I have mentioned before that certain States require "pre-approval" or registration of franchises before sales are allowed to residents of those States.  So, which States are "registration" States? Here's the list of the fifteen States that require franchise registration:

1. California
2. Hawaii
3. Illinois
4. Indiana
5. Maryland
6. Michigan
7. Minnesota
8. New York
9. North Dakota
10. Oregon
11. Rhode Island
12. South Dakota
13. Washington
14. Wisconsin; and, of course
15. Virginia

If you're considering buying a franchise in any of the States mentioned above, the first thing you should do is check with your State regulatory organization to be sure the franchisor is properly registered to sell franchises.