The Google Verified badge is the blue check mark that appears on Google Local Services Ads for businesses that have passed Google’s screening and verification checks. It’s now the only badge in Local Services Ads. Since October 2025 it has replaced Google Guaranteed, Google Screened and License Verified by Google, and the Money Back Guarantee that came with Google Guaranteed has ended.
Here’s what changed, which businesses can and can’t get the badge, the checks you’ll need to pass, and what pre-badge ads mean if you’re still part-way through.
What happened to Google Guaranteed and Google Screened
Before October 2025, Local Services Ads used several badges. Google announced on its blog in August 2025 that it would unify them into one:
| Old badge or program | What happened |
|---|---|
| Google Guaranteed (green check) | Replaced by Google Verified |
| Google Screened | Replaced by Google Verified |
| License Verified by Google | Replaced by Google Verified |
| Money Back Guarantee | Discontinued; claims only for services booked before December 7, 2025 |
So if you were comparing Google Guaranteed vs Google Screened, that choice no longer exists. Both are now Google Verified, and the new badge shows which specific checks a business has passed, so customers see more detail than before.
Existing advertisers who’d completed verification didn’t need to do anything; the new badge appeared automatically. New advertisers get it once they’ve met all the verification requirements.
Where the badge shows
Google says the badge appears on your Local Services Ads profile, and that it may also show in other places on Google where it helps customers decide. It’s a Local Services Ads badge, so you earn it through Local Services Ads, not through your Google Business Profile alone.
Local Services Ads are also moving into Google Ads as Performance Max campaigns with pay-per-lead goals, starting in August 2026. Google says your verification status and Google Verified badge carry over automatically in that move. My guide to Google Local Services Ads explains the migration in full.
Which businesses can’t get the badge
Not every Local Services Ads category is eligible. Google says the badge is currently unavailable for:
- Auto categories, such as auto repair shops, body shops, tire shops and car washes
- Beauty categories, such as hair salons, barber shops and nail salons
- Dining categories, such as restaurants and coffee shops
Businesses in those categories can still run Local Services Ads; they just won’t show the badge. To see whether your category is covered at all, check my Local Services Ads categories guide, or look up your trade in my industry guides.
What checks you’ll need to pass
Google says the screening process “varies by business category and location” and may include:
- Business profile ownership. If you have a Google Business Profile, you must show that you own or manage it, and the person doing the checks must be an owner or manager. This step can take up to 24 hours to show as complete.
- Business registration. In the US, Google uses your D-U-N-S number from Dun & Bradstreet, which can take up to 30 days to get. If you can’t get one, you can provide a Secretary of State registration, an IRS EIN or a Department of Revenue registration instead.
- Business representative checks. Google confirms the representative’s link to the business, and its partner Evident runs an identity check using a government-issued photo ID.
- Insurance. Categories that need it require a certificate of insurance in your advertised business name, at or above the minimum for your category and location.
- Licenses. Where applicable, state or local licenses for the business and its owners or managers, for each location you serve. US health care providers also need National Provider Identifier (NPI) verification.
- Background checks. In certain US and Canadian categories, every owner and every worker who serves customers in their homes or workplaces needs one. Google says businesses aren’t charged for the background check.
- Reviews. Some categories have a minimum review requirement.
What to have ready before you start
Most delays come from waiting on documents. Before you apply, gather:
- Owner or manager access to your Google Business Profile, for the person who will complete the checks.
- Your D-U-N-S number, or start the application now if you don’t have one, since it can take up to 30 days.
- A government-issued photo ID for the business representative.
- Your certificate of insurance, signed and in the exact name you’ll advertise under.
- License numbers for the business and the owners or managers, for every location you serve.
- A list of everyone who serves customers on site, if your category needs background checks.
The names on every document should match your Business Profile exactly. Mismatched names are an easy way to stall an application.
If an application is denied a second time, Google says you must wait 180 days before applying again. Get the paperwork right first.
Pre-badge ads: running while you finish
You don’t have to wait for every check before getting leads. Google offers pre-badge ads once you’ve passed preliminary checks, such as your license or business registration, any required reviews and billing setup. For professional categories, headshots are also needed.
The catch is placement. Google places pre-badge listings below providers who have completed all requirements and earned the badge. And pre-badge ads aren’t available for garage door services, locksmiths or health care categories.
Is the badge worth getting?
If your category is eligible and you run Local Services Ads, yes. The badge sits next to your name on the ad and now lists the checks you passed, which is exactly the reassurance someone wants before letting a tradesperson into their home. And you can’t avoid most of the screening anyway, because it’s how you get into Local Services Ads in the first place.
What it isn’t is a guarantee anymore. Customers who remember the Google Guaranteed promise may assume Google still refunds bad jobs. It doesn’t, so your own reviews and how you handle complaints matter as much as ever.
The badge also doesn’t change your organic ranking in Google Maps. That comes from your Google Business Profile, reviews and website, which is what my local SEO service works on.
