Is Clear Pest Pros required to provide a reason if they disapprove a DBA?

According to Clear Pest Pros's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, Clear Pest Pros has the discretion to approve or disapprove a franchisee's DBA (doing business as) name. The FDD states that a franchisee must submit their intended DBA name to Clear Pest Pros for approval before filing it as required by local laws. Clear Pest Pros "may approve or disapprove such DBA at our discretion."

This means that Clear Pest Pros is not obligated to provide a reason for disapproving a DBA name. The franchisee bears the risk that their preferred DBA could be rejected without explanation. This is important for prospective franchisees to understand, as it gives Clear Pest Pros significant control over the branding and public image of each franchise location.

It is common in franchising for franchisors to retain control over branding and trademarks to ensure consistency and protect the overall brand image. However, the lack of a requirement to provide a reason for DBA disapproval gives Clear Pest Pros broad authority in this area. A prospective franchisee might want to discuss DBA approval criteria with Clear Pest Pros to better understand what types of names are more likely to be approved.