Franchise Disclosure Document Database (2026)

A franchise disclosure document database is a searchable public archive of the FDDs franchisors file with a state regulator. The four free portals buyers use most are run by California, Indiana, Minnesota and Wisconsin. Search by the franchisor’s legal entity name, not the brand, and you can often download the filed document at no cost, though how many prior years are online varies by state.

That is the quick answer, and it covers most brands you’ll be weighing. The rest of this guide is the part buyers tend to learn the hard way: which database to try first, why a search for a brand name comes back empty, how current a state copy really is, and what the paid services add. I’ll use the 2026 College Hunks Hauling Junk® FDD as the worked example, since I would rather you look ours up than take anyone’s summary of it on faith.

College HUNKS is a two-in-one home services franchise (junk removal and moving under one brand, in one territory), and its FDD is filed by CHHJ Franchising, L.L.C., and that entity name is what a brand search misses.

Is there a free franchise disclosure document database?

Yes. There is no single national database, but state regulators in California, Indiana, Minnesota and Wisconsin publish franchise filings online for free, and a franchisor appears in each one only if it has registered or filed in that state. Other registration states publish filings too, so check the regulator’s site wherever a brand is registered.

The reason there is no federal archive comes down to how the law is built. The FTC Franchise Rule (16 CFR Part 436) tells franchisors what an FDD must contain and when a buyer must receive it, but the FTC does not collect or review the documents. Collection happens at the state level, in the states that require franchisors to register or file before they sell. Some of those states put the filings online. Those portals are the free databases.

Which state FDD databases can you search for free?

California, Indiana, Minnesota and Wisconsin run the most useful free state portals, and each one searches a little differently. If you have a brand on your list, run it through all four, because a franchisor only appears where it has registered or filed.

A practical order: search California first, since its file can include amendments and the application, then run the same legal name through Wisconsin, Minnesota and Indiana to fill gaps and compare years.

Why doesn’t a brand show up when you search for it?

Usually because the filing sits under the franchisor’s legal entity name, and the brand name customers know is a trademark the entity licenses. Search the entity, not the logo.

Our own case shows how this works. The trucks say College HUNKS, but the FDD is filed by CHHJ Franchising, L.L.C., and that is the name a state record lists. The legal name is printed on the FDD cover page and in Item 1, and a franchisor’s website footer often carries it too. If an entity search still comes back empty, the franchisor may simply not have filed in that state, which is normal: only certain states require a registration or filing at all, and a brand that does not sell in a state has nothing on file there.

How current is an FDD you download from a state database?

It is as current as the last filing the state has posted, which can trail the document a franchisor is actually using. Treat a database copy as research, and get the current version from the franchisor before you make any decision.

Federal rules require a franchisor to update its FDD annually, within 120 days after its fiscal year ends, and to reflect material changes along the way. State postings can lag both. The 2026 College HUNKS FDD is a good example: it was issued April 30, 2026 and amended August 26, 2026, and a copy pulled before that amendment posted would not reflect it. The franchisor’s delivered copy is the one that counts legally, and it comes with an Item 23 receipt you sign. Under the FTC Rule, the franchisor must give you the FDD at least 14 calendar days before you sign a binding agreement or pay any money. Our guide to what a franchise disclosure document contains walks through all 23 Items once you have one.

What can you learn from older FDDs in a database?

Prior-year filings let you see how a franchise system changed over time, which a single current FDD cannot show. That is the most underused feature of every free database.

Pull two or three years side by side and compare a handful of Items. Item 20 shows openings, transfers and closures each year, so a trend in either direction stands out. Item 3 shows litigation, and a new case appearing between years is worth a question. Item 21 carries the franchisor’s audited financial statements, so you can see whether the company behind the brand is getting stronger. Items 5, 6 and 7 show how fees and the estimated initial investment moved. Our franchise due diligence checklist covers how to verify each of those findings independently, and how to read Item 19 covers the financial performance section, which deserves its own careful read.

Are paid FDD databases worth it?

Paid services earn their fee when you are screening many brands at once or need a filing no free portal holds. For a buyer comparing a short list, the four free state portals plus the franchisor’s own copy usually cover it.

Aggregators such as FRANdata collect filings from many states, keep long histories and organize the data so you can compare brands across a category. Franchise attorneys and consultants often subscribe to services like these, so if you are already paying a franchise attorney to review a deal, ask whether they can pull historical FDDs as part of that work. Be careful with free sites that repost FDDs without a clear source or date. A document of unknown age is a liability, because figures in an FDD can change when the franchisor amends it.

How do you get the College HUNKS FDD?

You can look up CHHJ Franchising, L.L.C. in the state databases above for background, and the franchise development team delivers the current FDD directly once you are in the process. The delivered copy is the one to rely on.

Requesting a franchisor’s FDD is a normal early step. If you are comparing brands, the FDD is also the cleanest way to test what makes College HUNKS different against the alternatives. Ours sets out every fee, the estimated initial investment, the training schedule and the owner list you can call for validation. Owners take on real obligations too, including a local advertising commitment and Sales & Loyalty Center appointment fees. Both are set out in Items 6 and 11 of the FDD, and the franchise development team walks through each one on a call. For the full investment picture, see the full investment breakdown, and for the steps from first inquiry to signing, see franchise requirements and process.

Ready to read the real thing?

A state database will tell you a lot, and the current FDD will tell you the rest. If you’re weighing whether a College Hunks Hauling Junk® franchise fits your goals, talk to the franchise development team and see if your market is still open. We read every inquiry and there’s no pressure, just answers.

Disclosures

This information is not an offer to sell or solicitation to buy a franchise. A franchise offering can only be made through the delivery of a Franchise Disclosure Document. Certain states regulate the offer and sale of franchises; if you are a resident of one of these states, we will not offer you a franchise unless we have complied with applicable pre-sale registration and disclosure requirements in your state.

College Hunks Hauling Junk®, College Hunks Moving®, and the H.U.N.K.S logo are registered trademarks of CHHJ Franchising, L.L.C. © 2026 CHHJ Franchising, L.L.C. All rights reserved.