Attorney advertising disclaimers by state, copy-ready

As of October 25, 2026, most states don’t make lawyers put one set disclaimer in every ad. They ask for the name of the lawyer or firm responsible, and often an office city. Set wording applies only to things like client reviews, past results, fee promises, actors, and letters or texts to a person who needs a lawyer, and it’s below, ready to copy.

Key facts

• New York: since June 1, 2026, ads no longer need the “Attorney Advertising” label or the “Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome” line (NYSBA, August 2026).
• New Jersey: a testimonial about past results carries “Results may vary depending on your particular facts and legal circumstances.” under Committee on Attorney Advertising Opinion 49, dated September 30, 2025 (NJ Courts).
• Florida: a person in an ad who isn’t with the firm needs “Not an employee or member of law firm.” (Florida Bar handbook, December 2025).
• Texas: a solicitation text or social message must start with “ADVERTISEMENT” in capital letters (Rule 7.03, comment) (State Bar of Texas).
• Google: responsive search ad headlines hold up to 30 characters and descriptions up to 90, and a legal disclaimer that must show in every ad goes in headline 1 or description 1 (Google Ads Help).

Is there one disclaimer every lawyer ad must carry?

No single sentence applies nationwide. What nearly every state asks for is a responsible name. New York’s rule, which now follows the ABA model, is typical: a communication “must include the name and contact information of at least one lawyer or law firm responsible for its content” (NY Rule 7.1(d)). On top of that, each state adds set wording for specific content. The table below lists the wording we read in each state’s own rule, order or bar publication on October 25, 2026.

Of the 51 jurisdictions in our state rules library, our data lists one, Missouri, as requiring a set sentence in every ad. That cell rests on secondary sources, and the Missouri courts’ site blocked our reads, so we flag it rather than print it.

Copy-ready wording, state by state

Every line below was read in the primary source on October 25, 2026. Character counts include spaces. “When” is the trigger: the line is needed only when the ad contains that thing.

The caption that matters: the set wording is triggered by content. Leave testimonials, results and fee claims out of a short search ad, and most of these lines aren’t needed in the ad at all.

Two placement rules travel with the wording. Indiana, Wisconsin, South Dakota and Illinois put “Advertising Material” on the outside envelope and at the beginning and ending of a recorded or electronic message; Indiana and Wisconsin also want it at the start of printed ones (Indiana Rule 7.3; Wisconsin SCR 20:7.3; South Dakota; Illinois). South Dakota sets the printed label at a minimum of 18-point type. Alabama wants “advertisement” in bold, in a contrasting color, larger than the largest print in a letter (Alabama order).

What must every ad include, even without a disclaimer?

The name of a responsible lawyer or firm, nearly everywhere, and in many states an office location. Here is what we read in each state’s own text. These aren’t set sentences; they’re facts the ad must carry, so you write them in your own words.

For the other states, our library shows what each one requires and whether we have read it at the primary source yet. Where a cell is marked secondary or ABA default, treat the name of a responsible lawyer plus an office city as the safe minimum.

Which ads trigger extra wording?

Five kinds of content trigger set or required statements in the states above:

1. Testimonials and reviews quoted in an ad. New Jersey and South Dakota have set sentences. Florida requires a disclosure that a potential client may not get the same or similar results when a testimonial names specific results (Rule 4-7.13(b)(9)), without fixing the words.
2. Past results. Louisiana requires a disclaimer “such as” its two examples. Nevada’s rules require a statement that past results don’t guarantee, warrant or predict future cases, and, where a gross amount is stated, the fees and expenses taken from it. Nevada’s posted rules are a 2012 compilation; confirm the current text with the State Bar of Nevada.
3. Fee claims. Florida, Texas and California all require an ad that offers a contingent fee to say whether the client pays costs. Texas Rule 7.02(c): the ad “must state whether the client will be obligated to pay for other expenses, such as the costs of litigation.” Nevada adds the opposing-fees warning above.
4. Actors, dramatizations and spokespeople. Florida requires a dramatization disclaimer when a reasonable viewer wouldn’t know it’s one. California bans undisclosed impersonations and dramatizations and a spokesperson without a title (§6157.2(a)). Nevada requires actors to be identified for as long as they appear.
5. Targeted letters, emails and texts. These are “solicitations”: messages to a specific person known to need legal help. They carry “ADVERTISEMENT” or “Advertising Material” in the states listed, and some states also make you file them (see how to submit ads to the bar).

What changed in New York?

New York dropped its two best-known required lines on June 1, 2026. The NYSBA’s summary says the rule that ads be labeled “Attorney Advertising” “has been eliminated,” and so has the rule that results be accompanied by “Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome” (NYSBA). The old principal-office address rule is gone too. What remains is Rule 7.1(d): the name and contact information of at least one responsible lawyer or firm.

The NYSBA notes that lawyers may still want the results disclaimer to avoid a charge that an ad misleads. Our New York note covers what to change on your site and in email.

How do you fit a disclaimer into a 30- or 90-character search ad?

Google’s responsive search ads give you headlines of up to 30 characters and descriptions of up to 90 (Google Ads Help). Google says text that must appear in every ad, “such as a legal disclaimer,” has to go in headline 1 or description 1, and pinning it there keeps it in place. Practical rules we follow:

• Keep triggers out of the ad. No testimonial, result or fee claim in a 90-character description means no set wording is needed there.
• Put the name and city in a headline. “[Firm name], [City]” usually fits in 30 characters. Pin it to headline 1 if your state requires them in every ad.
• Use the short forms where a state gives one. Florida’s “No fee if no recovery, excludes costs” is 37 characters and fits a description with room to spare. Nevada’s 89-character warning fills a whole description, so most firms leave fee claims out instead.
• Long lines go on the landing page. New Jersey’s keyword disclaimer is written for the landing page. Alabama lets short-form ads carry required statements one click away. Check your own state before relying on a click-away disclosure.
• Every language the ad uses. Florida and Nevada require required statements in each language of the ad. A Spanish ad carries its disclaimers in Spanish.

What this means for your firm

• Start from content, not from a stock disclaimer. Decide what the ad says, then add only the wording that content triggers.
• Copy set sentences exactly. Paraphrasing a required sentence can make it non-compliant.
• Keep a dated copy of every version. Several states require it, and it’s your best evidence if a complaint comes in.

We handle your state’s ad rules for you, on Google ads and on getting found on Google and in AI answers. See where your firm stands, or get a free review of your current ads and pages.

Reviewed by our rules reviewer. Marketing information, not legal advice. Confirm every rule with your state bar and your own counsel before you run an ad.

Data. The bar guidance behind this page is in the ethics opinions dataset.