How to check a tradie is who they say they are
A licence number on a quote isn't proof that the person holding the tools holds the licence. Here's how to check an ABN, a licence and an insurance certificate yourself — in about five minutes, for free.
The gap most homeowners never look for
Most people know to ask whether a tradie is licensed. Far fewer check whether the licence on the quote actually belongs to the person who turns up.
Across the trades, licence and ABN details get shared more often than you'd expect — between subcontractors, between a business and a licence holder who has since moved on, or simply lifted onto a listing by someone who isn't entitled to use them. On platforms where anyone can type a number into a profile field and nothing checks it, that number is decoration.
It matters because your protection is attached to the licence holder, not to the job. If the work is done outside that arrangement, the insurance, statutory warranty and dispute rights you assumed you had may not apply — and you generally find out at the point you need them.
Four checks, about five minutes
Do these before you accept any quote for licensed work. They're all free, and all public.
Check the ABN is real, active, and theirs
Search the ABN on the national register. You're looking for three things: that it's active, that the entity name matches the business quoting you, and that it hasn't just been registered this week. An ABN belonging to a different name than the one on the quote is worth asking about before anything else.
ABN Lookup ↗Check the licence against your state's register
Licensed work — electrical, plumbing, gas, and most structural building — needs a current licence held by the person or company doing it. Every state runs its own register and they're all free to search. Match the licence number to the name, check the class of work it covers, and check the expiry.
Ask for the certificate of currency, not just a yes
Public liability insurance is proven by a certificate of currency, which names the insured party, the cover amount and the expiry date. "Yes, I'm insured" is not proof. Check the name on the certificate is the business quoting you, and that the date hasn't passed — an expired certificate is the most common thing to find.
Make sure the person quoting is the person turning up
This is the check almost nobody does. Licences and ABNs can be borrowed, shared between contractors, or used by a business the licence holder no longer works for. Ask who will actually be on site and whether they hold the licence themselves. If the name on the licence never appears at the job, you don't have the protection you think you have.
Every state's licence register
There's no national trade licence lookup in Australia — each state and territory runs its own. All of these are free and open to the public.
What QuickQuote checks before you see a profile
You can do all of the above yourself. On QuickQuote, some of it is already done — and we're specific about which parts, because a badge that quietly covers three different things is the problem, not the fix.
ABNs are checked automatically
Every ABN a tradie enters is cross-checked against the national ABN register, and we compare the registered entity name to the business name on the profile. The badge reflects what the register said, not what was typed.
Licences are checked in NSW, QLD, VIC
In those states the licence number is checked against the official register and the holder's name compared to the business. In every other state we show the number with a direct link to that state's register instead — never a verified badge for a check we didn't run.
ID verification ties the business to a person
Tradies can verify their identity with a government ID and a selfie through Stripe Identity, earning an “ID verified” badge. It's optional, so not everyone has one — but where you see it, the business is tied to a named, identifiable person.
Insurance is self-declared — including on QuickQuote
A tradie tells us their public liability cover and we show what they told us. We don't verify it, so we don't badge it as verified. Ask for the certificate of currency and check the name and expiry yourself — the same as you would anywhere else. We'd rather be plain about the one check we don't do than let it ride on the back of the ones we do.
Worth a second look
- A licence number that returns a different name on the register
- Cash-only pricing, or a large deposit before any work starts
- No written quote and no ABN on any paperwork
- An insurance certificate that has expired, or names a different business
- Pressure to decide today, especially after unsolicited door-knocking
- A quote well under every other quote for licensed work
Checking a tradie, answered
Start with tradies who've already been checked
Post your job free and compare up to three local tradies — with their ABN, licence and ID checks shown on every profile before you call anyone.
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