Country guide · United States

Google Ads Government Certification in the United States

Quick answer

Google’s Government Documents and Services policy names more United States documents and programs as examples than any other country: ESTA and EVUS, Trusted Traveler programs such as Global Entry and TSA PreCheck, the Social Security Number and card, the EIN and the Diversity Visa (Green Card) lottery. The policy lists no regional exclusions for the United States. Whether you need certification depends on the document or service you promote and on whether you are a government body, an authorized provider or neither.

By Mathew D'Souza, Google Ads SpecialistLast reviewed 8 October 2026

On this page

Quick summary
The Google Ads Government Documents and Services policy in the United States
Does the United States require Google Ads government certification?
U.S. documents and services named in Google's policy
U.S.-specific considerations
U.S. government providers
Authorized non-government providers in the U.S.
Advertiser verification for U.S. advertisers
Certification vs advertiser verification
Landing page considerations
Common problems for U.S.-related advertisers
Practical preparation checklist
Next steps
Frequently asked questions
Official Google sources

Key points

The United States appears as an example in six categories; it is not listed as a regional exclusion in any category.
ESTA/EVUS and U.S.-based Trusted Traveler programs are transnational categories: they are usually promoted to people outside the U.S.
U.S.-based Trusted Traveler programs are covered “promoted in any country”, according to Google.
The Diversity Visa lottery and the Social Security card are covered examples, not exclusions.
Private services need explicit government authorization published on an official government website to qualify as authorized providers.

Quick summary

Quick summary
Topic	What it means
Mentioned in Google’s policy?	Yes, as examples in six categories
Categories with U.S. examples	Regional identification numbers (SSN); business identifiers (EIN); health and welfare programs (Social Security card); electronic travel visas and authorizations (ESTA, EVUS); U.S.-based Trusted Traveler programs (Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, SENTRI, NEXUS, FAST); residency lotteries (DV/Green Card lottery)
Regional exclusions for the U.S.	None listed
Transnational categories	ESTA/EVUS and Trusted Traveler programs (geographic targeting rule does not apply to authorized providers)
Country-wide certification rule?	No. Requirements depend on the document or service, the advertiser type and Google’s policy conditions

The Google Ads Government Documents and Services policy in the United States

Google’s policy restricts ads that promote the direct acquisition of covered government documents and services. Only certified government providers, certified authorized providers and advertisers covered by a listed exclusion may run them. The policy applies globally; the United States is relevant because many of the policy’s examples are U.S. documents and programs, and because travelers from around the world search for U.S. entry documents.

For a plain-language overview of the policy itself, read the policy explained in plain English or our policy reference.

Does the United States require Google Ads government certification?

Not as a country-wide rule. Google’s policy does not say that all U.S. government services require certification. It says that ads promoting the covered categories require certification, wherever they are targeted. For U.S. advertisers that means:

If you promote, for example, ESTA applications, Global Entry enrollment, EIN registration or DV lottery entries, the policy applies and certification may be required depending on your advertiser type.
If you promote a U.S. service that is not in a covered category, this policy does not apply, although other Google Ads policies do.
Because no U.S. regional exclusion is listed, the exclusion option is not available for U.S. targeting, except for the business exclusion that applies to driving schools in every country.

U.S. documents and services named in Google's policy

United States examples in Google's policy
Category	U.S. example named by Google	Note
Regional identification numbers	Social Security Number (SSN)
Business identifiers	Employer Identification Number (EIN)
Health and welfare assistance programs	Social Security Card	Covers cards and numbers that give access to benefits
Electronic travel visas and authorizations	ESTA, EVUS	Transnational
U.S.-based Trusted Traveler programs	Global Entry, TSA PreCheck®, SENTRI, NEXUS, FAST	Transnational; “U.S.-based programs only, promoted in any country”
Residency lotteries	Diversity Immigrant Visa Program (DV) / Green Card Lottery

Other categories, such as passports, birth or death certificates, driver licenses or vehicle registration, apply to U.S. services as well; Google simply does not use a U.S. example for them. See what counts as a government document or service.

U.S.-specific considerations

Travel authorizations sold to a global audience

ESTA and EVUS applicants are mostly outside the United States. Google treats electronic travel visas and authorizations as inherently transnational, so an authorized provider does not have to limit targeting to the authorizing country. Authorization itself is still required.

Trusted Traveler programs

Google’s category covers U.S.-based programs only, “promoted in any country”. A service in Canada or Mexico that offers help with NEXUS or SENTRI applications falls under this category even though the ads run outside the U.S.

The DV lottery

Advertisers sometimes assume that “lottery entry assistance” is allowed because entering is a form submission. Google lists the Diversity Visa (Green Card) lottery as an example of the residency lotteries category, so ads promoting entry into it are covered.

EIN and SSN services

Business formation and tax-ID services frequently include “get your EIN” in their offer. The EIN is Google’s example of a business identifier, so ads that promote obtaining it are in scope.

Official government websites

Listed so that users and advertisers can find the official service. Linking to these sites does not imply any relationship between Ads Verification Pro and the government bodies concerned.

U.S. government providers

Federal, state and local government bodies can apply as government providers using their official government domains. Google states that government providers do not need to complete advertiser verification as Step 2 of certification, and certified government providers do not receive the automatic “Not a government website” disclosure on Search ads.

State and local agencies that advertise through a contractor or agency should make sure the application names the government body and its official domain, not the vendor.

Authorized non-government providers in the U.S.

Since 5 October 2026, a non-government provider must meet three criteria:

its domain is linked from an official, publicly accessible government website and explicitly referenced there as authorized for the specific document or service;
the domain promotes only that document or service;
ads target only the authorized regions, except for the transnational categories (which include ESTA/EVUS and the Trusted Traveler programs).

Google lists commercial contracts, business licenses, registry entries and government-hosted articles or blog posts as evidence that does not count. A state business license or an LLC registration therefore does not make a U.S. company an authorized provider. Details: authorized provider requirements and what counts as government authorization.

Advertiser verification for U.S. advertisers

Advertiser verification is a separate Google program that confirms who you are. For non-government applicants it is Step 2 of certification, and the details must match your certification application. Google lists “Confirm your social security number (US only)” among the tasks that may apply to individual accounts, alongside photo ID, phone confirmation and a video selfie. Organizations may be asked for registration documents, Dun & Bradstreet information and confirmation of affiliation.

Read advertiser verification for government service advertisers and our advertiser verification guide.

Certification vs advertiser verification

Certification is permission to promote the restricted category; verification confirms identity. A verified U.S. account still cannot promote ESTA or Global Entry services without certification. See certification vs advertiser verification and how the two processes combine.

Landing page considerations

Google does not publish a U.S.-specific landing page checklist for this policy. Based on the policy and Google’s Misleading representation rules, we recommend that U.S. pages for covered services:

state clearly that the business is private (unless it is a government body) and show its own fee separately from any government fee;
link to the official government page for the service, such as the official ESTA website;
avoid federal seals, eagle emblems, “official” wording and look-alike agency names;
describe what the business does and what the government does (for example, CBP decides ESTA applications).

Use our landing page compliance checklist or request a landing page review.

Common problems for U.S.-related advertisers

Treating the DV lottery or Social Security card as excluded. Both are named examples of covered categories.
Using a state business license as “authorization”. Google lists business licenses as invalid evidence.
Bundling services. An ESTA site that also offers passport renewal and EIN registration cannot meet the single-service criterion with one authorization.
Agency-style identities. Names and designs that resemble CBP, the IRS or the State Department raise misleading-representation issues.
Verification mismatches. A DBA name in the payments profile and the legal LLC name on documents.

Practical preparation checklist

List each U.S. document or service you promote and match it to a Google category.
Decide your option: government provider, authorized provider, or not in scope.
For authorized providers, find the official government page that links to your domain for that specific program.
Limit the domain to the authorized service; review targeting (transnational categories excepted).
Align legal name, address and domain across Google Ads, documents and website.
Work through the verification checklist, then apply.

Promoting U.S. travel or government services and unsure where you stand?

Check Your Situation Request a Compliance Review

Next steps

For advertisers in the United States, these guides and services are the most useful next steps:

How the government documents and services policy works and our policy reference with all categories
Government certification options and options for private government service providers
How certification and verification fit together and the advertiser verification guide
How all 20 countries compare, category by category, or browse all country guides
Prepare with the verification checklist or get help: verification support, landing page review, policy compliance audit or contact us

Frequently asked questions

Is ESTA application assistance allowed on Google Ads?

Only for advertisers certified under the policy, in practice government providers or authorized providers meeting Google’s criteria. ESTA is transnational, so targeting can extend beyond the U.S., but authorization is still required.

Is the Green Card lottery excluded from the policy?

No. Google names the Diversity Visa (Green Card) lottery as an example of the residency lotteries category.

Can a Canadian company advertise NEXUS application help?

Google’s category covers U.S.-based Trusted Traveler programs “promoted in any country”, so the policy applies regardless of where the advertiser is based.

Does my U.S. LLC registration count as authorization?

No. Google lists registrations on business registries and business licenses as examples that are not valid authorization.

Do U.S. individuals have extra verification tasks?

Google lists confirming a Social Security number as a U.S.-only task that may apply to individual accounts. Follow the tasks your account shows.

Official Google sources

Google updates its policies and help pages. Check the current version of these pages before you apply or change your account. We last checked them on the “Last reviewed” date shown at the top of this page.

Keep reading