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Contractors Must Now Display License Numbers in Newspaper Ads Citywide Under New Rules

Official:Amending Section 9-1004 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "Contractors," to prohibit contractors, newspaper publishers, distribution companies and distributors of commercial publications from publishing or distributing any advertisements for Contractors in newspapers or in commercial publications which do not also include the Contractor's license number; all under certain terms and conditions.

Sponsor: Councilmember Kelly

Introduced: September 18, 2008

: Committee on Licenses and Inspections

business procurement

No one voted on this bill

This bill was introduced in the 2008–2011 Council term and when that term ran out. The public record shows no committee vote and no floor vote at any stage, so no member of Council ever went on record for or against it.

That is not unusual here. Of the 8,465 bills introduced between 2000 and 2025, 1,624 lapsed without a single recorded vote. Ninety percent of bills that became law carry a roll call. Three percent of lapsed bills do. How this works.

Plain-Language Summary

This bill requires contractors to include their license number in all advertisements published in newspapers and commercial publications.

What This Bill Does

AI-written. Every figure is checked against the bill text.

Prohibits contractors from placing advertisements in newspapers or commercial publications without including their license number.
Requires newspaper publishers, distribution companies, and distributors of commercial publications to ensure that advertisements for contractors include the contractor's license number.
Applies to advertisements in any printed or written matter, including electronic communications, that advertises merchandise or directs attention to a business or commercial establishment.
Mandates the inclusion of the contractor's license number in advertisements in commercial publications, effective under certain terms and conditions.