A new California law has given the California Department of Business Oversight, the State's regulator of franchises, more time to review franchise registration and renewal applications, with the result that franchisors, their accountants and their attorneys must work harder and faster to update their franchise disclosure documents, prepare their year-end audited financial statements and submit their applications to renew and maintain their franchise registrations.

The law amends the automatic effectiveness statutes in the Corporations Code (Sections 31116 and 31121) to increase, from 15 to 30 business days, the length of time that the Commissioner of Business Oversight has to review franchise applications and franchise renewals under the Franchise Investment Law. The revised statute provides that registration of an offer of franchises automatically becomes effective at 12 o'clock noon, California time, on the 30th business day after the filing of a complete application for registration.

A complete application is defined as one that includes the appropriate filing fee, Uniform Franchise Disclosure Document, and all additional exhibits, including audited financial statements for the franchisor's prior fiscal year, in conformity with regulations of the Commissioner.

Because most franchisors operate under a January to December fiscal year, franchisors and their accountants should keep the timing requirements of the new law in mind since they will have to file their complete applications early in March to take advantage of the automatic effectiveness statute.