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How do I get a Google Screened or Google Guaranteed badge?

By Sergey Sulimko, Founder8 min read

Google Screened and Google Guaranteed have been replaced by the Google Verified Badge. New advertisers get it by joining Local Services Ads and completing every verification requirement shown in the dashboard. Eligible existing advertisers who already completed verification get the new badge automatically. The exact checks depend on the business category and location.1234

Google now uses one Local Services Ads screening and verification process rather than separate current checklists for the older badges. Google Verified appears on the Local Services Ads profile and may appear on other surfaces. Google’s marketing page also says it can display on a Google Business Profile. The old Google Guarantee Money Back Guarantee has been discontinued.534

Local Services Ads and Google Verified do not have identical eligibility. Google’s Help Center says the badge is unavailable in the auto, beauty, and dining verticals. Google’s marketing page still labels auto and beauty services as eligible for the badge, so confirm the current status in the dashboard. The Local Services Ads overview explains how this paid channel fits beside the rest of your Google presence.56

If another person will manage the paid channel, choosing who does Google Local Services Ads covers access, screening responsibility, reporting, and handoff.

Check Who it applies to What to prepare or do
Google Verified Badge New advertisers that complete every requirement, plus eligible existing advertisers that already completed verification New advertisers must finish the Local Services screening and verification process. Eligible existing advertisers get the new badge automatically. Google’s Help Center says the badge is unavailable in the auto, beauty, and dining verticals, while its marketing page still lists auto and beauty services as eligible. Confirm the current status in the dashboard.546
Public, verified Google Business Profile United States Local Services advertisers Make the profile public and verified before advertising. Additional requirements can depend on business type and location.2
Profile ownership or management Businesses with a matched profile The person completing the business checks must own or manage the matched profile. Claim it first if Google shows it as unmanaged.1
Screening and verification Every Local Services Ads business Complete the checks Google shows for the category and location. They may include business registration, insurance, licenses, background checks, or minimum-review requirements.1
Background check Select users in the United States and Canada Check the Local Services dashboard. Where required, Google may check the business, owner, and fieldworker roster. Google says this is not a credit check and the business is not charged.1
Insurance certificate Select users in the United States, Canada, and EMEA Submit the certificate when the category requires general, professional, or malpractice insurance. The minimum amount varies by category and location.1
Business and professional licenses Businesses whose category and location require them Confirm local licenses and make sure service professionals are licensed. Multi-location businesses must provide business- and employee-level licenses for each location.1

How do I start the Google Verified Badge process?

Use this order of work:

  1. Check both kinds of eligibility. Local Services Ads availability changes by business type and geography. Google’s Help Center excludes the auto, beauty, and dining verticals from Google Verified, while its marketing page still lists auto and beauty services as eligible. Confirm the current badge status in the dashboard.526
  2. Open Local Services Ads and start the signup process. Use the business information that matches the profile and the services you actually provide.
  3. Confirm the Google Business Profile. For US advertising, the profile must be public and verified. If Local Services Ads matches a profile to the business, confirm that the person doing the checks is an owner or manager.12
  4. Claim the profile if it is unmanaged. A person who is not an owner or manager can request profile access and continue other verification steps, but the profile-access step must be complete before an ad can appear in search results.1
  5. Complete the checks in the dashboard. Follow the requirements Google displays for the business category and location. Submit the requested registration, insurance, license, background-check, or other business information where applicable.1
  6. Watch the status and respond to follow-up requests. Google says the matched-profile status can take up to 24 hours to show as complete. Keep checking the dashboard while the remaining checks are reviewed.1

What must my Google Business Profile have before I advertise?

For the United States, Google requires a public and verified Google Business Profile for Local Services advertising. The requirement does not replace the rest of the screening process. Business type, state or province, and country can add requirements.2

When Local Services Ads matches a profile, the person completing the business checks must be a profile owner or manager. If the profile is unmanaged, claim it. If another authorized person controls access, request an owner or manager role from the dashboard and finish that access step before expecting an ad to appear in search results.1

Which screening checks might Google require?

Google requires every Local Services Ads business to pass a screening and verification process. The process varies by business category and location. Google says it may include business registration, insurance, license, background, and minimum-review checks.1

Use the dashboard as the checklist for your business. The presence of one check does not establish that every other check applies, and the absence of a check in one category does not remove the requirements for another category or location.1

What does a background check cover?

For select users in the United States and Canada, Google may require checks on the business, the owner, and the fieldworker roster, including employees, contractors, subcontractors, or other people who work at customer properties. Google describes identity, criminal-history, registry, and company civil-litigation checks. Google says the process does not include a credit check or credit pull, and the business is not charged.1

What insurance documents do I need?

Insurance checks apply to select users in the United States, Canada, and EMEA. If the category requires general, professional, or malpractice insurance, submit the certificate of insurance through the process Google provides. The minimum insurance amount depends on the category and location.1

Which licenses does Google check?

Google verifies applicable state, provincial, or country-level business and owner or manager licenses where possible. The business still has to confirm applicable county, city, and province-level licenses and ensure that every service professional is appropriately licensed. A business serving multiple locations must provide business- and employee-level licenses for each location.1

How long does Google screening take?

Google says the United States screening and verification process takes 3–4 weeks on average after documents are submitted. The figure is an average, so use it for planning rather than as a promised completion date.2

The matched Google Business Profile access step may take up to 24 hours to show as complete on the verification dashboard. That status update is separate from the average US screening period.1

What happens if Google gives me accelerated verification?

For select users in the United States, Google may grant accelerated verification after an initial risk-based evaluation. An eligible advertiser may receive the Google Verified Badge quickly, but must complete additional verification within 14 days to keep ad serving.1

Google may ask for more information, re-evaluate the business, or require a follow-up review. Failing to complete a requested review can lead to loss of the badge, paused ads, or account suspension.1

Where are Local Services Ads available?

Local Services Ads availability depends on the category and location. Google’s US requirements page currently lists tire shops as available only in California and Florida. It also lists Food and beverage as a pilot available in Atlanta, Boston, Indianapolis, Miami, and San Jose. For the named Food and beverage category, Google says a verified Google Business Profile is the only verification requirement.2

Local Services Ads availability does not establish badge eligibility. Google’s Help Center says the Google Verified badge is unavailable in the auto, beauty, and dining verticals. Under that rule, the tire-shop and Food and beverage examples above are not badge-eligible even where they can advertise.26

Google’s current pages conflict. The Local Services Ads marketing page still labels auto and beauty services as eligible for a Google Verified badge. Confirm the badge status in the dashboard before treating category availability as badge eligibility.56

Check the category and location in the Local Services Ads signup flow before gathering documents. Then check the dashboard for the requirements that apply to that business.126

Sources

  1. Google, “Understand the screening and verification process”: Google’s screening and verification process (read 2026-09-28)

  2. Google, “Business screening and verification requirements - United States”: US screening and verification requirements (read 2026-09-28)

  3. Google, “Google Verified makes it easier to find trusted local businesses advertising on Google.”: Google’s badge unification announcement (read 2026-09-28)

  4. Google Local Services Help, “About Google Verified badge”: Google’s current badge guidance (read 2026-09-28)

  5. Google Ads, Local Services Ads page: Google Local Services Ads overview (read 2026-09-28)

  6. Google Local Services Help, “Getting started with Local Services Ads”: Google’s badge availability and pre-badge guidance (read 2026-09-28)

See where your profile stands

The audit shows how this applies to your own profile: it reads a verified Google Business Profile and scores it the same way every month.

Visibility Score

0 to 100

20 scored factors across profile completeness, performance, competitive position. Free, no signup, on any verified Google Business Profile.

Run the free Visibility Score audit

No signup, no card. You get the score and the factors behind it.

Common questions

Is Google Screened the same as Google Guaranteed?
No. Google Screened and Google Guaranteed were separate older programs. Google replaced both with the single Google Verified Badge, and it discontinued the Money Back Guarantee associated with Google Guaranteed. Google’s US requirements page still uses the older Google Screened name in a note about real estate agents. Google’s badge announcement nonetheless says Google Verified replaced Google Screened.
Can my Local Services ad run before I get the Google Verified Badge?
Sometimes. Google offers pre-badge ads after an advertiser passes preliminary checks but before every onboarding requirement is complete. The advertiser must still finish all onboarding requirements to get Google Verified. Pre-badge ads are not available for garage door services, health care verticals, or locksmiths.
Can I complete the checks if I am not the Google Business Profile owner?
You can continue some other verification steps while requesting profile access, but the person completing the business checks must become an owner or manager of the matched profile. Google says the profile-access step must be complete before an ad can appear in search results.
Do Google Local Services Ads background checks affect my credit?
No. Google says the required background-check process does not include a credit check or credit pull. Google also says businesses are not charged for the background check.