Franchises
70
Median Investment
$206K–$698K
Item 19 Disclosed
70%
Median Unit Revenue
$986K
South Dakota buyers can evaluate 70 automotive franchise systems with FDDs on file, at a median initial investment of $206K–$698K and a typical franchise fee near $35K. Across the 20 brands that disclose unit revenue in Item 19, median annual revenue per location runs $986K — but 70% of the full set disclose Item 19 at all, so earnings claims still have to be verified brand by brand. 14 of them can be started for under $100K. No state income tax preserves owner-operator take-home.
South Dakota buyer notes for automotive franchises
Automotive franchise systems with initial investment under $100K.
Compare automotive against the other franchise categories available to South Dakota buyers.
The same automotive systems are available to buyers nationwide — see state-specific investment, Item 19, and regulatory context:
Across the 70 automotive franchise systems in our database, median initial investment runs $206K–$698K, with a typical upfront franchise fee near $35K. 14 can be started for under $100K. Note that some emerging brands may not yet be registered to sell in South Dakota — verify status before signing. Each FDD's Item 7 provides the exact investment range for that brand.
70% of the automotive franchises in our South Dakota dataset disclose Item 19 financial performance representations. Among the 20 that report unit revenue, the median is $986K per location per year. The remainder rely on Item 1 (business background) and Item 7 (initial investment) without making earnings claims. Brands disclosing Item 19 give you the strongest basis for projecting unit-level revenue.
No state income tax preserves owner-operator take-home. Limited population caps multi-unit growth; many operators expand to MN or NE.
South Dakota is a registration state. Verify the franchisor's registration with the South Dakota Division of Insurance (Securities Regulation) before signing anything. An offer to sell a franchise in South Dakota without registration is itself a violation of state law and a major red flag.
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