Core rule
ServiceLink must not display “verified”, “licensed”, “insured” or “local” unless the nearby explanation identifies the check, evidence source and date. A checksum or document upload alone is not described as independent verification.
The public profile must distinguish business identity, ABN, licence, insurance and location checks. Passing one check does not imply passing another.
Check levels
| Label | Required evidence | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Profile submitted | User-supplied account and business details | Information has been supplied; it has not yet been independently checked. |
| Identity checked | Approved identity process and authority to represent the contracting entity | The named person and their authority were checked on the stated date. |
| ABN active and matched | Current Australian Business Register result matched to the legal entity and business name | The ABN was active and matched at the time checked. An ABN is not a trade licence. |
| Licence checked | Official state or territory register result: holder, number, class, status, conditions and expiry | The stated credential appeared current for its class and jurisdiction on the check date. |
| Insurance evidence sighted | Certificate or insurer confirmation naming the insured, policy, period and stated cover | Evidence was sighted. ServiceLink has not decided whether every claim or job is covered. |
| Job eligibility confirmed | Current credentials mapped to the job location, work category and any configured value threshold | The platform’s stated prerequisites were met at that time; statutory suitability remains the contracting parties’ responsibility. |
Minimum verification record
- legal entity name, entity type and active ABN;
- registered business name and authority of the account holder;
- licence number, regulator, jurisdiction, holder, class, status, conditions and expiry date;
- whether the credential permits contracting, supervising or only personally performing the work, where that distinction applies;
- nominated supervisor and relationship to the business, if applicable;
- insurance type, named insured, insurer, policy period and stated limit, without representing that a claim will be accepted;
- evidence source, checked timestamp, checker and next review date;
- categories and jurisdictions for which the check may be displayed.
How a check is performed
- Obtain information from the business and explain how it will be checked and displayed.
- Compare identity and entity information. Resolve mismatches rather than accepting a similar name.
- Check the ABR and the relevant official occupational or building register. Save a dated result or auditable reference.
- Map each licence class to permitted categories and jurisdiction. Do not infer coverage from a free-text licence number.
- Apply an expiry date no later than the earliest credential expiry or scheduled recheck.
- Publish a plain-language badge detail with the last-checked date and important limits.
Rechecks, expiry and adverse information
Credentials must be rechecked before expiry and again before a user relies on them for a job where the stored check is stale. ServiceLink may pause quoting if a credential expires, cannot be confirmed, no longer matches the business or appears suspended or conditioned.
Urgent restriction may occur for credible safety, fraud or regulatory risk. Otherwise, the business should receive the reason, evidence needed and a fair correction or review opportunity through the complaints process.
What ServiceLink does not promise
- that a user will act honestly or perform competent work;
- that a licence class covers every task within a broad category;
- that insurance responds to a particular loss;
- that a regulator’s register is complete or continuously current;
- that a business remains solvent or free from complaints;
- that “local” applies without a separately verified service area.
These limits do not permit ServiceLink to overstate the checks it did perform or avoid responsibility for a misleading representation.
Authoritative registers and guidance
- Australian Business Register: ABN Lookup (opens in a new tab)
- ACCC: platform operators in the sharing economy (opens in a new tab)
- Licence checks must use the relevant regulator listed in the jurisdiction register in the internal compliance source register, not a commercial aggregator.