ROC License Number on Your Website | Dynamic Heights Digital

If you hold a contractor license from the Arizona Registrar of Contractors, state law says where your license number has to appear, and the Registrar has explained how it reads one part of that law for websites.

This post walks through the statute and the Registrar’s own guidance, quoted wherever the exact wording matters, and then gives our suggestions for where the number can go on a contractor site. We are not lawyers, and nothing here is legal advice. For a question about your own license or ads, check with the ROC or a lawyer.

What A.R.S. 32-1124 says

Subsection B of A.R.S. 32-1124 sets out the posting rule. Its key sentence reads: “The license number appearing on any licenses held by the licensee must be preceded by the acronym ‘ROC’ and shall be posted or placed as follows:”

The statute then lists four places:

“In a conspicuous place on premises where any work is being performed.”
“On all written bids and estimates submitted by the licensee.”
“On all published advertising, letterheads and other documents used by the licensee to correspond with the licensee’s customers or potential customers in the conduct of business regulated by this chapter.”
“On all broadcast, internet or billboard advertising, unless the broadcast, internet or billboard advertising includes a website’s uniform resource locator that directly links to a website that prominently displays the licensee’s name and license number.”

Item 4 is the one that ties ads to your website. As written, it describes an exception that depends on what the linked site shows.

What the Registrar says “prominently displayed” means

The Registrar announced the change in a September 2021 news release. In our paraphrase, it said the exception took effect on September 29, 2021, and covers vehicle, radio, internet, and billboard ads when the ad includes a web address and the license number is prominently displayed on the website.

The release then spells out its reading of that phrase: “Prominently displayed on the website means:” The Registrar published the same reading as Substantive Policy Statement 2021.02, which is still listed on its rules page and says of itself: “This substantive policy statement is advisory only.”

“The advertisement complies with all other requirements listed under A.R.S. § 32-1124 and A.A.C. R4-9-109;”
“The provided website address links directly to the licensee’s home page; and”
“The licensee’s name and ROC license number:”

Under that third bullet, the release lists four conditions for the name and number:

“Appears directly on the licensee’s home page;”
“Is clearly visible, and is not hidden behind graphics, photos, or other obstructions;”
“Is in an appropriately sized font; and”
“Is not in the website’s footer.”

The same release adds: “Note that licensees are still required to include their ROC license number on all bids, contracts, estimates, and documents used to correspond with the licensee’s customers or potential customers. See A.R.S. §§ 32-1124(B)(2) and 32-1158(A).”

That last line matters for anyone who assumes a website covers everything. The Registrar’s release keeps bids, contracts, and estimates separate from the website exception.

What the statute says about violations

Subsection C reads: “A violation of subsection B of this section relating to posting and placement of license numbers shall be, at the discretion of the registrar, grounds for disciplinary action pursuant to section 32-1154, subsection A, paragraph 12, but not grounds for preventing the award of a contract, voiding an awarded contract, or any other claim or defense against the licensee.”

We won’t guess at how the Registrar uses that discretion in any given case. That is a question for the ROC or a lawyer.

Where we suggest putting the number

Our advice, not a legal reading: make the number easy to find in every place a homeowner might look for it, and follow the Registrar’s list above if any of your ads rely on the website exception.

Your home page, near the top. Show your business name, followed by “ROC” and your number, where a visitor sees it without scrolling far, in a normal font size and not baked into a photo. The home page, visibility, and font size points come from the Registrar’s list above. Near the top is our own suggestion.
The footer too, as a backup. A footer line on each page is handy for visitors who land deeper in the site. Based on the release, though, we wouldn’t rely on the footer alone for the exception.
Your contact and quote pages. These are where people decide to reach out, so the number belongs in plain view there.
Your bids and estimates. These sit outside the website question entirely. Item 2 of the statute and the Registrar’s note both name them.
More than one license? Ask the ROC how to show each one before you change your site.

Picture Example Electric, a made-up shop that runs radio spots with its web address. Its home page would show “Example Electric, ROC” followed by its number in the header area, the footer would repeat it, and the estimate form it emails customers would carry it as well. Our electricians and plumbers pages describe how we approach sites for those trades.

Your Google profile is a different place

Google’s Business Profile has its own rules. For the business description, Google lists among the things it must not do: “Display links. No links of any type are allowed.”

What we suggest: treat your website as the place where the full license details can live, in your own words and your own layout. Whether a Google Business Profile counts as “internet advertising” under item 4 isn’t addressed in the statute, the release, or the policy statement, so we don’t draw a conclusion on it. Ask the ROC if it affects you. Our Google Maps visibility work keeps the profile itself complete and accurate.

Why homeowners look for it

The Registrar tells homeowners to check. An April 2021 release from the Registrar says: “When hiring a licensed contractor, always check the license at www.roc.az.gov and call the phone number listed on the license to make sure the person you are negotiating with is an authorized representative of the company. AZ ROC has investigated many unlicensed complaints in which an unlicensed entity used a licensed contractor’s ROC number without their permission.”

Its homeowner page gives similar advice: “Verify the person you are negotiating your project with is an authorized representative of the licensed contractor by calling the contractor’s number listed on the ROC license record.”

Our advice: check that the phone number on your ROC license record is one your business really answers, and that the business name on your site matches the name on the record. A homeowner who looks you up should find the same business in both places.

FAQ

The Registrar’s September 2021 release lists “Is not in the website’s footer.” among the conditions for its reading of “prominently displayed.” Our advice is to show the number on your home page as well, and to ask the ROC about your specific ads.

Does the number go on my estimates too?

The statute’s item 2 reads “On all written bids and estimates submitted by the licensee.” The Registrar’s release also says licensees “are still required to include their ROC license number on all bids, contracts, estimates, and documents used to correspond with the licensee’s customers or potential customers.”

Does this apply if I’m licensed in another state?

This post covers Arizona’s statute and the Arizona Registrar only. Other states have their own licensing boards and rules, so check with yours. If you work in several states, the Registrar’s policy statement also allows the ad’s web address to link to an Arizona-specific page in place of the home page.

Getting your site in order

We build websites for trades anywhere in the US from our base in the East Valley. Our websites for contractors page lists “Your ROC license number, hours, and business details shown plainly, and structured so Google can read them.” among what goes into a site, and the services page has the rest. We work by phone, video call, recorded walkthrough, and email. If you’d like to talk through your own site first, write to hello@dynamicheightsdigital.com or call (480) 788-9594.

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