Minnesota Franchise Registration Scraper — FDD Search

Minnesota Franchise Registration Scraper searches the Minnesota Department of Commerce CARDS portal and returns public franchise registration documents, including Franchise Disclosure Documents (FDDs), with franchisor and brand names, document type, filing year, file number, received and added dates, and a direct document download link. It is built for franchise attorneys, prospective franchisees, franchise consultants and market researchers, and it costs USD 15 per 1,000 documents on the FREE tier (USD 10 per 1,000 on GOLD), with no start fee.

What does the Minnesota franchise registration scraper return?

Each dataset row is one public document listed on CARDS:

Field	What it contains
documentTitle	CARDS document identifier, for example 37413-202610-01
franchisorName	Franchisor legal name, for example Payroll Vault Franchising, LLC
franchiseNames	Franchise brand names as filed
documentType	For example Clean FDD, Marked FDD, Application (Form A), Order Amending Registration
year	Filing year as CARDS lists it
fileNumber	Minnesota franchise file number
notes	Public CARDS notes, often empty
receivedDate, addedOn	Date Commerce received the document and date it was added to CARDS
documentUrl	Direct public download link (usually a PDF)
documentUrls	The same link in a list when includeDocuments is on, otherwise empty
source, scrapedAt	CARDS search page and collection time

Some fields are kept for older integrations and repeat or leave out values: submissionType repeats documentType, registrationDate repeats receivedDate, recordId repeats documentTitle, detailUrl repeats documentUrl, and registrationStatus and renewalDueDate are always null because CARDS does not list them. The run summary is saved as OUTPUT: records returned, charged events, search term, warnings and the search URL.

How do I search Minnesota franchise registrations and FDDs by franchisor?

Set searchTerm to part of the franchisor's name. CARDS matches partial names, so valvoline finds VALVOLINE INSTANT OIL CHANGE FRANCHISING, INC. (129 documents on 2026-10-26). Leave searchTerm empty to list documents filed in the current calendar year across all franchisors, in the order CARDS shows them (newest first in our 2026-10-26 check).

Input	Example	Notes
searchTerm	valvoline	Franchisor name or part of it; empty = current year's filings
maxResults	100	1 to 250 documents (default 25)
includeDocuments	true	Fills documentUrls; documentUrl is always returned
requestDelayMs	1200	Pause after the page load, 500 to 5,000 ms

One franchisor's filing history:

{
  "searchTerm": "valvoline",
  "maxResults": 150
}

This year's newest filings across all franchisors (the default input):

{
  "searchTerm": "",
  "maxResults": 25,
  "includeDocuments": true
}

Can I download a franchisor's FDD from Minnesota CARDS?

Yes. Every row has a direct documentUrl to the public file. The Actor returns all document types for a search, so keep the rows whose documentType is Clean FDD or Marked FDD to get the disclosure documents themselves. On 2026-10-26 the newest 500 CARDS documents included 47 Clean FDDs and 65 Marked FDDs, alongside applications, auditor's consents, deficiency notices, renewal and amendment orders, and advertisements. The Actor returns links, not the PDF contents.

When should I use it, and when not?

Use it when you need a franchisor's Minnesota filing history, the latest FDD filed in Minnesota for due diligence, or a weekly feed of new Minnesota franchise filings for competitive research.

Use another Actor when:

• You need Wisconsin franchise registrations: Wisconsin Franchise Search Scraper.
• You need franchise opportunity listings with investment levels: Franchise Direct Scraper.
• You need filings that require a ComOnline login, or the text inside the PDFs: this Actor reads public CARDS listings only.

How do I run it from code?

JavaScript with apify-client:

import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client';

const client = new ApifyClient({ token: process.env.APIFY_TOKEN });
const run = await client.actor('muhammadafzal/minnesota-franchise-registrations-scraper').call({
    searchTerm: 'valvoline',
    maxResults: 150,
});
const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems();
const fdds = items.filter((item) => /FDD/.test(item.documentType ?? ''));
for (const item of fdds) console.log(item.receivedDate, item.documentType, item.documentUrl);

Python with apify-client:

import os
from apify_client import ApifyClient

client = ApifyClient(os.environ["APIFY_TOKEN"])
run = client.actor("muhammadafzal/minnesota-franchise-registrations-scraper").call(run_input={
    "searchTerm": "",
    "maxResults": 100,
})
for item in client.dataset(run.default_dataset_id).iterate_items():
    print(item["franchisorName"], item["documentType"], item["receivedDate"])

Use it from an AI assistant

Minnesota Franchise Registration Scraper works from Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor or any MCP client through Apify's MCP server. Add the single-tool URL https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=muhammadafzal/minnesota-franchise-registrations-scraper to your client and ask, for example: "Find the most recent Franchise Disclosure Document Valvoline filed in Minnesota and give me the download link." Each document is charged at the prices below, so include a result limit.

What does the output look like?

Records built from CARDS rows published on 2026-10-26 (the second and third are shortened):

[
  {
    "franchisorName": "Payroll Vault Franchising, LLC",
    "registrationStatus": null,
    "submissionType": "Clean FDD",
    "registrationDate": "10/16/2026",
    "renewalDueDate": null,
    "recordId": "37413-202610-01",
    "documentTitle": "37413-202610-01",
    "franchiseNames": "Payroll Vault Franchising",
    "documentType": "Clean FDD",
    "year": "2026",
    "fileNumber": "11026",
    "notes": null,
    "receivedDate": "10/16/2026",
    "addedOn": "10/23/2026",
    "documentUrl": "https://cards.web.commerce.state.mn.us/documents/%7BD01D6AA1-0000-CD10-99A4-91C26B449F14%7D/download?documentClass=FRANCHISE_REGISTRATIONS&contentSequence=0",
    "detailUrl": "https://cards.web.commerce.state.mn.us/documents/%7BD01D6AA1-0000-CD10-99A4-91C26B449F14%7D/download?documentClass=FRANCHISE_REGISTRATIONS&contentSequence=0",
    "documentUrls": ["https://cards.web.commerce.state.mn.us/documents/%7BD01D6AA1-0000-CD10-99A4-91C26B449F14%7D/download?documentClass=FRANCHISE_REGISTRATIONS&contentSequence=0"],
    "source": "https://cards.web.commerce.state.mn.us/franchise-registrations",
    "scrapedAt": "2026-10-26T12:00:00.000Z"
  },
  {
    "franchisorName": "Payroll Vault Franchising, LLC",
    "documentTitle": "37413-202610-03",
    "documentType": "Application (Form A)",
    "year": "2026",
    "fileNumber": "11026",
    "receivedDate": "10/16/2026",
    "addedOn": "10/23/2026"
  },
  {
    "franchisorName": "VALVOLINE INSTANT OIL CHANGE FRANCHISING, INC.",
    "documentTitle": "37144-202608-01",
    "franchiseNames": "VALVOLINE INSTANT OIL CHANGE OR INSTANT OIL CHANGE",
    "documentType": "Marked FDD",
    "year": "2025",
    "fileNumber": "2019",
    "receivedDate": "08/12/2026",
    "addedOn": "08/21/2026",
    "documentUrl": "https://cards.web.commerce.state.mn.us/documents/%7BA05125A0-0000-CE14-B965-B72B097F0FF4%7D/download?documentClass=FRANCHISE_REGISTRATIONS&contentSequence=0"
  }
]

How much does Minnesota franchise registration data cost?

The Actor uses pay-per-event pricing, and platform usage is included in the event price. Each document is charged after it is saved to the dataset. There is no start fee.

Event	FREE	BRONZE	SILVER	GOLD	PLATINUM / DIAMOND
Minnesota franchise registration document (one dataset row)	USD 0.015	USD 0.015	USD 0.015	USD 0.01	USD 0.01

Worked totals on the FREE tier:

• 25 documents (default input): 25 × USD 0.015 = USD 0.375
• 250 documents: 250 × USD 0.015 = USD 3.75

A search with no matches costs nothing in events. If the run reaches your maximum cost per run, it stops saving documents and reports it in OUTPUT.

Limits and reliability

• Scope: one CARDS search per run. The current-year search showed 500 rows on 2026-10-26; the Actor returns the first maxResults rows (250 at most), with duplicate links removed.
• Coverage: Minnesota describes CARDS as holding franchise registration documents from about the last 10 years.
• Access: the Actor loads the public page in a headless browser, one request at a time, with up to two retries. A 401, 403 or 429 response, or a page that fails to load, is reported as a warning in OUTPUT rather than as invented records.
• Filters: search is by franchisor name only. Filter by document type, year or brand in your own workflow.

FAQ

Is there a free Minnesota FDD search?

Yes, CARDS itself is free to search by hand. This Actor charges USD 0.015 per document on the FREE tier and gives you the results as structured data with download links.

Is Minnesota a franchise registration state?

Yes. Unless an exemption applies, franchisors must register with the Minnesota Department of Commerce before offering franchises there, which is why their FDDs and related filings appear on CARDS.

Does it return the FDD text or Item 19 figures?

No. It returns document metadata and the public download link. Open the PDF for its contents.

Can I search by brand name or file number?

Not directly; the search uses the franchisor name. The results include franchiseNames and fileNumber, so you can filter on them afterwards.

How often should I run it?

As often as you need. For new-filing alerts, schedule it weekly with searchTerm empty and compare documentTitle values with the previous run.

Why are some fields always null?

registrationStatus and renewalDueDate are legacy fields; CARDS does not show them in search results.

Related Actors

• Wisconsin Franchise Search Scraper: Wisconsin DFI franchise registrations
• Franchise Direct Scraper and Vetted Biz Franchise Data Scraper: franchise opportunity and brand data
• NC Contractor License Lookup: another state registry lookup from the same publisher

Legal and compliance

The Actor reads the public Minnesota Commerce CARDS franchise search. It does not log in to ComOnline or access non-public filings. The documents are public records; follow the portal's terms and applicable copyright and data-protection rules when you reuse them. Registration does not mean the State approves or recommends a franchise, and this is not legal or investment advice. This tool is not affiliated with the Minnesota Department of Commerce.

Last verified: 2026-10-27