according to a NSW Fair Trading survey 1.

Nearly half of the NSW residents surveyed said they would hire an unlicensed contractor if someone they trusted recommended them 1. Customers are not doing the checking, so your website has to make it easy.

Around 70% of Australians now check reviews before they buy 2. The same people are scanning your site for proof, and a licence number is one of the fastest pieces of proof you can give them.

In Queensland, leaving your licence number off an ad can cost up to $6,044 for an individual or $30,222 for a company 3.

What Is the Difference Between a Licence and a Membership?

One is the law. The other is a choice.

State trade licence, Membership or accreditation
	State trade licence	Membership or accreditation
Who issues it	A state or federal regulator	An industry association or scheme
Do you need it?	Yes, to do regulated work	No, it is optional (with a few exceptions)
Examples	NSW Fair Trading contractor licence, QBCC licence (QLD), Building and Plumbing Commission registration (VIC), Consumer and Business Services licence (SA), ARCtick refrigerant handling licence	Master Builders, Master Plumbers, NECA, Master Electricians, HIA
What it tells a customer	You are legally allowed to do the job	You chose to meet a higher standard
Must it be in your ads?	In many states, yes	No, but it helps

The state regulators

NSW: NSW Fair Trading. The Home Building Act says the licensee's name and licence number must be shown in all advertising, and advertising residential work over $5,000 or specialist work (electrical, plumbing, gasfitting, air conditioning) without a licence is not allowed 4.
Queensland: the QBCC. Ads must show your licensed name and QBCC licence number, and QBCC spells out that websites, social media pages and online directories all count as advertising 3.
Victoria: the Victorian Building Authority (VBA) has been replaced by the Building and Plumbing Commission (BPC) 6. If your website still says "VBA registered", it is time to update the wording.
South Australia: Consumer and Business Services (CBS) licenses building work contractors and plumbers, gasfitters and electricians. Check your licence conditions for what has to go on your ads.

ARCtick is a licence, not a badge

Air-con and fridge techs sometimes treat the ARCtick logo as a nice extra. It is not. The Australian Refrigeration Council says it is an offence to handle fluorocarbon refrigerant without the right licence 5. Show your ARC licence number the same way you would show an electrical or plumbing licence.

The optional badges

Master Builders, HIA, Master Plumbers, NECA and Master Electricians are all voluntary. They cost money every year, and they are only worth it if the customers you want recognise them. For domestic work, your licence number and reviews usually do more. For strata, commercial and builder-panel work, the right membership can get you on the approved list. Our accreditations and memberships guide breaks that down trade by trade.

Action: Write down your licence number, the regulator that issued it, and every membership you currently pay for. Anything you are not paying for anymore comes off the list today.

Why Do Homeowners Look for Licence Numbers and Badges?

Because a deposit is a leap of faith.

A homeowner comparing three quotes cannot judge your workmanship until the job is done. So they look for shortcuts: reviews, photos of real jobs, and anything official that says you are legit. A licence number is official. A recognised badge is a second opinion from someone other than you.

Most of them will never type your number into the regulator's search 1. That does not mean the number is wasted. Seeing it clearly, with a link to check it, tells them you have nothing to hide. The tradie who makes the customer hunt for it looks like the tradie who might be hiding something.

It also protects you. When your licence number is on your quotes, van and website, a customer can tell you apart from the bloke with a similar business name who did a dodgy job two suburbs over.

Action: Look at your homepage on your phone. Can you see your licence number without scrolling to the very bottom? If not, keep reading.

What Mistakes Do Tradies Make When Showing Credentials?

The most common one we see. The number is technically there, in 10-point grey text under the copyright line, next to the privacy policy link. The regulator might accept it. The customer never sees it.

QBCC's own guidance says licence details in written advertising should be "easily legible and reasonably prominent" 3. Footer fine print is a stretch.

Showing expired or generic associations

A lapsed membership badge is still sitting on a lot of tradie sites. If you stopped paying Master Plumbers two years ago, the badge is now a claim that is not true, and that is a problem under Australian Consumer Law.

Close behind it: generic logos. A "Licensed and Insured" graphic with no number, a stock "quality guaranteed" seal, or a regulator's logo you are not allowed to use. QBCC, for example, says licensees cannot use the QBCC logo, though you can link to its website 3. Generic badges look like filler, and customers can tell.

Old regulator names

Victoria's VBA became the Building and Plumbing Commission 6. Solar accreditation moved away from the Clean Energy Council in 2024. Old names make an otherwise good website look neglected.

Action: Open your site and check every badge, logo and licence line against what you actually hold today. Delete anything lapsed, generic, or not yours to use.

How Should I Display Credentials on My Website?

Put them where people decide whether to call, and make them checkable.

1. Licence number in the header

Put your licence number in the top bar or header, next to your phone number. Short and clear: "Lic. 123456C" or "QBCC 1234567". It shows on every page, on mobile and desktop, without anyone scrolling.

2. A trust bar under the main headline

Straight under the main headline and Call button at the top of your homepage, add one row:

Your licence number, linked to the regulator's licence check
One or two membership badges you actually hold, each linked to the body's member search where one exists
Your Google star rating and review count
Years in business or jobs completed, if it is a number you can back up

Keep every badge the same size, in one tidy row. Four strong signals beat twelve mismatched logos. This is standard on every site in our websites for tradies packages.

3. Repeat it where decisions happen

Your contact page, quote request form and each service page should carry the licence number again. For electricians, plumbers and gasfitters in NSW, show the licence with the right category of work, as Fair Trading expects 4.

4. Behind-the-scenes code Google can read

Search engines and AI tools read hidden labels in your website's code, called structured data or schema. Schema.org has a property called hasCredential that can be attached to a business or a person to describe a credential they hold 7. Your web developer can use it to tell Google and AI search tools your licence number and who issued it.

A simple example for your developer:

{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Plumber",
  "name": "Example Plumbing Pty Ltd",
  "hasCredential": {
    "@type": "EducationalOccupationalCredential",
    "credentialCategory": "licence",
    "name": "NSW Contractor Licence (Plumbing)",
    "identifier": "123456C",
    "recognizedBy": {
      "@type": "GovernmentOrganization",
      "name": "NSW Fair Trading"
    }
  }
}

Two honest notes. First, there is no special "licence number" box in schema for businesses, so hasCredential is the closest fit. Second, Google does not promise to show this anywhere. It helps machines understand you, but the visible licence number on the page matters more.

Action: Add your licence number to the header this week. If your site makes that hard to change, that tells you something about your website.

How Do I Show Licences on My Google Business Profile?

Google Business Profile has no dedicated field for a licence number, so you work with what is there.

Business description: add a plain line like "Licensed plumber, NSW Contractor Licence 123456C. Member of Master Plumbers." Google's rules say the description must be honest and relevant, and links are not allowed, so write the number without a URL 8.
Photos: upload a clear photo of your signwritten van showing the licence number, and one of you on a real job. Skip photos of certificates with personal details on them.
Services and posts: mention licensed work where it matters, for example "licensed gas fitting" or "ARC licensed air conditioning installs".
Match your website: same business name, same licence number, same phone. Mismatches make customers, and Google, less sure you are the same business.

Getting these details right, along with categories, services and photos, is a core part of our Google Business Profile optimisation service.

Action: Open your Google Business Profile, edit the description, and add your licence number in the first two sentences.

Want Us to Check How Your Credentials Show Up Online?

Made 4 Tradies offers a free, no-obligation website audit for Australian trade businesses. We check whether your licence number is visible where customers look, whether your badges are current, and whether Google can read your credentials.

Free website audit: trust signals, mobile speed, local signals and what is stopping visitors from calling. PDF in 24 hours.
Free Google Business Profile audit: Maps visibility, reviews, photos and competitor benchmarking. PDF in 24 hours.

No call required. No pitch. Just a straight read on what is costing you work.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to put my licence number on my website in Australia?

In many states, yes. NSW Fair Trading requires the licensee's name and licence number in all advertising, and QBCC in Queensland lists websites and social media pages as advertising. Check your own regulator's rules, but assume your website counts.

Is membership of Master Builders, HIA or Master Plumbers compulsory?

No. These are voluntary industry memberships. Your state trade licence is the legal requirement. A membership is an extra trust signal, and it is most useful if the customers or builders you want to work with recognise it.

Is an ARCtick licence optional for air conditioning techs?

No. The Australian Refrigeration Council says handling fluorocarbon refrigerant without the right ARC licence is an offence. Treat your ARC licence number like any other trade licence and display it clearly.

Where is the best place to put my licence number on my website?

In the header next to your phone number, so it appears on every page. Then repeat it in a trust bar under your main headline, on your contact page, and on your quote form. Footer fine print alone is too easy to miss.

Can I use my regulator's logo on my website?

Usually not. QBCC, for example, says licensees cannot use its logo, but you can link to its website. Show your licence number as text and link it to the regulator's public licence check instead.

What should I do if my membership has lapsed?

Take the badge down straight away. Showing a membership you no longer hold is a false claim and can breach Australian Consumer Law. Put it back when you renew.

Does schema markup for licences help my Google ranking?

Not directly, and Google does not promise to display it. The hasCredential property helps search engines and AI tools understand your credentials. The visible licence number on your page does more for customers, so do that first.

References:

Published by Made 4 Tradies. Built by online experts who understand tradies. Serving Sydney, the Central Coast, Newcastle, and the Hunter.

Trade Accreditations, Licences and Memberships in Australia: What Is Worth Getting (and How to Show Them Online)