# Do I Need My Licence Number on My Website? WA Rules for Tradies

In WA, electrical contractors, plumbing contractors, builders and painters must show their licence or registration number in their advertising, and a website counts. Here is what each rule says, where to put the number, and the official sources.

Published: 2026-11-01
Category: business
Author: JetBlok Studio

> **Quick answer**
>
> - **Electrical contractors:** yes. Your EC licence number must be conspicuously displayed in any advertisement for your electrical contracting business, and the WA guideline lists web pages as advertising. ([WA Government guideline](https://www.wa.gov.au/media/50882/download?inline=))
> - **Plumbing contractors and permit holders:** yes. The licence or permit number must appear in any advertisement for the business, and also on business documents such as written quotes, receipts and statements of account. ([Plumbers Licensing and Plumbing Standards Regulations 2000](https://www.legislation.wa.gov.au/legislation/statutes.nsf/RedirectURL?OpenAgent=&query=mrdoc_48519.pdf))
> - **Builders and painters:** yes. A registered building service contractor must include its registration number in advertising, and the WA Government names website advertisements. ([WA Government](https://www.wa.gov.au/government/multi-step-guides/information-and-obligations-registered-building-services-providers/information-and-obligations-registered-builders))
> - **Gas fitters:** the gas regulations focus on not claiming a certificate, permit or authorisation you do not hold. If you also hold a plumbing licence, the plumbing rule applies to that advertising. ([Gas Standards Regulations 1999](https://www.legislation.wa.gov.au/legislation/prod/filestore.nsf/FileURL/mrdoc_27795.htm/$FILE/Gas%20Standards%20(Gasfitting%20and%20Consumer%20Gas%20Installations)%20Regulations%201999%20-%20%5B04-h0-00%5D.html?OpenElement=))

When we build a new site for a sparky or a plumber, one of the first things we ask for is the licence number. Some tradies are surprised. They think of it as something for the van or the business card, not the website. In Western Australia, the rules for several trades say the number belongs in your advertising, and the official guidance counts web pages as advertising.

We build [websites for tradies](https://jetblok.com.au/websites-for-tradies) in [Gosnells](https://jetblok.com.au/web-design-perth/gosnells) and across south-east Perth, so this comes up every week. Here is what each rule says, in plain English, with links to the source so you can check it yourself. This is general information, not legal advice. If you are unsure about your own licence, ask Building and Energy or the board that issued it.

## Why a website counts as advertising

The clearest statement comes from the WA Government guideline for electrical contractors. It describes an advertisement as a public announcement designed to attract attention or bring in custom, and lists newspaper ads, radio and TV, flyers, **web pages**, business cards, vehicle signage, letterheads and authorised directory entries. ([WA Government guideline](https://www.wa.gov.au/media/50882/download?inline=))

The WA Government page for registered builders says the same thing in fewer words: builders, painters and building surveyors must include their registration number in advertisements such as newspaper, radio, television or website advertisements. ([WA Government](https://www.wa.gov.au/government/multi-step-guides/information-and-obligations-registered-building-services-providers/information-and-obligations-registered-builders))

So if your website tells people you are available to do the work and asks them to call, it is safest to treat every page of it as an ad.

## Electrical contractors: EC number, conspicuously displayed

Regulation 45(1) of the Electricity (Licensing) Regulations 1991 says the holder of a licence must make sure the licence number is conspicuously displayed in any advertisement for their electrical contracting business. ([AustLII, reg 45](http://www6.austlii.edu.au/cgi-bin/viewdoc/au/legis/wa/consol_reg/er1991331/s45.html))

The WA guideline adds the practical detail:

- Show the EC prefix and the number, for example "EC 004700". Leading zeros can be left off, and "Lic. No." in front is fine.
- Do not tie the number to Western Power or Building and Energy. The licence is issued by the Electrical Licensing Board.
- As a guide, the number 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 hidden somewhere unrelated.

The same guideline says it is an offence not to display the number. ([WA Government guideline](https://www.wa.gov.au/media/50882/download?inline=)) On a website, "with the main body of the ad" points to the header next to your phone number, not just a line of small print at the bottom of the page.

## Plumbing contractors: ads and business documents

Regulation 25 of the Plumbers Licensing and Plumbing Standards Regulations 2000 says a licensed plumbing contractor or permit holder must make sure the licence or permit number appears in any advertisement relating to the business. The listed penalty is a fine of $2,000. Advertisement includes a business card or letterhead. ([WA legislation, reg 25](https://www.legislation.wa.gov.au/legislation/statutes.nsf/RedirectURL?OpenAgent=&query=mrdoc_48519.pdf))

Plumbers have a second rule most other trades do not. Regulation 25A requires the number on **business documents**, which include business letters, statements of account, receipts and written quotations. ([WA legislation, reg 25A](https://www.legislation.wa.gov.au/legislation/statutes.nsf/RedirectURL?OpenAgent=&query=mrdoc_48519.pdf)) If your website sends out quotes or invoices automatically, check that the number is in those templates as well as on the pages.

The same regulations also say that when a licence or permit expires, you must, where practicable, remove references to it from your advertisements and business documents within 7 days. Your website is one of those places, so keep it current.

## Builders and painters: registration number in ads

Section 8 of the Building Services (Registration) Act 2011 says a building service contractor must make its registration number appear in any advertisement about its availability to carry out prescribed building services. The Act lists a fine of $5,000. ([AustLII, s 8](https://www.austlii.edu.au/cgi-bin/viewdoc/au/legis/wa/consol_act/bsa2011326/s8.html))

A WA Government industry bulletin explains that this covers builders, painters and building surveyors registered by the Building Services Board, that companies can face up to five times the amount, and that people registered only as practitioners, or not registered at all, must not advertise using another contractor's number. ([Industry Bulletin 29](https://www.wa.gov.au/system/files/2024-10/ib_029_advertising_rules_jul13.pdf)) The current WA Government page on builder obligations says a penalty of up to $25,000 may apply. ([WA Government](https://www.wa.gov.au/government/multi-step-guides/information-and-obligations-registered-building-services-providers/information-and-obligations-registered-builders))

The Act also has separate offences for claiming to be registered when you are not. That matters if a site uses words like "registered builder" in a heading or a Google listing.

## Gas fitters: claim only what you hold

The Gas Standards (Gasfitting and Consumer Gas Installations) Regulations 1999 say a person who does not hold a certificate of competency, permit or authorisation for gasfitting work must not advertise or represent that they hold it (regulation 38). ([WA legislation](https://www.legislation.wa.gov.au/legislation/prod/filestore.nsf/FileURL/mrdoc_27795.htm/$FILE/Gas%20Standards%20(Gasfitting%20and%20Consumer%20Gas%20Installations)%20Regulations%201999%20-%20%5B04-h0-00%5D.html?OpenElement=)) WA gas fitters carry a licence number starting with "GF", and customers are entitled to ask to see it. ([WA Government brochure](https://www.wa.gov.au/system/files/2025-12/2510360_having_gasfitting_work_done.pdf))

We did not find a gas rule that names the number in advertising the way the electrical and plumbing rules do. Many gas fitters are also plumbing contractors, though, and then the plumbing rule above covers that business's ads. Showing your GF number next to your gas services is an easy trust signal either way.

## Where to put the number on your website

Here is the layout we use on tradie sites, so the number is visible wherever someone might decide to call:

1. **Header, next to the phone number.** It shows on every page, which matters most for electrical contractors because the guideline wants the number with the main body of the ad.
2. **Footer, with your legal business name and ABN.** Write the licence type in full, for example "WA electrical contractor's licence EC 12345".
3. **Contact and About pages.** Add a link to the official search so customers can check it: [electrical licensing](https://www.wa.gov.au/organisation/service-delivery/electrical-licensing) or [find a registered builder](https://www.wa.gov.au/service/community-services/find-registered-builder).
4. **Quote and invoice templates.** Required for plumbing contractors, sensible for everyone.
5. **Your Google Business Profile and directories.** The electrical guideline says authorised directory listings count as advertising, including free ones. Use the same wording as your website.
6. **Social profiles and ads.** A Facebook page or a paid ad that asks people to book you is still an ad.

One practical tip: put the number in one place in your site's code and pull it into every spot above. When the licence is renewed or replaced, you change it once and every page updates.

## It also wins jobs

A visible licence number is not only about avoiding a fine. WA Government consumer brochures tell homeowners to check a licence before work starts. ([WA Government brochure](https://www.wa.gov.au/system/files/2025-12/2510360_having_gasfitting_work_done.pdf)) A customer comparing three quotes is more likely to ring the one who makes that check easy. Pair the number with real photos of your work and [genuine reviews](https://jetblok.com.au/blog/website-reviews-testimonials-rules-tradies-australia), and your site answers the trust question before the customer asks it.

## Quick checklist

- Licence or registration number in the header, next to the phone number
- Licence type written in full in the footer, with your ABN
- Link to the official licence search on the Contact page
- Number on quote, receipt and invoice templates (required for plumbers)
- Same number on Google Business Profile, directories, social pages and ads
- Only the licences and registrations you actually hold, named the way they are issued
- A plan to update every spot within days if the licence changes or expires

## Sources

1. WA Government, Guideline on displaying the electrical contractor's licence number in advertising: https://www.wa.gov.au/media/50882/download?inline=
2. Electricity (Licensing) Regulations 1991 (WA), reg 45: http://www6.austlii.edu.au/cgi-bin/viewdoc/au/legis/wa/consol_reg/er1991331/s45.html
3. Plumbers Licensing and Plumbing Standards Regulations 2000 (WA), regs 21, 25 and 25A, as at 11 June 2025: https://www.legislation.wa.gov.au/legislation/statutes.nsf/RedirectURL?OpenAgent=&query=mrdoc_48519.pdf
4. Building Services (Registration) Act 2011 (WA), s 8: https://www.austlii.edu.au/cgi-bin/viewdoc/au/legis/wa/consol_act/bsa2011326/s8.html
5. WA Government, Information and obligations for registered builders: https://www.wa.gov.au/government/multi-step-guides/information-and-obligations-registered-building-services-providers/information-and-obligations-registered-builders
6. WA Government, Industry Bulletin 29, Advertising rules for builders, painters, building surveyors and owner-builders: https://www.wa.gov.au/system/files/2024-10/ib_029_advertising_rules_jul13.pdf
7. Gas Standards (Gasfitting and Consumer Gas Installations) Regulations 1999 (WA), reg 38: https://www.legislation.wa.gov.au/legislation/prod/filestore.nsf/FileURL/mrdoc_27795.htm
8. WA Government, Having gasfitting work done?: https://www.wa.gov.au/system/files/2025-12/2510360_having_gasfitting_work_done.pdf

*Rules checked on 1 November 2026. This is general information, not legal advice. Check the official pages above, or contact Building and Energy, about your own licence.*

## Want a site that shows your licence properly?

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## Sources

- [WA Government, Electrical contractor licence number in advertising guideline](https://www.wa.gov.au/media/50882/download?inline=)
- [Electricity (Licensing) Regulations 1991 (WA), reg 45](http://www6.austlii.edu.au/cgi-bin/viewdoc/au/legis/wa/consol_reg/er1991331/s45.html)
- [Plumbers Licensing and Plumbing Standards Regulations 2000 (WA)](https://www.legislation.wa.gov.au/legislation/statutes.nsf/RedirectURL?OpenAgent=&query=mrdoc_48519.pdf)
- [Building Services (Registration) Act 2011 (WA), s 8](https://www.austlii.edu.au/cgi-bin/viewdoc/au/legis/wa/consol_act/bsa2011326/s8.html)
- [WA Government, Information and obligations for registered builders](https://www.wa.gov.au/government/multi-step-guides/information-and-obligations-registered-building-services-providers/information-and-obligations-registered-builders)
- [WA Government, Industry Bulletin 29](https://www.wa.gov.au/system/files/2024-10/ib_029_advertising_rules_jul13.pdf)
- [WA Government, Having gasfitting work done?](https://www.wa.gov.au/system/files/2025-12/2510360_having_gasfitting_work_done.pdf)

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