The short answer
Before a Google Ads headline runs, check it against your state's advertising requirements: who is named, where the office is, what the ad claims, and whether the state files ads. This page has a checklist for the ad text, a table for every state read from our rules library, and a starter list of negative keywords.
Review your Google Ads copy against your state’s requirements before it runs, not after a complaint. This page gives you a checklist for the ad text, a table with every state from our rules library, and a starter list of negative keywords.
Key facts
- Our rules library covers every state and the District of Columbia, and marks how well each entry was checked.
- The table below is built from that library’s data, not typed by hand, and links each state to its own page with sources.
- Marketing information, not legal advice. Check your state bar’s current wording before you run an ad.
What should you check in every Google ad?
Run this list on every headline, description, sitelink and image, including text a platform writes for you:
- Who is named. The responsible lawyer or the firm, as your state asks.
- Where the office is. Many states want an office city or address in the ad.
- Set wording. One state asks for a set sentence in every ad; others want a label on specific kinds of ads.
- Results and skill claims. No dollar results, testimonials, “best”, “expert” or “specialist” unless your state clears the exact wording.
- Acted scenes and actors. Label them, and know which states restrict them. Our YouTube guide has examples.
- Language. A required statement appears in each language the ad uses.
- Filing. If your state files or reviews ads, file the final version and keep a dated copy of each version.
- Text Google writes. If automatic text is on, a person reads it first. See our AI Max guide.
Want the rule for one ad instead of the whole table? Pick your state in the free ad compliance checker, tick what the ad contains, and read what that state’s rules say about each item.
What does each state ask an ad to carry?
The table is read directly from our rules library. A row shows what the state’s ad must carry, whether an office location is named, whether ads are filed or reviewed, the filing fee where the library lists one, and how well that entry was checked.
| State | Every ad must carry | Office location named | Ad filing or review | Filing fee | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Name plus office address or city | Yes | No filing | None listed | PPrimary source |
| Alaska | Name plus office address or city | Check | No filing | None listed | SSecondary source |
| Arizona | Name plus contact details | Check | No filing | None listed | PPrimary source |
| Arkansas | Name plus office address or city | Yes | No filing | None listed | SSecondary source |
| California | Name plus office address or city | Yes | No filing | None listed | PPrimary source |
| Colorado | Name plus contact details | Check | No filing | None listed | PPrimary source |
| Connecticut | Name plus contact details | Check | Filed at or before first use | No fee | SSecondary source |
| Delaware | Name plus office address or city | Check | No filing | None listed | SSecondary source |
| District of Columbia | No explicit clause | Check | No filing | None listed | SSecondary source |
| Florida | Name plus office address or city | Yes | Filed before first use | $250 ($750 late) | PPrimary source |
| Georgia | Name plus contact details | Check | No filing | None listed | PPrimary source |
| Hawaii | A responsible lawyer or firm named | Check | No filing | None listed | SSecondary source |
| Idaho | Name plus office address or city | Check | No filing | None listed | SSecondary source |
| Illinois | Name plus office address or city | Check | No filing | None listed | PPrimary source |
| Indiana | Name plus office address or city | Check | Only targeted solicitations filed | $50 (solicitations) | SSecondary source |
| Iowa | Name plus contact details | Check | No filing | None listed | SSecondary source |
| Kansas | A responsible lawyer or firm named | Check | No filing | None listed | SSecondary source |
| Kentucky | Name plus office address or city | Check | Voluntary review | $75 (voluntary) | SSecondary source |
| Louisiana | Name plus office address or city | Yes | Filed at or before first use | $175 ($275 late) | PPrimary source |
| Maine | Name plus office address or city | Check | No filing | None listed | SSecondary source |
| Maryland | A responsible lawyer or firm named | Check | No filing | None listed | SSecondary source |
| Massachusetts | A responsible lawyer or firm named | Check | No filing | None listed | SSecondary source |
| Michigan | Name plus contact details | Check | No filing | None listed | SSecondary source |
| Minnesota | Name plus contact details | Check | No filing | None listed | SSecondary source |
| Mississippi | Name plus office address or city | Yes | Filed before first use | $25 ($150 late) | SSecondary source |
| Missouri | A set sentence in every ad | Check | No filing | None listed | SSecondary source |
| Montana | Name plus contact details | Check | No filing | None listed | SSecondary source |
| Nebraska | Name plus office address or city | Check | No filing | None listed | PPrimary source |
| Nevada | A responsible lawyer or firm named | Check | Filed after first use | $100 | PPrimary source |
| New Hampshire | Name plus office address or city | Check | No filing | None listed | SSecondary source |
| New Jersey | A responsible lawyer or firm named | Check | No filing | None listed | PPrimary source |
| New Mexico | Name plus contact details | Check | No filing | None listed | SSecondary source |
| New York | Name plus contact details | Check | No filing | None listed | PPrimary source |
| North Carolina | Name plus contact details | Check | No filing | None listed | PPrimary source |
| North Dakota | Name plus office address or city | Check | No filing | None listed | SSecondary source |
| Ohio | Name plus office address or city | Check | No filing | None listed | PPrimary source |
| Oklahoma | Name plus office address or city | Check | No filing | None listed | SSecondary source |
| Oregon | Name plus contact details | Check | No filing | None listed | SSecondary source |
| Pennsylvania | Name plus office address or city | Yes | No filing | None listed | PPrimary source |
| Rhode Island | Name plus office address or city | Check | Filed after first use | None listed | SSecondary source |
| South Carolina | Name plus office address or city | Yes | No filing | None listed | PPrimary source |
| South Dakota | Name plus office address or city | Check | Only targeted solicitations filed | None listed | SSecondary source |
| Tennessee | Name plus contact details | Check | No filing | None listed | SSecondary source |
| Texas | Name plus office address or city | Yes | Filed after first use | $100 | PPrimary source |
| Utah | No explicit clause | Check | No filing | None listed | SSecondary source |
| Vermont | Name plus office address or city | Check | No filing | None listed | SSecondary source |
| Virginia | No explicit clause | Check | No filing | None listed | SSecondary source |
| Washington | No explicit clause | Check | No filing | None listed | SSecondary source |
| West Virginia | Name plus office address or city | Check | No filing | None listed | SSecondary source |
| Wisconsin | Name plus office address or city | Check | Only targeted solicitations filed | None listed | PPrimary source |
| Wyoming | Name plus office address or city | Check | No filing | None listed | SSecondary source |
Most states ask for a responsible lawyer or firm name, and only a few file every ad, so the main job is the wording check, not the paperwork.
What do the checked codes mean?
P means we read the state’s own rule. S means we relied on a secondary source and have not yet read the rule itself. D means the state follows the ABA model default until we check. U is an open question. Where you see S, D or U, open the state page and confirm with your bar before you rely on the row.
Which negative keywords should a law firm start with?
A negative keyword tells Google not to show your ad when a search contains that word. Start with these lists, then add words from your own search terms report every week. Check each word against the practice areas you take, since “free” can matter for a firm that offers a free consultation.
- Job seekers and students: jobs, careers, salary, hiring, internship, law school, how to become a lawyer, paralegal course
- Do-it-yourself: forms, template, pdf, download, how to file myself, self help, diy, sample letter
- Price shoppers: free lawyer, pro bono, legal aid, cheap, low cost, free advice
- Other matters: a practice area you do not handle (add each one), complaint against a lawyer, lawyer jokes, news
- Other places: states and cities you are not licensed or open in (add each one)
What this means for your firm
- Read every ad against the checklist, and keep a dated copy of the version that ran.
- Open your state’s row in the table, then the state page, and confirm any S, D or U entry with your bar.
- Add the negative keywords this week, then review the search terms report on a set day each week.
Probative Growth plans and runs Google Ads under your state’s rules, together with getting your firm found in Google and AI answers. Get my free review.
Last reviewed October 25, 2026 by the Probative editorial team. Marketing information, not legal advice. Confirm every rule with your state bar and your own counsel before you run an ad.
Questions about this guide
What should a law firm check in a Google ad before it runs?
Check who is named, whether an office city is shown, any claim about results or skill, any acted scene, and the language of the ad. Then check whether your state files or reviews ads. The checklist below turns that into steps.
Do all states treat ad copy the same way?
No. The table on this page, read from our rules library, shows what each state's ad must carry and whether ads are filed. Most states ask for a responsible lawyer or firm name, and many ask for an office location.
How sure is the table?
Each row carries a code for how the entry was checked: a primary source we read, a secondary source, the ABA model default, or an open question. Open the state page for the source. This is not legal advice.
Why a negative keyword list on an ad copy page?
A negative keyword stops your ad from showing on a search. Ads that show on the wrong searches draw wrong calls, and wrong-state or job-seeker clicks waste budget. Both are quick to fix and are part of reviewing a campaign.
Sources
- Probative: lawyer advertising rules by state (state_rules.json, rules library)Accessed October 25, 2026
- Probative: the rules library as open data (CC BY 4.0)Accessed October 25, 2026