Georgia licenses electrical, plumbing and conditioned air contractors, and its 2026 law tightens how they advertise: the license number, or a website where it can be found, has to be there, and unlicensed people cannot advertise those trades at all. We build Georgia contractor websites that carry the license properly and bring in booked jobs.
Under Georgia's 2026 law, licensed electrical, plumbing and HVAC contractors show their license number on vehicles, invoices and proposals, and an ad may point to a website where the number is posted, which makes your site part of how you comply. A residential contractor license is required only above $2,500, and specialty trades like roofing, painting, landscaping, fencing and gutters are exempt from it. Cities cannot pile their own license on top of a state trade license, though they can require business licenses, bonds or affidavits to pull permits.
For electrical, plumbing, HVAC, low voltage and utility licensees: the state license or certificate number must be shown on commercial vehicles, invoices and proposals, and the number (or a website address where it can be found) must be prominently shown on any advertising. Unlicensed people may not advertise these trades at all, and advertising explicitly includes internet, social media, directory listings, business cards and vehicle signs. No equivalent license-number-in-ads rule was found for residential or commercial general contractors; Chapter 41 only bars falsely advertising as a licensee.
"Such registration number or certificate number, or website address where such number can be found, shall also be prominently displayed on any advertising"
Whatever you hold in Georgia, a state license, a registration or a city license, we put the number in the footer of every page and on your quote page, matching your Google Business Profile. Customers look you up before they call, and a number they can verify wins the job.
Main agency: State Licensing Board for Residential and Commercial General Contractors (Georgia Secretary of State). Electrical, plumbing, HVAC (conditioned air), low voltage and utility contractors are licensed separately by the State Construction Industry Licensing Board.. Georgia does not require a residential or general contractor license for board-recognized specialty trades working within their specialty, including shingle and flat roofing, painting, landscape and irrigation, fencing, gutters, siding, windows, drywall, flooring and masonry; handyman-type repair work is also exempt if the worker tells the owner they are unlicensed and the work is not structural. Electrical, plumbing and HVAC work still needs the separate state trade license.
A residential contractor license is needed only when the job value or the contractor's pay, whichever is higher, exceeds $2,500. This limit does not apply to electrical, plumbing or HVAC, which need a state license at any size. Source
Local rules on top of the state's. Open a city to see what it requires.
No separate city contractor license was found. The City of Atlanta Department of City Planning, Office of Buildings requires a Contractors Affidavit (or a Contractors Exception affidavit, or a Homeowner's Affidavit) with permit applications, and trade permits go through an ACA (Accela) online account registration.
"Contractors Affidavit"
Permits are issued by Columbus Consolidated Government's Inspections and Code department, which links to the state license verification site; no separate city contractor license was found on its pages. Businesses in Muscogee County get a business license from the Finance Department's Revenue Division (Occupation Tax).
"licensing all businesses within Muscogee County"
Yes. Augusta-Richmond County's License and Inspection Department requires contractors who pull building permits to hold a Business Tax Certificate, post a bond ($20,000 commercial, $15,000 residential, $5,000 specialty), carry liability insurance and pay an annual regulatory fee.
"$20,000 for Commercial and $15,000 for Residential"
Macon-Bibb County's Building and Fire Safety department issues permits only to the license holder through a contractor account the license holder sets up. Every business needs an Occupation Tax Certificate (business license), and both a business license and a building permit need a Certificate of Zoning Compliance. Construction over $2,500 needs a building permit.
"the contractor's account must be set up by the license holder"
Full example sites for inspectors, engineers, adjusters, movers, junk haulers and more.
Website built free first, Google reviews, missed-call text-back, booking and follow-up. No contract.
