How to Find a Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD) For Free
How to Find a Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD) For Free
The Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD) is a legal document that every franchisor is required to file with the Federal Trade Commission. It’s made up of 23 sections (“Items”) that outline key information about the franchise system. While the document is full of important details, it’s worth noting that only the franchisor’s financials are audited—not the numbers from franchisees.
Why It’s Hard to Find an FDD
If you’re new to franchising and want to start reviewing FDDs, getting your hands on one can be surprisingly frustrating. Many franchisors won’t provide an FDD until you’ve had several conversations with their sales team. Some third-party websites offer access, but they charge for it.
The good news? You don’t have to go through that.
A Better Way: Use State Filing Portals
In addition to the national filing requirement, 13 states require franchises to register or file at the state level before they can sell or open locations in those states. Most major franchises file in at least a few of them.
Of those 13 states, four make the FDDs publicly available online—and two of those sites are actually easy to use:
✅ Wisconsin (best and easiest):
https://apps.dfi.wi.gov/apps/FranchiseSearch/MainSearch.aspx
✅ Minnesota (also good):
Both sites let you search by franchise name and download full FDDs with no registration or sales calls.
Want Help Reading an FDD?
If you want to learn how to break down an FDD into manageable chunks, understand what’s critical, and know which parts require more research, I’d be happy to help.
You can schedule a free 30-minute call with me at
