Franchisors & Franchisees

Notice!

EFFECTIVE October 1, 2022: Franchise filings and corresponding fee payments must be submitted through the NASAA Franchise Electronic Filing Depository (“FRED”) at https://www.efdnasaa.org, unless there is hardship in doing so and an application for hardship is submitted in accordance with the instructions on the Franchise Registration Information Sheet.



New York State Department of Law
Investor Protection Bureau
28 Liberty Street, 21st Floor
New York, NY 10005

Before You Buy a Franchise

  • What to Consider Before Buying a Franchise (PDF)
  • Informed Investor Advisory on Franchising
  • Lookup Franchise Registration Status

    To find out if a franchisor is registered to offer and sell franchises from or in New York, please check online at https://www.efdnasaa.org.

  • Franchising Basics

    This is an online course for soon to be franchise owners, franchise company employees, franchisees and consultants. Sponsored by the International Franchise Association (IFA), it offers a comprehensive introduction into franchising for individuals considering purchasing a franchise. This course covers a wide variety of topics including franchising laws & regulations and the advantages and disadvantages of franchising.

    www.franchise.org/

  • Franchise Sales Compliance

    Another online course offered by the International Franchise Association. It is primarily for individuals involved in the franchise sales and distribution process such as: franchise executives, managers, compliance officers, attorneys, paralegals, franchise brokers and consultants. Some of the topics covered are franchise disclosure laws, disclosure requirements, and franchise registration process.

    www.franchise.org

  • Legal Representation

    The best advocate for you, in a franchise dispute, is a franchise attorney. As franchising is a highly specialized field, you should hire an attorney with experience representing franchisors or franchisees.

    Hiring an attorney should not be done without research. Visit www.findlegalhelp.org a site sponsored by the American Bar Association, to learn about referral services and issues you should raise when consulting with a lawyer. Do not feel restrained from hiring a lawyer whose offices are out-of-state, provided he or she is licensed to practice law in New York or will retain local counsel to litigate in New York. Another source for examining an attorney's credentials is www.lawyers.com. The franchise associations below may also provide referrals to experienced franchise attorneys.

Franchise Registration Forms

Franchise Exemption Requests

Rescission Offer Samples

Franchise Laws & Regulations

Other New York State Laws

Other Forms

Franchisor-Franchisee Disputes

  • Franchise-Related Complaints On File

    To find out if a complaint has been filed in connection with a franchise, please call (212) 416-8224.


  • Franchise-Related Complaint Form

  • Alternative Dispute Resolution

    Litigation usually signals the end of a business relationship, but the franchise community has increasingly sought the use of mediation to solve franchise disputes. Franchisees who do not want to resort to litigation and believe they can still work with their franchisors should consider Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR). While ADR is less expensive than litigation, franchisees should understand that the result of ADR is a mutually agreed upon resolution, not a finding of fact by a judge, and therefore is not legally binding on either party. One organization that provides franchise mediation program services is the International Institute for Conflict Prevention & Resolution. Information for that program https://www.cpradr.org/

  • International Franchise Association's (IFA) Ombudsman Program

    This organization has an ombudsman who provides confidential listing, consulting and facilitating services to assist in resolving disputes. The initial call is free to all IFA members and their franchisees. 

Useful Links

American Association of Franchisees & Dealers (AAF&D)
A national non-profit trade association representing the rights of franchisees throughout the U.S. whose mission is to bring fairness to franchising. www.aafd.org

American Franchise Association (AFA)
A representative organization for franchisees which advocates changing the rules and laws governing franchising on both the state and national levels. www.franchise.org

Asian American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA)
Provides ongoing professional education, about the hospitality industry, to its members so that they may become better managers and more successful business people. www.aahoa.com

Business.gov
Site is designed to help small businesses navigate and understand applicable federal and state rules and regulations. https://www.usa.gov/business

Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
Complaint hotline telephone number (877) 382-4357.
This organization regulates franchises on a federal level.
https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/Information#&panel1-7

International Franchise Association (IFA)
This organization seeks to put franchisors, franchisees, and suppliers under one umbrella to facilitate effective business transactions among those member groups. www.franchise.org

New York State Bar Association (NYSBA) Franchise Law Committee
This committee was formed to provide a forum for those attorneys who actively practiced franchise laws and those who are interested in such laws. It seek to inform the general public to the fact that there is a large number of knowledgeable attorneys within the State who practice in this field. This site contains many interesting articles on franchising written by committee members. www.nysba.org

North American Securities Administrators Association, Inc. (NASAA)
This site contains a directory of how to contact your State's franchise regulators. www.nasaa.org
NASAA Franchise Resources

Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE)
The SCORE Association (Service Corps of Retired Executives) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to entrepreneur education and the formation, growth and success of small business nationwide. Working and retired executives and business owners donate their time and expertise as volunteer business counselors and provide confidential counseling and mentoring free of charge. www.score.org

State of California
California Franchise Web page
Electronic Access To Franchise Filings

State of Illinois
Illinois Franchise Web page

State of Maryland
Franchise Registration
Franchise Publications
Franchise Forms

State of Minnesota 
Minnesota Department of Commerce's Franchise Webpage
eFiling
Franchise Registration and Enforcement Look-up Tool 

State of Rhode Island
Rhode Island Franchise Web page 

State of Virginia
Virginia Franchise Web page

State of Washington
Washington Franchise Web page

State of Wisconsin
Wisconsin Franchise web page
E-filing web page

U.S. Business Advisor
This site provides a variety of information, including:

  • Starting, managing and marketing your business. Includes links to American Express Small Business Network, Forbes Small Business Center and Fortune Small Business magazine.
  • Business tax concerns. Includes information on self-employment concerns, direct access to tax law and American Bar Association Tax Section publications.
  • Financing your business. Includes information on Small Business Administration loan programs, Department of Agriculture loan programs and Kiplinger small business finance.
  • Workplace regulations. Includes information on Equal Employment, Americans with Disabilities Act, employee benefits and pensions.

www.business.gov


U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA)

NYS Small Business Development Center

This official site site of the SBA is a trove of information how to start, mange, finance and sell a business. They also can be reached at the Small Business Answer Desk at 800-U ASK SBA. Use this site to find out how to:

  • Write a business plan.
  • Obtain needed licenses.
  • Obtain SBA loans,from $2,000 to $2 million and beyond.
  • Receive disaster relief.
  • Link to hundreds of on-line resources.

www.sba.gov

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