Tradie Licence Rules for Your Website, State by State (2026)

In six of Australia's eight states and territories, a licensed or registered builder has to put their licence or registration number in their advertising. Most of those rules either name websites outright or cover every advertisement, so they include your website. The Northern Territory asks a company to name its registered builder in its ads. In Tasmania we found no rule at all.

This guide sets out, for each state and territory, who the regulator is, when you need a licence, what your ads and website have to show, and what it costs to get it wrong. Every rule below was checked against the regulator's own page or the legislation on 17 October 2026, and each one links to that source.

This is general information, not legal advice. Rules change and every trade is different, so check with your regulator before you rely on any of it.

Do I need my licence number on my website?

Yes, in most of Australia. NSW, Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia and the ACT all require your licence or registration number in advertising, and a website counts as an advertisement. The Northern Territory asks companies to name their registered builder. We found no such rule in Tasmania.

Even where the law is quiet, showing your number is a good idea. Homeowners can check it on the public register before they call, and it costs you nothing to put it on every page.

Licence rules at a glance

State	Regulator	When you need a licence or registration	What your ads and website must show	Maximum penalty for leaving it off
NSW	NSW Fair Trading	Residential building work over $5,000, and specialist work like electrical and plumbing at any value	Your licence name and licence number	$1,100 individual, $2,200 company
VIC	Building and Plumbing Commission	Domestic building work over $10,000, with most single-trade work exempt	Your registered name and registration number	60 penalty units ($12,546 in 2026-27)
QLD	QBCC, plus WorkSafe Queensland for electrical work	Building work over $3,300, and plumbing, drainage and gas fitting at any value	Your licence name and QBCC licence number. Electrical contractors also show their electrical contractor licence number	$6,044 individual, $30,222 company
WA	Building and Energy	Building work over $20,000 (over $50,000 for class 10a buildings like sheds)	Your registration number. Electrical contractors also show their EC licence number	Up to $25,000
SA	Consumer and Business Services	Carrying on business as a building work contractor	Your licensed name and licence number	$25,000, or a $3,000 expiation fee
TAS	Building Standards Tasmania	Building work under a builder licence class	No advertising rule found	Not applicable
ACT	Access Canberra	Working in a construction occupation, such as builder, plumber or electrician	Your licensed name, licence number and ACN for a company	5 penalty units
NT	Building Practitioners Board	Residential building contractor work on houses and class 2 buildings of $25,000 or more	A company names its registered individual	40 penalty units

New South Wales

In NSW, your name or registered business name and your contractor licence number must be shown in all advertising, and NSW Fair Trading lists the internet as advertising. Residential building work over $5,000 needs a licence, and specialist work like electrical, plumbing and air conditioning needs one at any value.

Regulator: NSW Fair Trading.
When you need a licence: to do, advertise or contract for residential building work over $5,000 in labour and materials, including GST. Specialist work (electrical, plumbing, draining, gasfitting, and air conditioning and refrigeration) needs a licence at any value. Stand-alone internal painting has been exempt since 2015.
What your ads must show: the licensee's name or registered business name, and the licence number. Fair Trading also asks for the licence category of work and a business phone number.
Prices: you can't state a price that is only part of the cost unless the full single price is also clearly stated.
Penalty: a court maximum of $1,100 for an individual and $2,200 for a company under clause 33(1) of the Home Building Regulation 2014 (10 and 20 penalty units at $110). The on-the-spot fine is lower.

Source: NSW Fair Trading, building trade advertisements. See how this applies to a real Build on our Sydney page.

Victoria

In Victoria, a registered building practitioner who advertises domestic building work must state the name they are registered under and their registration number. The maximum penalty is 60 penalty units, which is $12,546 in 2026-27. Domestic building work over $10,000 generally needs a registered builder.

Regulator: the Building and Plumbing Commission (BPC).
When you need registration: for domestic building work worth more than $10,000. Work involving only one trade, such as plastering, wall and floor tiling, painting, electrical work, glazing or plumbing, is exempt from builder registration, though plumbers and electricians are registered or licensed in their own right.
What your ads must show: under section 169H of the Building Act 1993, any advertisement or written statement offering to do domestic building work must state the name you are registered under and your registration number. Section 169I applies the same rule to a partnership with an unregistered partner.
Penalty: 60 penalty units. A Victorian penalty unit is $209.10 for the 2026-27 financial year.
From 1 July 2026: home warranty insurance is needed for work worth more than $20,000.

Sources: Building Act 1993 (Vic), version 152, section 169H, Consumer Affairs Victoria, about building practitioners and Consumer Affairs Victoria, penalties. Our Victorian pages: Melbourne and Geelong.

Queensland

The QBCC counts your website as advertising, so it must show the name you are licensed under and your QBCC licence number, easy to read. Building work over $3,300 needs a QBCC licence. Electrical contractors must also show their electrical contractor licence number on all advertising, websites and social media included.

Regulator: the Queensland Building and Construction Commission (QBCC) for building work, and WorkSafe Queensland's Electrical Safety Office for electrical contractors.
When you need a licence: building work over $3,300. Plumbing, drainage and gas fitting need a licence at any value.
What your ads must show: the name the licensee is licensed under and the QBCC licence number, easily legible and reasonably prominent. The QBCC says an ad with only a trading name "will most likely be non-compliant". If you aren't licensed, your ads must say what you can do, for example: "Cannot perform building work valued in excess of $3,300."
Electricians: WorkSafe Queensland says electrical contractors must include their registered name and electrical contractor licence number on all advertising, including websites and social media.
Penalty: a maximum of $6,044 for an individual licensee and $30,222 for a company under section 54 of the QBCC Act.

Sources: QBCC, advertising and WorkSafe Queensland, electrical contractor licence details in advertising. See it on real Builds on our Brisbane page, and for electricians in Brisbane.

Western Australia

In WA, builders, painters and building surveyors must include their registration number in their advertisements, and the WA Government names website advertisements as an example. It says a penalty of up to $25,000 may apply. Building work valued over $20,000 needs a registered building contractor.

Regulator: Building and Energy.
When you need registration: individuals, partnerships and companies that contract to provide building work valued over $20,000 must be registered as a building contractor. For class 10a buildings, such as sheds, carports and garages, the figure is over $50,000.
What your ads must show: your registration number, under section 8 of the Building Services (Registration) Act 2011. The rule covers newspaper, radio, television and website advertisements.
Penalty: the WA Government's guide for registered builders says up to $25,000 may apply. The fine written into section 8 itself is $5,000. Check with Building and Energy for how the two apply to you.
Electrical contractors: under regulation 45(1) of the Electricity (Licensing) Regulations 1991, your electrical contractor licence number must appear in any advertisement for your electrical contracting business, and Building and Energy's guideline lists web pages as advertising. Show the EC prefix and the number, for example EC 004700, conspicuously displayed.

Sources: Building and Energy, guidelines for licence numbers on electrical contractor advertising, WA Government, information and obligations for registered builders, WA Government, building contractor registration and the Building Services (Registration) Act 2011.

South Australia

In South Australia, every advertisement by a licensed building work contractor must show the name on the licence (or a registered business name the Commissioner has been told about) and the licence number. The maximum penalty is $25,000, and the expiation fee is $3,000.

Regulator: Consumer and Business Services (CBS).
When you need a licence: to carry on business as a building work contractor, or to advertise that you can, under section 6 of the Building Work Contractors Act 1995.
What your ads must show: under section 50, your name as it appears in the licence or your notified business name, and your licence number. In a partnership, each partner's licence number. Job ads and ads aimed at other contractors are exempt.
Penalties since 15 January 2026: advertising without a licence carries up to $100,000 for an individual for a first or second offence, and CBS can issue a $5,000 expiation fee for it. Using someone else's licence number to mislead is an offence with a maximum of $50,000 for an individual and $250,000 for a company. CBS says repeat offences can reach $150,000 for individuals and $550,000 for companies.

Sources: Building Work Contractors Act 1995 (SA), version 15.1.2026 and CBS, South Australia's building and construction industry changes.

Tasmania

We found no Tasmanian law that requires a builder's licence number in advertising. We checked the Occupational Licensing Act 2005, the Building Act 2016 and the building services work regulations. That isn't proof there is no rule, so check with Building Standards Tasmania, and show your number anyway.

Regulator: Building Standards Tasmania licenses builders. Until 1 October 2026 this was Consumer, Building and Occupational Services (CBOS), which moved into Building Standards Tasmania and Consumer Affairs Tasmania.
When you need a licence: builder licences come in classes (general construction, fire protection services and demolition), and the subclasses set the type and size of work you may do.
What your ads must show: no rule found. Under the Building Act 2016, the property owner has to tell the building surveyor the licence number of the builder doing the work, so your number will be asked for either way.

Sources: Building Standards Tasmania, builder licence and the Building Act 2016 (Tas).

Australian Capital Territory

In the ACT, it is an offence to advertise a service in a construction occupation without your name as recorded on your licence, your licence number and, for a company, its ACN. The maximum penalty is 5 penalty units. The ACT Government's examples include business cards, brochures, vehicle signage and radio ads.

Regulator: Access Canberra, under the Construction Occupations (Licensing) Act 2004.
When you need a licence: to provide a service in a licensed construction occupation, such as building, plumbing or electrical work.
What your ads must show: your name as recorded on your licence, your licence number, and your ACN if you are a company (section 83). The ACT Government's examples include letters, business cards, sample contracts, brochures, signage on vehicles, clothing, and radio and print ads. A website offers your services the same way.
Penalty: a maximum of 5 penalty units.

Sources: Construction Occupations (Licensing) Act 2004, republication 71, section 83 and ACT Planning, responsibilities of licensees.

Northern Territory

The Northern Territory has no general rule that every ad must carry a registration number. If a company works as a building practitioner, the name of its registered individual must appear in all its advertisements, with a maximum penalty of 40 penalty units. Nobody may imply they are registered when they are not.

Regulator: the Building Practitioners Board.
When you need registration: a residential building contractor is needed to build a Class 1a house or a Class 2 building, and certain attached Class 10 buildings and retaining walls, where the value of the work is $25,000 or more.
What your ads must show: under section 25 of the Building Act 1993, a company must ensure the name of its registered individual appears in all its advertisements for that work. Section 22 makes it an offence to imply you are registered when you are not.
Penalty: 40 penalty units for each offence.

Sources: Building Practitioners Board, practitioners and the Building Act 1993 (NT), as in force at 10 February 2026.

What counts as advertising?

Assume anything that offers your services to the public counts. NSW Fair Trading lists the internet. The QBCC lists websites alongside vehicle signage and flyers. WA names website advertisements. The ACT's examples run from business cards and brochures to signage on your ute and printed shirts.

That means your website, your Google Business Profile, your Facebook page, quotes and flyers. Where the rule applies, the safest habit is the same number in the same format everywhere, matching the name on your licence.

Where to put your licence number on your website

Put it on every page, not just the Contact page. A homeowner can land on any page from Google, and in most states the rule applies to the advertisement they are looking at.

What works on the Builds we make:

In the footer of every page: the name on your licence, the licence or registration number, your licence category where your state asks for it, and your ABN.
Next to the quote form: the point where a homeowner decides whether to trust you.
On each service page for licensed work: electrical, plumbing and gas pages in particular, since those trades need a licence at any value in several states.
In clear type: the QBCC asks for "easily legible and reasonably prominent". Grey fine print at the bottom of the footer is not that.
Matching your trading name: if your ads use a trading name, show the licensed name beside it. The QBCC says a trading name on its own will most likely be non-compliant.

Electricians, plumbers and gas fitters

Licensed trades often sit under a second set of rules. In NSW, electrical, plumbing, draining, gasfitting and air conditioning work needs a licence at any value. In Queensland, plumbing, drainage and gas fitting need a licence at any value, and electrical contractors must show their electrical contractor licence number on all advertising, websites included. In Western Australia, electrical contractors must show their EC licence number in any advertisement, web pages included.

If you hold two licences, such as a QBCC licence and an electrical contractor licence, show both, each with the name it was issued to.

What happens if you get it wrong?

The penalty is a fine, and the maximums are higher than most tradies expect. The table above lists each state's maximum for leaving your number off. Penalties for advertising work you are not licensed to do, or using someone else's number, are far higher: in South Australia up to $100,000 for an individual's first or second offence.

Penalty units turn into dollars at a rate each state sets and updates. Victoria's is $209.10 for 2026-27, so its 60 penalty units come to $12,546. Check your own state's current value before you work out a figure.

How Ampliia handles it

Every Build we make puts your licence details on every page, in the footer and beside the quote form. Before we start, we ask for your licence or registration numbers and the exact name on each licence.

The site is $3,000 once-off, then $0 a month. You see the whole finished site on a private Preview link before you pay the Balance, so you can check every licence detail yourself first.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need my licence number on my website in Australia?

In most states, yes. NSW, Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia and the ACT all require a licence or registration number in advertising, and a website counts. The Northern Territory requires companies to name their registered builder. We found no rule in Tasmania, but showing it is still good practice.

Is a website an advertisement for licensing purposes?

Treat it as one. NSW Fair Trading lists the internet, the QBCC lists websites, and WA's guidance names website advertisements. The other rules cover every advertisement for your services, so your website, Google Business Profile and social media pages should all carry your licence details.

What happens if my licence number isn't on my website?

You could be fined. Maximum penalties for leaving it off run from 5 penalty units in the ACT to $30,222 for a company in Queensland. South Australia's maximum is $25,000, with a $3,000 expiation fee, and the WA Government says up to $25,000 may apply there.

Does a sole trader need to show their licence number?

Yes, where your state has the rule. The rules apply to the licensee, whether that's you as a sole trader or your company. Show the name exactly as it appears on your licence, next to any trading name you use, with the licence or registration number beside it.

Do I need a licence to advertise building work?

Usually you need the licence before you advertise the work. NSW requires a licence to do, advertise or contract for residential building work over $5,000. South Australia makes advertising without a licence an offence, and Queensland requires unlicensed contractors to state the value of work they can do.

Sources

Every source was checked on 17 October 2026, and the WA electrical contractor guideline on 18 October 2026.

This is general information, not legal advice. Check with your regulator.

What Ampliia charges

$3,000 once-off, then $0 a month. The $1,000 Deposit starts the Build. You see the finished 30+ page site within 72 hours (3 business days) of the Deposit and your details, and the $2,000 Balance is only due on Approval, when it goes live. Your licence details go on every page, and you own the site outright from day one.

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Edris Nazari·Founder, Ampliia AI

Based in Geelong, Victoria. Built 30+ websites for Australian tradies, including painters, electricians, fencers, concreters and auto businesses.

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