{"id":31582,"date":"2008-03-26T16:35:41","date_gmt":"2008-03-26T21:35:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/content.findlaw-admin.com\/ability-legal\/uncategorized\/state-offices-administering-franchise-disclosure-laws.html"},"modified":"2008-03-26T16:35:41","modified_gmt":"2008-03-26T21:35:41","slug":"state-offices-administering-franchise-disclosure-laws","status":"publish","type":"corporate","link":"https:\/\/corporate.findlaw.com\/business-operations\/state-offices-administering-franchise-disclosure-laws.html","title":{"rendered":"State Offices Administering Franchise Disclosure Laws"},"content":{"rendered":"<section class=\"fl-gutenberg-byline\">\n    <div class=\"fl-gutenberg-byline-content\">\n                    <p><em>This article was edited and reviewed by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/company\/our-team.html\" rel=\"noopener\">FindLaw Attorney Writers<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n                | Last reviewed\n        <time>\n                            May 11, 2026\n                    <\/time>\n    <\/div>\n\n    \n    <details class=\"fl-gutenberg-byline-toggle fl-gutenberg-byline-legally-reviewed\">\n        <summary>\n            <i class=\"fl-gutenberg-byline-icon\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>\n            Legally Reviewed\n        <\/summary>\n\n        <div class=\"fl-gutenberg-byline-toggle-content\">\n            <p><em>This article has been written and reviewed for legal accuracy, clarity, and style by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/company\/our-team.html\" rel=\"noopener\">FindLaw\u2019s team of legal writers and attorneys<\/a> and in accordance with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/company\/company-history\/editorial-policy.html\" rel=\"noopener\">our editorial standards<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/details>\n\n    <details class=\"fl-gutenberg-byline-toggle fl-gutenberg-byline-fast-checked\">\n        <summary>\n            <i class=\"fl-gutenberg-byline-icon\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>\n            Fact-Checked\n        <\/summary>\n\n        <div class=\"fl-gutenberg-byline-toggle-content\">\n            <p><em>The last updated date refers to the last time this article was reviewed by FindLaw or one of our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/company\/our-team\/contributing-authors.html\" rel=\"noopener\">contributing authors<\/a>. We make every effort to keep our articles updated. For information regarding a specific legal issue affecting you, please <a href=\"https:\/\/lawyers.findlaw.com\/?fli=bylinelink\" rel=\"noopener\">contact an attorney in your area<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/details>\n<\/section>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"rxbodyfield\" xmlns:o=\"urn:www.microsoft.com\/office\" xmlns:st1=\"urn:www.microsoft.com\/smarttags\" xmlns:w=\"urn:www.microsoft.com\/word\" xmlns:x=\"urn:www.microsoft.com\/excel\"><p>Fifteen states have franchise investment laws that require franchisors to provide pre-sale disclosures, known as &quot;offering circulars,&quot; to potential purchasers. Thirteen of these state laws treat the sale of a franchise like the sale of a security. They typically prohibit the offer or sale of a franchise within their state until a franchise offering circular has been filed on the public record with, and registered by, a designated state agency. Two of the fifteen states do not require a filing of offering circulars, as noted in the list of state offices below.<\/p><p>These state laws give franchise purchasers important legal rights, including the right to bring private lawsuits for violation of the state disclosure requirements. We encourage potential franchise purchasers who reside in these states to contact their state franchise law administrators for additional information about the protection these laws provide.<\/p><hr color=\"#000080\" noshade=\"noshade\" size=\"3\" width=\"50%\"\/><p align=\"center\"><a href=\"#ca\">California<\/a>, <a href=\"#hi\">Hawaii<\/a>, <a href=\"#il\">Illinois<\/a>, <a href=\"#in\">Indiana<\/a>, <a href=\"#md\">Maryland<\/a>, <a href=\"#mi\">Michigan<\/a>, <a href=\"#mn\">Minnesota<\/a>, <a href=\"#ny\">New York<\/a>, <a href=\"#nd\">North Dakota<\/a>, <a href=\"#or\">Oregon<\/a>, <a href=\"#ri\">Rhode Island<\/a>, <a href=\"#sd\">South Dakota<\/a>, <a href=\"#va\">Virginia<\/a>, <a href=\"#wa\">Washington<\/a>, <a href=\"#wi\">Wisconsin<\/a><\/p><hr color=\"#000080\" noshade=\"noshade\" size=\"3\" width=\"50%\"\/><p><a id=\"ca\" name=\"ca\"><b>California<\/b><\/a> (<em>filing req&#39;d<\/em>)<br\/> Franchise Division<br\/> Department of Corporations<br\/> 1115 11th St.<br\/> Sacramento, CA 95814<br\/> (916) 445-7205<\/p><p><a href=\"#top\">[Top]<\/a><\/p><hr color=\"#000080\" noshade=\"noshade\" size=\"3\" width=\"50%\"\/><p><a id=\"hi\" name=\"hi\"><b>Hawaii<\/b><\/a> (<em>filing req&#39;d<\/em>)<br\/> Franchise &amp; Securities Division<br\/> State Department of Commerce<br\/> P.O. Box 40<br\/> Honolulu, HA 96813<br\/> (808) 586-2722<\/p><p><a href=\"#top\">[Top]<\/a><\/p><hr color=\"#000080\" noshade=\"noshade\" size=\"3\" width=\"50%\"\/><p><a id=\"il\" name=\"il\"><b>Illinois<\/b><\/a> (<em>filing req&#39;d<\/em>)<br\/> Franchise Division<br\/> Office of Attorney General<br\/> 500 South Second Street<br\/> Springfield, IL 62706<br\/> (217) 782-4465<\/p><p><a href=\"#top\">[Top]<\/a><\/p><hr color=\"#000080\" noshade=\"noshade\" size=\"3\" width=\"50%\"\/><p><a id=\"in\" name=\"in\"><b>Indiana<\/b><\/a> (<em>filing req&#39;d<\/em>)<br\/> Franchise Division<br\/> Office of Secretary of State<br\/> One N. Capitol St. &#8211; Suite 560<br\/> Indianapolis, IN 46204<br\/> (317) 232-6576<\/p><p><a href=\"#top\">[Top]<\/a><\/p><hr color=\"#000080\" noshade=\"noshade\" size=\"3\" width=\"50%\"\/><p><a id=\"md\" name=\"md\"><b>Maryland<\/b><\/a> (<em>filing req&#39;d<\/em>)<br\/> Franchise Office<br\/> Division of Securities<br\/> 200 St. Paul Place &#8211; 20th Floor<br\/> Baltimore, MD 21202<br\/> (410) 576-6360<\/p><p><a href=\"#top\">[Top]<\/a><\/p><hr color=\"#000080\" noshade=\"noshade\" size=\"3\" width=\"50%\"\/><p><a id=\"mi\" name=\"mi\"><b>Michigan<\/b><\/a> (<em><strong>only<\/strong> notice req&#39;d<\/em>)<br\/> Antitrust and Franchise Unit<br\/> Office of Attorney General<br\/> 670 Law Building<br\/> Lansing, MI 48913<br\/> (517) 373-7117<\/p><p><a href=\"#top\">[Top]<\/a><\/p><hr color=\"#000080\" noshade=\"noshade\" size=\"3\" width=\"50%\"\/><p><a id=\"mn\" name=\"mn\"><b>Minnesota<\/b><\/a> (<em>filing req&#39;d<\/em>)<br\/> Franchise Division<br\/> Department of Commerce<br\/> 133 East Seventh St.<br\/> St. Paul, MN 55101<br\/> (612) 296-6328<\/p><p><a href=\"#top\">[Top]<\/a><\/p><hr color=\"#000080\" noshade=\"noshade\" size=\"3\" width=\"50%\"\/><p><a id=\"ny\" name=\"ny\"><b>New York<\/b><\/a> (<em>filing req&#39;d<\/em>)<br\/> Franchise &amp; Securities Division<br\/> State Department of Law<br\/> 120 Broadway<br\/> 23rd Floor<br\/> New York NY 10271<br\/> (212) 416-8211<\/p><p><a href=\"#top\">[Top]<\/a><\/p><hr color=\"#000080\" noshade=\"noshade\" size=\"3\" width=\"50%\"\/><p><a id=\"nd\" name=\"nd\"><b>North Dakota<\/b><\/a> (<em>filing req&#39;d<\/em>)<br\/> Franchise Division<br\/> Office of Securities Commission<br\/> 600 East Boulevard &#8211; 5th Floor<br\/> Bismarck, ND 58505<br\/> (701) 328-2910<\/p><p><a href=\"#top\">[Top]<\/a><\/p><hr color=\"#000080\" noshade=\"noshade\" size=\"3\" width=\"50%\"\/><p><a id=\"or\" name=\"or\"><b>Oregon<\/b><\/a> (<em><strong>no<\/strong> filing<\/em>)<br\/> Corporate Securities Section<br\/> Dept. of Insurance &amp; Finance<br\/> Labor &amp; Industries Bldg.<br\/> Salem, OR 97310<br\/> (503) 378-4387<\/p><p><a href=\"#top\">[Top]<\/a><\/p><hr color=\"#000080\" noshade=\"noshade\" size=\"3\" width=\"50%\"\/><p><a id=\"ri\" name=\"ri\"><b>Rhode Island<\/b><\/a> (<em>filing req&#39;d<\/em>)<br\/> Franchise Office<br\/> Division of Securities<br\/> 233 Richmond St. &#8211; Suite 232<br\/> Providence, RI 02903<br\/> (401) 277-3048<\/p><p><a href=\"#top\">[Top]<\/a><\/p><hr color=\"#000080\" noshade=\"noshade\" size=\"3\" width=\"50%\"\/><p><a id=\"sd\" name=\"sd\"><b>South Dakota<\/b><\/a> (<em>filing req&#39;d<\/em>)<br\/> Franchise Office<br\/> Division of Securities<br\/> 910 E. Sioux Avenue<br\/> Pierre, SD 57501<br\/> (605) 773-4013<\/p><p><a href=\"#top\">[Top]<\/a><\/p><hr color=\"#000080\" noshade=\"noshade\" size=\"3\" width=\"50%\"\/><p><a id=\"va\" name=\"va\"><b>Virginia<\/b><\/a> (<em>filing req&#39;d<\/em>)<br\/> Franchise Office<br\/> State Corporation Commission<br\/> 1300 E. Main St.<br\/> Richmond, VA 23219<br\/> (804) 371-9276<\/p><p><a href=\"#top\">[Top]<\/a><\/p><hr color=\"#000080\" noshade=\"noshade\" size=\"3\" width=\"50%\"\/><p><a id=\"wa\" name=\"wa\"><b>Washington<\/b><\/a> (<em>filing req&#39;d<\/em>)<br\/> <a href=\"http:\/\/www.wa.gov\/dfi\/securities\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>The Department of Financial Institutions<\/strong><\/a><br\/> Securities Division<br\/> P.O. Box 9033<br\/> Olympia, WA 98507-9033<br\/> Voice: (360) 902-8760<br\/> Fax: (360) 586-5068<br\/><\/p><p><a href=\"#top\">[Top]<\/a><\/p><hr color=\"#000080\" noshade=\"noshade\" size=\"3\" width=\"50%\"\/><p><a id=\"wi\" name=\"wi\"><b>Wisconsin<\/b><\/a> (<em>filing req&#39;d<\/em>)<br\/> Franchise Office<br\/> <a href=\"http:\/\/www.wdfi.org\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Wisconsin Securities Commission<\/strong><\/a><br\/> P.O. Box 1768<br\/> Madison, WI 53701<br\/> (608) 266-3364<\/p><p><a href=\"#top\">[Top]<\/a><\/p><p align=\"center\"><strong>Last Updated:<\/strong> Thursday, August 27, 1998<\/p><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Fifteen states have franchise investment laws that require franchisors to provide pre-sale disclosures, known as &#8220;offering circulars,&#8221; to potential purchasers. Thirteen of these state laws treat the sale of a franchise like the sale of a security &#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_stopmodifiedupdate":true,"_modified_date":"","_cloudinary_featured_overwrite":false},"corporate_categories":[6468,6467,6469],"class_list":["post-31582","corporate","type-corporate","status-publish","hentry","corporate_categories-business-operations__antitrust-trade-regulation","corporate_categories-business-operations","corporate_categories-business-operations__commercial-contracts"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/corporate.findlaw.com\/legal-api\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/corporate\/31582","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/corporate.findlaw.com\/legal-api\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/corporate"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/corporate.findlaw.com\/legal-api\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/corporate"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/corporate.findlaw.com\/legal-api\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=31582"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"corporate_categories","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/corporate.findlaw.com\/legal-api\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/corporate_categories?post=31582"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}