Georgia has a new law that cracks down on unlicensed people advertising HVAC, plumbing, electrical, or utility contracting work. The measure, part of Senate Bill 553, was signed by Gov. Brian Kemp in May and took effect this month. It doesn't create new licensing requirements — those already existed — but it closes a gap by making it illegal to advertise these services, through websites, social media, or other marketing, without holding the proper trade license. If someone violates the law, they can be hit with a cease-and-desist order, and ignoring that can bring a fine of up to $1,500 a day.
The change grew out of concern from licensed contractors that cheap online advertising had made it easy for unlicensed workers to look just as legitimate as properly licensed ones, while skipping the insurance, permits, code compliance, and continuing education licensed contractors have to keep up with. Georgia's chapter of the Plumbing-Heating-Cooling-Contractors association worked with lawmakers on the bill's language after being contacted by the governor's office.
For a homeowner, this mainly matters if you live in Georgia and are hiring someone for HVAC, plumbing, or electrical work. It gives you one more reason to check that whoever you're considering is actually licensed for the specific trade, since ads alone are no longer supposed to come from unlicensed operators. If you're outside Georgia, this law doesn't apply to you, though it's worth knowing what licensing rules exist in your own state.
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