Publisher Guide: Compliance

Attorney advertising rules for MVA traffic

This guide gives MVA affiliates a general overview of the rules that govern lawyer advertising in the United States. By the end you will be able to name the main model rules, find the rules for the states you target, and review your accident ads against the claims those rules most often restrict.

This guide is general information, not legal advice. Attorney advertising rules are set state by state and they vary. Check with the relevant state bar or a lawyer before you rely on any point here.

Published 5 October 2026. How we write and check guides: editorial standards.

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Why these rules reach MVA affiliates

Lawyers are licensed by states, and each state has rules of professional conduct that cover how lawyers advertise and look for clients. The rules bind lawyers, not affiliates. They still matter to you, because MVA leads are bought by people and firms in the legal market, and an ad that promotes legal help after an accident can be treated as part of a lawyer's marketing. A law firm buyer cannot use a lead it believes came from advertising that breaks its own rules.

In practice, this means accident ads that follow attorney advertising principles sell more reliably than ads that ignore them. It also means you should never present yourself, your pages or Summit as a law firm or a lawyer. Summit is a lead network, and the lander connects people with buyers who can help.

The ABA Model Rules in brief

The American Bar Association publishes the Model Rules of Professional Conduct. They are not law on their own. Most states base their own rules on them, with changes. Three rules cover most of what an MVA affiliate needs to know:

ABA Model Rules 7.1 to 7.3, summarized in general terms
Rule	What it covers	What it means for accident ads
Rule 7.1	A lawyer may not make false or misleading communications about the lawyer or the lawyer's services. A true statement can still be misleading if it leaves out a fact needed to understand it	Avoid claims about results, amounts or the strength of a case that a lawyer could not back up
Rule 7.2	Lawyers may advertise through any media, with limits on giving anything of value for recommendations and rules on identifying a responsible lawyer and on specialist claims	Do not call any lawyer a "specialist" or "expert" in your copy, and do not suggest a lawyer endorsed your ad
Rule 7.3	Limits live person-to-person solicitation for pay. Ads directed to the general public, such as banner ads and websites, are treated differently from direct contact	Keep your ads general. Do not target or message named individuals you know were in a specific crash

Each rule has official comments that explain it. Read the rule pages on americanbar.org for the full text.

How states differ

States adopt their own versions, and some add filing, review or disclosure steps that the model rules do not have. Three examples show the range:

Florida. The Florida Bar reviews lawyer advertising under its own rules, and its lawyer advertising FAQ explains which ads must be filed for review and which are exempt.
Texas. The State Bar of Texas runs an Advertising Review department for lawyer ads under Part VII of the Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct.
California. The State Bar of California publishes its rules on information about legal services, Rules 7.1 to 7.6.

Other states have their own pages and their own differences. Filing duties fall on lawyers, not affiliates, but they show how closely some states watch legal ads. For the states you target, look up the state bar's advertising rules before you launch. Our geo-targeting by state guide covers how to split campaigns by state, which also makes it easier to adjust copy by state.

How the rules show up by traffic source

Bar rules sit alongside platform policies, not in place of them. Each approved traffic source raises the same principles in a slightly different place:

Meta. The ad text and the image carry the claim. Short hooks invite overstatement, so check every headline for result or money claims. Meta's own Advertising Standards apply on top. See how to run MVA traffic on Meta.
Google. Search ads are short, and keyword insertion can put words in your ad you did not write. Check what the ad shows for your top search terms. Google also requires advertisers to follow the law where their ads run, as its legal requirements policy explains.
Native ad networks. Advertorials and pre-landers give you room for long copy, which means more claims to check. Every sentence on the pre-lander counts, not only the headline.
SEO and rank-and-rent sites. Site pages stay live for a long time. Review old pages when you change states or offers, because a claim that was fine for one state may not suit another.

Steps to review accident ads against attorney advertising rules

01
Step 1: List the states you target
Write down every state in your MVA campaigns. Summit covers all U.S. states, but you only need the rules for the states where your ads run.
02
Step 2: Find each state bar's advertising page
Search the state bar's own website for its lawyer advertising rules. Save the link in your campaign notes. Do not rely on a third-party summary.
03
Step 3: Mark every claim in your ads
Go through each headline, body line, image and video caption. Highlight anything that states a result, an amount, a time limit, a credential or a comparison.
04
Step 4: Remove claims about results and money
Take out settlement amounts, "maximum compensation", "you have a case" and any other promise about the outcome. Replace them with what happens next, such as a short form and a follow-up about options.
05
Step 5: Remove lawyer identity claims
Do not write "our attorneys", "top lawyers", "specialists" or "board certified". You are not a law firm, and you do not know which buyer will receive the lead.
06
Step 6: Check testimonials and images
Remove made-up client stories, actors presented as clients and real crash photos. If you use people in creative, make sure nothing suggests they are clients or lawyers.
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Step 7: Save the final version
Keep each ad with its launch date, states and sub ID. If a buyer or bar ever asks what ran, you can answer.
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Step 8: Ask when unsure
Send creative questions to us by email, and follow our traffic guidelines. For a legal answer about a specific ad, ask a lawyer or the relevant state bar.

Have MVA campaigns that keep to these principles? Apply with your sources, states and expected volume.

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Claims the rules most often restrict

Promises or predictions of results ("win your case", "get paid fast").
Dollar figures, past verdicts or settlement amounts.
Claims that a lawyer is a specialist, expert or the best.
Comparisons with other lawyers that cannot be proven.
Testimonials or dramatizations that are not clearly labeled.
Language that pressures the reader or suggests the person must act immediately.
Ads that look like they come from a court, police department or insurer.

For copy rewrites of each claim type, read ad claims to avoid in accident offers.

Common mistakes

Writing as a law firm. "Our lawyers will fight for you" implies you are a firm. You are not, and neither is Summit.
Assuming one set of rules covers every state. The model rules are a starting point. States change them.
Treating a platform approval as a legal approval. Meta or Google approving an ad means it met their policy, not a state bar's rules.
Targeting individuals. Messages aimed at a known person after a known crash move toward solicitation, which the rules restrict.
Using old rules. Several states have updated their advertising rules in recent years. Read the current version on the bar's site.

Frequently asked questions

Do attorney advertising rules apply to me if I am not a lawyer?

The rules bind lawyers. Whether and how they reach a non-lawyer marketer depends on the state and the facts, which is a question for a lawyer. In practice, buyers expect accident ads to follow the same principles, and ads that do not may produce leads they cannot use.

Do I need to file my ads with a state bar?

Filing duties in states that have them generally fall on lawyers, and the details vary. Check the relevant state bar's advertising page, such as the Florida Bar FAQ, and ask a lawyer about your situation.

Can I say "free consultation" in an accident ad?

Many law firms offer free consultations, but you do not know the terms each buyer offers. Describe what happens after the form instead, such as a follow-up about the person's options, unless you have confirmed the claim with us.