Clear Lights franchise: cost, fees & unit track record
Opening a Clear Lights franchise takes $35,000 – $126,420 all-in, per its franchise disclosure filings (data as of 2026-05). The initial franchise fee is $30,000. Ongoing, franchisees pay a royalty of 8% on sales plus an ad-fund contribution of up to 1%. To qualify, Clear Lights asks for $30,000 in liquid cash and a $20,000 net worth. Anything the filings do not state is marked "Not disclosed" below — never estimated.
Clear Lights franchise costs and fees
| Verification mark | Cost item | Low | High | Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise feeOne-time, paid to the franchisor at signing | $30,000 | $30,000 | $30,000 | |
| Initial investment (all-in)FDD Item 7-derived range: build-out, equipment, opening costs | $35,000 | $126,420 | $35,000 to $126,420 | |
| Net worth requiredFranchisor's stated qualification minimum | $20,000 | $20,000 | $20,000 | |
| Liquid cash requiredFranchisor's stated qualification minimum | $30,000 | $30,000 | $30,000 | |
| Cash to open (all-in range) | $35,000 | $126,420 | $35,000 to $126,420 |
| RoyaltyOngoing, % of sales | 8% |
|---|---|
| Ad fundOngoing, % of sales | Up to 1% |
| Initial termLength of the first franchise agreement | Not disclosed |
See the full Clear Lights cost breakdown — what's in that number and what isn't
How Clear Lights's cost compares
A dollar figure means more with a yardstick. Here is where Clear Lights's disclosed cost sits against the Auto & Travel category:
- Minimum startup cost of $35,000 — about 80% below the Auto & Travel median of $177,500.
- Initial franchise fee of $30,000 — about in line with the Auto & Travel median of $33,740.
Category medians are computed from the Auto & Travel brands in our data that disclosed each figure — a benchmark for scale, not a quality judgment. See all Auto & Travel franchises
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What about earnings?
We don't publish per-brand earnings figures — for Clear Lights or anyone else. The only primary source is Item 19 of the brand's own franchise disclosure document (FDD), and no law requires a franchisor to publish one, so the "average owner income" numbers circulating elsewhere are usually unsourced or survivorship-biased. Ask Clear Lights for its current FDD and read Item 19 yourself — and if there is no Item 19, that silence is information too.
What this data can't tell you
Everything on this page comes from disclosure filings — fees, ranges, and unit counts. Four questions that matter just as much are not in any filing we can source, so we say so instead of guessing:
- The hours and the labor
- No dataset field says whether Clear Lights is a manage-from-a-laptop business or a 60-hour week in disguise. Item 15 of the FDD states whether you're obligated to run the business personally, and Item 11 lists what the franchisor actually does for you — then ask current owners what their week looks like (validation calls), not the sales team.
- How hands-on the ownership really is
- "Semi-absentee" is a pitch, not a filing field. Treat any hands-off claim as unverified until it's consistent with Item 15 and with what multiple current franchisees tell you — what absentee ownership actually means.
- Your territory — whether it's protected, and whether it's open
- Two territory questions sit outside our data. Whether Clear Lights grants a protected or exclusive area is set in Item 12 of the FDD and varies brand to brand — some grant none, and the carve-outs (online sales, national accounts) matter as much as the map. And filing data can't say what's open in your market this month; only Clear Lights can confirm current availability. Ask both before you inquire, and get the answer in writing.
- What owners earn
- Covered honestly above: our dataset has no earnings fields, the only primary source is the brand's own Item 19, and here is how to read that evidence.
About the Clear Lights franchise
Clear Lights is an auto & travel franchisor in our disclosure-filing dataset (as of 2026-05). Its parent company is Clear Lights Franchising Corporation.
No franchise-related lawsuits reported in the disclosure data we hold (FDD Item 3, as of 2026-05) — an absence in our sources, not a guarantee; confirm against the brand's current FDD.
From the franchisor's materials
Clear Lights is a low cost, easy to learn, eco-friendly headlight restoration and automotive appearance franchise that requires no auto experience and offers excellent training and exceptional franchisee support. Our services include: professional, guaranteed, permanent headlight restoration, alloy wheel repair, our exclusive Tire Shine, and our exclusive Trim Renew. Take advantage of joining us on the ground level and learning from the creators of the system not a hired trainer. As a franchi...
Clear Lights franchise: quick answers
- How much does a Clear Lights franchise cost?
- $35,000 – $126,420 all-in to open, per Clear Lights's franchise disclosure filings (data as of 2026-05).