--- title: "Google advanced verification checklist for locksmiths · LockCommand" description: "Free locksmith checklist: Google Business Profile verification, Local Services Ads screening, Advanced Verification and suspension appeals, from Google help pages." url: https://lockcommand.com/tools/google-verification-checklist --- [Free tool · no account needed](https://lockcommand.com/tools) # Google advanced verification checklist for locksmiths Every step to get a locksmith Business Profile verified, pass Local Services Ads screening and Advanced Verification, and appeal a suspension. Each step links to the Google help page it comes from. 2 of 43 steps done Two example ticks to start. Your ticks aren't saved, so print the list to keep it. ## Google verification checklist for locksmiths From Google's help pages, last checked October 2026. 2 of 43 steps ticked. lockcommand.com/tools/google-verification-checklist ## PART 1 Business Profile set-up and verification 2 of 18 For a mobile locksmith who goes to the customer: a service-area business with the address hidden. - You need a Google Account to create a profile, and you have to sign in to that same account to manage it later. Source: [Verify your business on Google](https://support.google.com/business/answer/7107242) - No taglines, city names, phone numbers, service words like "24/7" or "cheap", or website addresses in the name. LLC or Inc only if real-world documents show it. Source: [Guidelines for representing your business on Google](https://support.google.com/business/answer/3038177) - Google's test is "this business IS a". Don't add categories as keywords or to describe services. Source: [Guidelines for representing your business on Google](https://support.google.com/business/answer/3038177) - Source: [Manage your service areas for service-area & hybrid businesses](https://support.google.com/business/answer/9157481) - A virtual office only counts if it's staffed during business hours. Source: [Guidelines for representing your business on Google](https://support.google.com/business/answer/3038177) - A radius isn't allowed. Edits can take up to 48 hours to show. Source: [Manage your service areas for service-area & hybrid businesses](https://support.google.com/business/answer/9157481) - Google's guidelines allow a second profile only for a separate location with its own staff and its own service area. Source: [Manage your service areas for service-area & hybrid businesses](https://support.google.com/business/answer/9157481) - Source: [Guidelines for representing your business on Google](https://support.google.com/business/answer/3038177) - Source: [Guidelines for representing your business on Google](https://support.google.com/business/answer/3038177) - Source: [Guidelines for representing your business on Google](https://support.google.com/business/answer/3038177) - Source: [Guidelines for representing your business on Google](https://support.google.com/business/answer/3038177) - Other methods can include a live video call, phone or text, email or a postcard. Which ones you see depends on your business. Source: [Verify your business on Google](https://support.google.com/business/answer/7107242) - Pre-recorded videos aren't allowed. Keep bank, tax and ID numbers and other people's faces out of the shot. Source: [Verify your business with a video recording](https://support.google.com/business/answer/14271705) - Google's list for service-area businesses: street signs or landmarks at your business address; your tools, equipment, business cards or branded clothing; you doing a job or opening your branded van; a business permit, invoice or utility bill that matches your profile name. Source: [Verify your business with a video recording](https://support.google.com/business/answer/14271705) - Edits stop the code from working and a new request cancels the old code. Postcards usually arrive within 14 days and codes expire after 30 days. Source: [Verify your business on Google](https://support.google.com/business/answer/7107242) - Source: [Verify your business on Google](https://support.google.com/business/answer/7107242) - If the Get verified button comes back, Google couldn't finish: try again or use another method. Source: [Verify your business on Google](https://support.google.com/business/answer/7107242) - This is from a volunteer-written guide on Google's community forum and from owners, not from Google's help pages. Reported by owners, not official ### Sources - [Verify your business on Google](https://support.google.com/business/answer/7107242) , Google Business Profile Help https://support.google.com/business/answer/7107242 - [Guidelines for representing your business on Google](https://support.google.com/business/answer/3038177) , Google Business Profile Help https://support.google.com/business/answer/3038177 - [Manage your service areas for service-area & hybrid businesses](https://support.google.com/business/answer/9157481) , Google Business Profile Help https://support.google.com/business/answer/9157481 - [Verify your business with a video recording](https://support.google.com/business/answer/14271705) , Google Business Profile Help https://support.google.com/business/answer/14271705 - [Guide to Handling Google Business Profile Suspensions (community guide)](https://support.google.com/business/community-guide/418424475/guide-to-handling-google-business-profile-suspensions?hl=en) , Google Business Profile Community (written by volunteers, not Google) (reported by owners, not official) https://support.google.com/business/community-guide/418424475/guide-to-handling-google-business-profile-suspensions?hl=en Last checked October 2026. Google changes these pages; follow the links for the current wording. ## PART 2 Local Services Ads screening and Advanced Verification 0 of 15 Locksmiths are an urgent category for Local Services Ads, so Google adds background checks and Advanced Verification. - Google says advertisers must have a public and verified Business Profile to run Local Services Ads. Source: [About Google Business Affiliation](https://support.google.com/localservices/answer/13538718) - A change to the profile's status can take up to 24 hours to show on the ads dashboard. Source: [Understand the screening and verification process](https://support.google.com/localservices/answer/6226575) - Source: [Business screening and verification requirements](https://support.google.com/localservices/answer/12174778) - Identity and criminal history checks, plus civil litigation history for the company. No credit check, free to you. Office and support staff are generally exempt. Source: [Understand the screening and verification process](https://support.google.com/localservices/answer/6226575) - Getting a D-U-N-S number can take up to 30 days, so start early. Source: [Understand the screening and verification process](https://support.google.com/localservices/answer/6226575) - The representative must be listed in D&B's data, or you send a document linking them to the business. Names must match exactly on every document. Source: [Understand the screening and verification process](https://support.google.com/localservices/answer/6226575) - Valid for at least 14 days after you submit it, with the policy number showing, not editable, and ideally signed. The name must match your advertised name, or add a DBA document. Source: [Understand the screening and verification process](https://support.google.com/localservices/answer/6226575) - Google checks state licenses against official databases where it can, and expects local licenses too. Source: [Understand the screening and verification process](https://support.google.com/localservices/answer/6226575) - Required for locksmith services in the United States and Canada. You have to be 18 or older and give honest, complete answers. Source: [Advanced Verification policies](https://support.google.com/adspolicy/answer/7167922) - That's Google's stated average, and Google says to start as soon as you create the account. Source: [Business screening and verification requirements](https://support.google.com/localservices/answer/12174778) - Reported by owners and marketing agencies, not by Google. Reported by owners, not official - Source: [Advanced Verification policies](https://support.google.com/adspolicy/answer/7167922) - Your verification and the Google Verified badge carry over. Past performance reports don't, so save them first. Google says insurance and license reverification are no longer required after the move. Source: [Local Services Ads transition to Performance Max campaigns with pay-per-lead goals](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/17213585) - Source: [Understand the screening and verification process](https://support.google.com/localservices/answer/6226575) - Source: [Advanced Verification policies](https://support.google.com/adspolicy/answer/7167922) ### Sources - [About Google Business Affiliation](https://support.google.com/localservices/answer/13538718) , Local Services Help https://support.google.com/localservices/answer/13538718 - [Understand the screening and verification process](https://support.google.com/localservices/answer/6226575) , Local Services Help https://support.google.com/localservices/answer/6226575 - [Business screening and verification requirements](https://support.google.com/localservices/answer/12174778) , Local Services Help https://support.google.com/localservices/answer/12174778 - [Advanced Verification policies](https://support.google.com/adspolicy/answer/7167922) , Google Advertising Policies Help https://support.google.com/adspolicy/answer/7167922 - Owner and agency reports , Locksmith owners and marketing agencies (reported by owners, not official) - [Local Services Ads transition to Performance Max campaigns with pay-per-lead goals](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/17213585) , Google Ads Help https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/17213585 Last checked October 2026. Google changes these pages; follow the links for the current wording. ## PART 3 Suspended profile: getting reinstated 0 of 10 Read the whole list before you appeal. Google says an appeal can only be submitted once. - If your account is restricted, appeal that first at myaccount.google.com/restrictions. Once it's lifted, appeal the profile. Source: [Fix suspended or disabled profiles](https://support.google.com/business/answer/4569145) - Check the name (no keywords or cities), the hidden address, the categories and the service area against the set-up list above. Source: [Fix suspended or disabled profiles](https://support.google.com/business/answer/4569145) - The business name and address on each document must match the profile. Source: [Fix suspended or disabled profiles](https://support.google.com/business/answer/4569145) - The tool is at support.google.com/business/?p=manage_appeals. You can attach several files. Source: [Fix suspended or disabled profiles](https://support.google.com/business/answer/4569145) - Statuses: Submitted, Approved, Not Approved, Can't be appealed, Eligible for appeal. Google doesn't give a time frame. Source: [Fix suspended or disabled profiles](https://support.google.com/business/answer/4569145) - support.google.com/business/contact/local_appeals: Source: [Fix suspended or disabled profiles](https://support.google.com/business/answer/4569145) - Source: [Fix suspended or disabled profiles](https://support.google.com/business/answer/4569145) - Source: [Fix suspended or disabled profiles](https://support.google.com/business/answer/4569145) - Source: [Fix suspended or disabled profiles](https://support.google.com/business/answer/4569145) - Reported by owners and forum volunteers, not official. They also describe a "soft" suspension (profile still shows, edits locked) and a "hard" one (profile gone from Search and Maps); Google's help page doesn't use those terms. Reported by owners, not official ### Sources - [Fix suspended or disabled profiles](https://support.google.com/business/answer/4569145) , Google Business Profile Help https://support.google.com/business/answer/4569145 - [Guide to Handling Google Business Profile Suspensions (community guide)](https://support.google.com/business/community-guide/418424475/guide-to-handling-google-business-profile-suspensions?hl=en) , Google Business Profile Community (written by volunteers, not Google) (reported by owners, not official) https://support.google.com/business/community-guide/418424475/guide-to-handling-google-business-profile-suspensions?hl=en Last checked October 2026. Google changes these pages; follow the links for the current wording. Once your profile is live, LockCommand texts customers a review request a couple of hours after a finished job is paid, when you've added your Google review link. [Ask for reviews automatically](https://app.lockcommand.com/sign-up?from=tool-google-verification-checklist) ## How to use it Locksmiths have a harder time on Google than most trades. Fake locksmith listings were a big enough problem that Google added extra checks for the category, and an honest shop can get caught in them. This checklist puts Google's own rules for the three stages in one place, in the order you meet them. ### Profile verification and Advanced Verification are not the same thing Owners mix these up all the time, and it costs them weeks. They are separate checks, run by different parts of Google, for different things: | Check | What it unlocks | What Google looks at | How long, per Google | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Business Profile verification | Your listing on Maps and Search | That you run the business where you say (often a video) | Up to 5 business days for review | | Local Services Ads screening | Pay-per-lead ads and the Google Verified badge | Background checks, registration, insurance, licenses | About 3 to 4 weeks on average | | Advanced Verification | Running ads for locksmith services at all | Your ads account, public records and a recorded video interview | No time given; Google may ask again every 12 months | Google's Advanced Verification policy names locksmith services in the United States and Canada. It applies to ads, not to the free Business Profile. So a shop with a verified profile still goes through it before its first ad runs. ### How to use the checklist 1. Start with part 1, even if your profile is already live. Most suspensions trace back to something in it: a keyword in the name, a visible home address, a second profile for the next town. 2. Tick each step when it's true for your shop. The bar shows how far along you are. 3. Move to part 2 only once your profile is verified and public. Local Services Ads won't start screening without it. 4. Use part 3 if Google suspends the profile. Read all of it before you appeal, because Google says an appeal can only be submitted once. 5. Print the list or save it as a PDF. Ticks aren't saved anywhere, so a reload starts fresh. ### What official and reported mean Every step with a source link comes from a page on support.google.com. A few steps carry an amber label that says "Reported by owners, not official". Those come from owners, agencies and Google's volunteer community forum. They match what many shops describe, but Google hasn't written them down, so treat them as advice. ### A worked example Say you run a two-van shop from home and your profile is called "24/7 Cheap Locksmith Phoenix". Part 1 flags three problems: the name has a service word, a price word and a city; your home address shows; and any second profile for the next town has to go. You rename the profile to the name on your van, hide the address, and list the cities you serve, up to 20 and within about 2 hours of driving. The [trip fee zones tool](https://lockcommand.com/tools/service-area-zones) helps you decide where that edge is. Then you verify with a video: one live take of at least 30 seconds showing a street sign near your base, your branded van and tools, and you opening the van. Once that's verified you start Local Services Ads. Google says screening takes 3 to 4 weeks on average after you send your documents. Owners report longer, so line up the D-U-N-S number (up to 30 days on its own), the insurance certificate and your licenses first. ### Why locksmith profiles get suspended These are the patterns Google's guidelines rule out, and the ones that show up again and again in suspended locksmith profiles: - Keywords, cities or "24/7" in the business name, when that isn't the name on your documents. - A home address shown on the map for a business customers never visit. - A P.O. box, a mailbox store or an unstaffed virtual office as the address. - Extra profiles for nearby towns with no staff or office of their own. - A phone number you don't control, or a website that redirects somewhere else. If you are suspended, don't make a new profile. Fix the old one, gather documents whose name and address match it, and appeal once with all of them attached. ### What changed in 2025 and 2026 - Local Services Ads now show one "Google Verified" badge. Google's Ads help says it carries over when your account moves. - Local Services Ads are moving into Google Ads as a Performance Max campaign with pay-per-lead goals. Google says service-area businesses without a storefront, which is most mobile locksmiths, move from late 2026. Your verification carries over; your old performance reports don't, so save them. - Google says insurance and license reverification are no longer required after the move. The Advanced Verification policy for locksmith ads still applies. ### Licenses Google checks state licenses against official databases where it can, and expects local licenses too. Some states license locksmiths and many don't. Check yours with the [locksmith license by state](https://lockcommand.com/tools/locksmith-license) tool before you upload anything. ### Once you're verified A verified profile with no reviews still loses to one with fifty. Make a review link and a QR card with the [review link and QR maker](https://lockcommand.com/tools/review-link-qr), and ask every customer the same way. ### Sources - [Guidelines for representing your business on Google](https://support.google.com/business/answer/3038177) , Google Business Profile Help - [Manage your service areas for service-area & hybrid businesses](https://support.google.com/business/answer/9157481) , Google Business Profile Help - [Verify your business on Google](https://support.google.com/business/answer/7107242) , Google Business Profile Help - [Verify your business with a video recording](https://support.google.com/business/answer/14271705) , Google Business Profile Help - [Business screening and verification requirements](https://support.google.com/localservices/answer/12174778) , Local Services Help - [Understand the screening and verification process](https://support.google.com/localservices/answer/6226575) , Local Services Help - [About Google Business Affiliation](https://support.google.com/localservices/answer/13538718) , Local Services Help - [Local Services Ads transition to Performance Max campaigns with pay-per-lead goals](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/17213585) , Google Ads Help - [Advanced Verification policies](https://support.google.com/adspolicy/answer/7167922) , Google Advertising Policies Help - [Fix suspended or disabled profiles](https://support.google.com/business/answer/4569145) , Google Business Profile Help - Reported, not official: [a volunteer guide to suspensions](https://support.google.com/business/community-guide/418424475/guide-to-handling-google-business-profile-suspensions?hl=en) on Google's community forum, and owner and agency write-ups. Last checked October 2026. Google changes these pages without notice, so follow the links before you act on a step. ## Questions ### What is Google Advanced Verification for locksmiths? It's a Google Ads policy for advertisers in categories with a history of fraud, and it names locksmith services in the United States and Canada. Google reviews your ads account and public records like state registrations and licenses, and you agree to a recorded video interview. It is separate from verifying your Business Profile. Checked October 2026. ### How long does Local Services Ads verification take? Google says 3 to 4 weeks on average after you submit your documents. A D-U-N-S number alone can take up to 30 days. Owners and agencies report the whole process can take 2 to 3 months, so start early. ### How do I verify a locksmith Business Profile with a video? Record live from the profile on your phone, at least 30 seconds in one unedited take. Show a street sign or landmark near your base, your tools and branded van or clothing, and proof you run the business, like opening your van or a permit or invoice in the business name. ### Should a locksmith show the address on Google? Not if customers don't come to you. Google tells service-area businesses to remove the address and list up to 20 service areas instead. P.O. boxes, mailbox stores and unstaffed virtual offices aren't allowed. ### What should I do if my Business Profile is suspended? Fix the profile against Google's guidelines, gather documents whose name and address match it (registration, business license, tax certificate or a utility bill), then appeal once through the appeals tool. Don't create a new profile for the same business. ### Can I make a second profile for another town? Only for a separate location with its own staff and service area. A mobile locksmith gets one profile covering the whole service area. ### Does this checklist save my progress? No. Ticks stay in the page while it's open and nothing is stored or sent. Print the checklist or save it as a PDF to keep your place. ## More for your shop - [Review link and QR maker Check your Google review link or build it from your Place ID, then print a QR card for the van and invoices.](https://lockcommand.com/tools/review-link-qr) - [Review request templates Text and email templates to ask every customer for a Google review, within Google's rules.](https://lockcommand.com/tools/review-request-templates) - [Service area and trip fee zones Set zones by miles from your base with a trip fee for each, and print a zone sheet.](https://lockcommand.com/tools/service-area-zones) - [Locksmith license by state Which states license locksmiths, who issues the license, and local rules, with sources.](https://lockcommand.com/tools/locksmith-license) - [Customer texts Booking confirmations, ETA texts, receipts, review requests, missed-call text-back and AI reply drafts.](https://lockcommand.com/features/customer-texts) ## Let LockCommand do this on every job The AI receptionist quotes from your price book, books the job and texts the customer. Create your account and set up your shop in a few minutes. [Create your account](https://app.lockcommand.com/sign-up?from=tool-google-verification-checklist) [See pricing](https://lockcommand.com/pricing) Already have an account? [Log in](https://app.lockcommand.com/sign-in). Questions first? Email [support@lockcommand.com](mailto:support@lockcommand.com) .