Local Services Ads Verification in 2026: Documents, Timeline and How to Avoid Delays

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Summary: To run Google Local Services Ads and earn the Google Verified badge, your business has to pass Google's screening. Depending on your trade and state, that can mean business owner identity checks, background checks on the people who go into customers' homes, proof of business registration, license checks against state records, a certificate of insurance and a minimum number of reviews. You also need a public, verified Google Business Profile, and some trades need a D-U-N-S number. Verification commonly takes around three to four weeks, and the most common avoidable delay is a business name that doesn't match exactly across your license, insurance and Business Profile. Here is the full checklist.

Most of the work in getting Local Services Ads running is paperwork. The ads themselves take minutes to set up. Verification is where weeks get lost, usually over something small that could have been fixed on day one.

What Google checks

The checks vary by trade and location. Expect some or all of these:

• Business owner identity. Google verifies the identity of the business owner.
• Field workers. In some trades, the people who go into customers' homes need identity verification too.
• Business registration. Proof the business legally exists.
• Licenses. Google checks state licenses against state databases where it can. You confirm any county or city licenses, and that everyone doing the work is properly licensed.
• Insurance. A certificate of insurance, with a minimum amount that depends on your trade and area. In the US, a signed certificate of insurance is the best document to provide.
• Reviews. Some categories need a minimum number of reviews before the ads show.
• Google Business Profile. It must be public and verified.

The documents checklist

Get these together before you sign up:

1. Access to your verified Google Business Profile, as an owner or manager.
2. Your business registration details.
3. Your trade license number, if your state or city requires one.
4. A current certificate of insurance in the business name, as a PDF.
5. Photo ID for the owner, and for anyone who needs a background check.
6. A D-U-N-S number if Google asks for one. Google requires it for some trades and users in the US, and in some cases business registration documents or an EIN can be used instead.
7. A list of the jobs you want and the towns or ZIP codes you'll drive to.

The name trap

The single most avoidable delay: the business name doesn't match. "Smith Plumbing LLC" on the license, "Smith's Plumbing" on the insurance certificate and "Smith Plumbing & Drain" on the Business Profile can each look fine alone and still hold up verification together. Pick the exact legal name and make every document match before you apply.

How long it takes

Verification commonly takes around three to four weeks. It runs longer when documents don't match, insurance has expired or is about to, or someone who needs a background check doesn't complete it. Reply quickly to every email from Google and from the background check provider.

Use the waiting time well

• Collect reviews. Ask all your recent customers for a review now, not only the ones you think were happiest, because Google doesn't allow selectively asking for positive reviews. Your rating and number of reviews affect where you rank once you're live.
• Take real photos. Your team, your trucks, finished jobs. High-quality images are part of how Google judges your profile.
• Decide your job types. Which work is worth paying for, and which isn't? Our guide to Local Services Ads job types walks through it.
• Work out your numbers. What a lead is likely to cost, how many you'll book and what a job is worth. Our free guide, How a local service business can spend $1,000 and make $60,000 in a month, has a worksheet for it.

After you're verified

• Keep insurance and licenses current. Put renewal dates in your calendar. If they lapse, your ads can stop.
• Answer every email from Google quickly. Messages about your account are easy to miss in a busy inbox.
• Keep reviews coming every week. They help you rank, and some categories have minimums.

FAQ

How long does Local Services Ads verification take?

It commonly takes around three to four weeks, longer if documents don't match or something is missing.

What documents do I need for Local Services Ads?

Typically business registration, licenses your trade needs, a certificate of insurance, photo ID for background checks and a verified Google Business Profile. Some trades and users in the US also need a D-U-N-S number.

Do my employees need background checks?

In some trades, the people who go into customers' homes need identity verification. Google tells you what your trade and state require during sign-up.

Why is my verification taking so long?

The most common causes are a business name that doesn't match across documents, expired insurance or a background check that hasn't been completed.

Is Google Verified the same as Google Guaranteed?

Google Verified replaced Google Guaranteed and Google Screened in October 2025. The money-back guarantee that came with Google Guaranteed ended at the same time.

Opus Group runs Google Ads, Local Services Ads and high-converting landing pages for local service businesses. See how it works.

Opus Group is a marketing agency for HVAC, plumbing, roofing, electrical, landscaping, tree service and pest control companies.

Theo Prada is the founder of Opus Group, which runs Google Local Services Ads and Google Ads for local service businesses.