The offering of franchises in Washington is governed by RCW 19.100."Franchise" is defined in RCW 19.100.010(6) as:
(ii) The operation of the business is substantially associated with a trademark, service mark, trade name, advertising, or other commercial symbol designating, owned by, or licensed by the grantor or its affiliate; and
(iii) The person pays, agrees to pay, or is required to pay, directly or indirectly, a franchise fee.
Franchisors must register their franchise offerings prior to offering in Washington, unless the offering qualifies for one of the exemptions contained in RCW 19.100.030. Filing requirements are summarized in the Frequently Asked Questions Section.
If you have questions about the requirements for franchising in Washington, or to check to see whether a particular franchise has filed with the Division of Securities, please contact Trang Pham at Trang.Pham@dfi.wa.gov or call 360-902-8738.
If you would like to request copies of franchise documents, please fill out a public records request form. If you have any questions about filing a public records request you may send an email to dfipublicrecords@dfi.wa.gov.
Electronic Filing Systems
- Franchise Registration Filings
Submit franchise applications, renewals, and amendments. - Franchise Exemption Filings
Electronic filings for franchise exemptions. - Franchise Broker Filings
Electronic filings for franchise brokers.
About Electronic Filing
- About Filing Electronically
Information about using the system, fees, and more. - Electronic Filing System FAQs
Answers to frequently asked questions about the franchise electronic filing system. - Franchise FAQs
Answers to frequently asked questions about franchise registration, renewals, and amendments.
Forms
- Forms
Forms for Washington franchises.
Statutes, Rules, and Resources
- Statutes and Rules
Listing of statues and rules of interest to Washington franchises - Interpretive and Policy Statements
Interpretations from the Division of Securities clarifying laws and rules of interest to Washington franchises. - Notice Regarding the Disclosure of Assurances of Discontinuance (pdf)
The Securities Division is issuing this notice to inform franchisors and their counsel of the Division’s position regarding whether franchisors must disclose assurances of discontinuance in their Franchise Disclosure Documents.
Consumer Publications
- Buying A Business Opportunity
Information about buying a business opportunity. - Avoiding Business Opportunity Fraud
Tips on avoiding business opportunity fraud. - Buying A Franchise: A Consumers Guide
A consumer guide from the Federal Trade Commission.