For franchise sellers, staying on top of where they can legally offer franchises isn’t just a compliance issue—it’s a sales-critical one.
Tracking franchise registration status across 50 states is notoriously difficult. Teams rely on outdated spreadsheets, long email chains, and inconsistent communication to figure out where they’re allowed to sell. Worse, franchise leads often slip through the cracks simply because someone didn’t realize a state wasn’t approved yet—or had lapsed.
Zors puts an end to this confusion by turning franchise approval status into something your entire team can see.
With Zors, your approval status is visualized directly on the map—no more guessing, no more cross-referencing files, and no more "I'll get back to you" when a hot lead asks about territory availability.
The on-map Franchise Approval Layer allows you to toggle state compliance on and off and gives your inside sales, outside reps, and FranDev partners a clear answer: Can we sell here right now?
Instead of wasting time confirming approvals, your team can move faster, act with confidence, and close more deals.
While federal law requires all franchisors to maintain a valid Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD), individual states add their own layers of regulation—and those layers vary significantly. Knowing how each state treats franchise sales isn’t just a legal technicality—it’s essential for operational planning and lead qualification.
Franchise states are commonly grouped into five categories:
These states require franchisors to submit application materials and receive regulatory approval each year before offering franchises. Approval isn’t permanent—it expires annually and must be renewed. In some cases, there are blackout periods when franchisors are not allowed to sell.
Tracking approval status in these states is critical. They include:
California, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, North Dakota, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin.
Franchisors can sell in these states with a valid FDD, provided they file a notice each year. A missed deadline can immediately change your approval status.
Florida and Utah are annual filing states.
Here, franchisors only need to file once, and can continue selling as long as they maintain a valid FDD (unless the law changes).
These include Connecticut, Kentucky, Nebraska, and Texas.
These states require business opportunity registration unless the franchisor has a federally registered trademark or qualifies for an exemption. Without those, you face similar requirements to full registration states—and tracking becomes just as important.
Examples include Georgia, Louisiana, Maine, North Carolina, and South Carolina.
Learn how a federally registered trademark can give you quick access to business opportunity states.
These states don’t require any additional registration or notice filing. If your FDD is valid, you're free to sell.
These include Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Delaware, D.C., Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wyoming.
Zors makes it easy to manage and visualize approval status across all 50 states.
Admins or attorneys can update each state’s status inside the Zors platform—setting expiration dates, approvals, or restrictions. Once set, these changes appear instantly on the map. Franchise sellers immediately see whether a territory is in an active approval zone or currently restricted.
And because it’s layered over your territory mapping system, teams don’t need to open a second tool or run a separate check—they get real-time visibility right where they’re already working.
Zors includes unlimited user seats with customizable permission levels. This means:
Your sales team always sees where they can sell.
Your FranDev team always knows which leads are worth pursuing.
Your attorney or compliance manager retains full control.
Your data stays protected with view-only options.
Best of all, it removes friction from your sales process. When a lead is ready to talk, you’re ready to act—without delay, confusion, or regulatory risk.
Want to see how Zors visually tracks approval status? Learn more about our color-coded franchise approval tracking.
🛑 Disclaimer:
The information provided in this blog post is for general informational purposes only and is not legal advice or a substitute for consulting with a qualified attorney. Franchise law is complex and highly nuanced, governed by both federal regulations and varying state-specific laws. Proper legal guidance requires a detailed understanding of these rules as applied to your specific circumstances. You should not act—or refrain from acting—based on anything in this post. You should consult your franchise attorney for legal advice.
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