Twenty-three states have business opportunity laws. Most of these laws prohibit sales of business opportunities unless the seller gives potential purchasers a pre-sale disclosure document that has first been filed with a designated state agency.
State business opportunity laws typically cover every imaginable type of business opportunity that might be offered. If a business opportunity seller is not required to provide pre-sale disclosures by the Franchise Rule, these disclosures will almost always be required by the laws of the states listed below.
The disclosures required by state business opportunity laws differ, and usually provide more abbreviated information than the Franchise Rule requires. However, most of these laws provide important rights and remedies for business opportunity investors, including required security bonds to cover investor losses.
If you are considering purchasing a work-at-home or other business opportunity, and reside in a state with a business opportunity law, we encourage you to find out more about the protection provided by your state statute before you invest.
California, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington
California (filing required)
Consumer Law Section
Attorney General's Office
1515 "K" St.
Sacramento, CA 92101
(916) 445-9555
Connecticut (filing required)
Department of Banking
Securities Division
44 Capitol Avenue
Hartford, CT 06106
(203) 566-4560 ex8322
Florida (filing required)
Dept. Agri. & Consumer Services
Room 110 - Mayo Building
Tallahassee, FL 32301
(904) 488-2221
(800) 342-2176 (in-state only)
Georgia (no filing required)
Office of Consumer Affairs
No. 2 - Martin Luther King Dr.
Plaza Level, East Tower
Atlanta, GA 30334
(404) 656-3790
Illinois (filing required)
Illinois Securities Department
Lincoln Tower
520 S. Second St. Suite 200
Springfield, IL 62701
(217)782-2256
Indiana (filing required)
Consumer Protection Division
Attorney General's Office
219 State House
Indianapolis, IN 46204
(317) 232-6331
Iowa (filing required)
Securities Bureau
Second Floor
Lucas State Office Building
Des Moines, IA 50319
(515) 281-4441
Kentucky (filing required)
Attorney General's Office
Consumer Protection Division
209 St. Clair
Frankfort, KY 40601
(502) 573-2200
Louisiana (bond filing req'd)
Office of the Attorney General
Consumer Protection Division
2610-A Woodale Blvd.
Baton Rouge, LA 70804
(504) 342-7900
Maine (filing required)
Banking Bureau
Securities Division
State House - Station 121
Augusta, ME 04333
(207) 624-8551
Maryland (filing required)
Attorney General's Office
Securities Division
200 St. Paul Pl. - 20th Floor
Baltimore, MD 21202
(301) 576-6360
Michigan (notice required)
Consumer Protection Division
Dept. of the Attorney General
670 Law Building
Lansing, MI 48913
(517) 373-7117
Minnesota (filing required)
Department of Commerce
Registration Division
133 East 7th Street
St. Paul, MN 55101
(612) 296-6328
Nebraska (filing required)
Dept. of Banking & Finance
P.O. Box 95006
Lincoln, NE 68509
(402) 471-2171 or
(402) 471-3445
New Hampshire (filing required)
Attorney General's Office
Consumer Protection Div.
State House Annex
Concord, NH 03301
(603) 271-3641
North Carolina (filing req'd)
Department of Justice
Consumer Protection Division
P.O. Box 629
Raleigh, NC 27602
(919) 733-3924
Ohio (no filing required)
Attorney General's Office
Consumer Fraud & Crime Section
25th Floor, State Office Tower
30 East Broad Street
Columbus, OH 43266-0410
(614) 466-8831
800-282-0515 (in-state only)
Oklahoma (filing required)
Oklahoma Department. of Securities
Suite 860, First National Center
120 N. Robinson
Oklahoma City, OK 73102
(405) 280-7700 (voice)
(405) 280-7742 (fax)
South Carolina (filing req'd)
Secretary of State's Office
P.O. Box 11350
Columbia, SC 29211
(803) 734-2169
South Dakota (filing required)
Division of Securities
910 E. Sioux Avenue
Pierre, SD 57501
(605) 773-4013
Texas (filing required)
Secretary of State's Office
Statutory Documents Section
P.O. Box 13563
Austin, TX 78711
(512) 475-1769
Utah (filing required)
Consumer Protection Division
160 East 300 South
Salt Lake City, UT 84111
(801) 530-6601
Virginia (no filing required)
Consumer Affairs Office
101 North 8th Street
Richmond, VA 23219
(804) 786-0594
(800) 451-1525 (in-state only)
Washington (filing required)
Department of Financial Institutions
Securities Division
P.O. Box 9033
Olympia, WA 98507-9033
(206) 753-6928