Pop-A-Lock franchise
2026 filing · May 1, 2026
Pop-A-Lock at a glance
A mobile locksmith business offering lockouts, rekeying, car key and security services.
The business
- Franchisor
- SystemForward America, LLC
- The company that sells the franchises
- Franchising since
- 1994
- 32 years of selling franchises
- Franchisor based in
- Lafayette, Louisiana
What you pay
- Cost to open
- $118K–$191K
- Fee, build-out and opening working capital
- Franchise fee
- $23K–$63K
- Set by the franchise area's population, from up to 100,000 to 500,000 people.
- Royalty
- 7%
- 7% of total gross sales, paid monthly
- Brand fund
- 1%
- 1% of gross sales, paid with the royalty
- Agreement length
- 10 years
- Territory
- Protected
- Protected territory
- Franchisor financing
- None offered
Where it is
- Franchised, 2025
- 309
- As printed in the filing
Support and records
From SystemForward America, LLC’s 2026 filing; revenue and net income from its audited financial statements, page 153; SBA status from the SBA Franchise Directory, October 28, 2026.
Franchisor revenue is the company that sells the franchises (royalties, fees and anything else it earns), not what a location makes.
Where it ranks
Pop-A-Lock among all franchises with the same figure.
| Figure | Pop-A-Lock | Among all franchises |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, midpointHalfway between the low and high estimate | $154,088 | Costs less than 76% of franchises |
| Franchise feePaid once, when you sign | $23,000 | Lower than 89% of franchises |
| RoyaltyShare of sales paid to the franchisor | 7% | Higher than 70% of brands with a set rate |
How much a Pop-A-Lock franchise costs
Opening one Pop-A-Lock costs an estimated $117,566 to $190,611. That covers the franchise fee and everything else needed to open, through the first months of working capital.
The biggest costs are initial franchise fee ($23,000 to $63,000) and additional funds – [12 months] ($33,000 to $41,000). Here is every line of the estimate as filed:
| What it pays for | Range | Low | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee | $23,000 | $63,000 | |
| Pop-A-Lock Tool Kits | $311 | ||
| Printed Materials | $1,500 | $2,640 | |
| CDU (Technical) Training | $1,600 | ||
| Travel and Living Expenses While Training | $3,520 | ||
| Equipment - Communication | $600 | ||
| Equipment - Roadside Service | $600 | ||
| Locksmith Service Training | $2,140 | ||
| Locksmith Service Equipment | $16,995 | $34,000 | |
| Equipment - Office (Computer System) | $3,000 | ||
| Online and Digital Display Advertisement | $3,900 | $9,600 | |
| Initial Advertising (12 months) | $25,000 | ||
| Miscellaneous Opening Costs | $800 | $1,200 | |
| Additional Funds – [12 months] | $33,000 | $41,000 | |
| Vehicle Identification | $1,600 | $2,400 | |
| Total | $117,566 | $190,611 | |
Source: SystemForward America, LLC, 2026 filing, page 18
Pop-A-Lock franchise fee
The franchise fee is $23,000 to $63,000, Set by the franchise area's population, from up to 100,000 to 500,000 people.. You pay it when you sign the franchise agreement.
Source: SystemForward America, LLC, 2026 filing, page 14
Royalty and ongoing fees
| Royalty | 7% of total gross sales, paid monthly. |
|---|---|
| Brand or marketing fund | 1% of gross sales, paid with the royalty. |
| Equipment - Office (Computer System) | $3,000 |
| Transfer | $11,500 |
The typical franchise royalty is 6% of sales, plus 2% for marketing. See franchise fees and royalties to compare.
Source: SystemForward America, LLC, 2026 filing, page 15
Other fees as filed, from pages 15–18. The filing lists every fee, including late fees and audit costs.
Sales and earnings
No figures Pop-A-Lock does not share sales or profit figures for its locations. Talking to current and former franchise owners is the usual way to learn what a location earns.
Source: SystemForward America, LLC, 2026 filing, page 46
SBA loans to Pop-A-Lock franchisees
Lenders approved 29 SBA 7(a) loans for Pop-A-Lock franchisees from 1996 to 2025, $11.2M in all. Of the 27 that have ended, 21 were paid in full and 6 were charged off (22.2%). The other 2 haven’t ended yet.
A charged-off loan is one written off as uncollectible. See SBA franchise loans for how 7(a) and 504 loans work.
Source: SBA 7(a) and 504 loan data, as of September 30, 2026
How Pop-A-Lock compares
Of the 139 mobile franchises on this site, Pop-A-Lock is the 88th cheapest to open.
| Figure | Pop-A-Lock | Typical mobile brand | Typical franchise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, low end | $118K | $96K | $222K |
| Cost to open, high end | $191K | $167K | $477K |
| Franchise fee | $23K | $35K | $40K |
| Royalty | 7% | 7% | 6% |
| Brand fund | 1% | 2% | 2% |
| Shares earnings figures | No | 91 of 139 | 2,147 of 3,352 |
Typical is the median across the 139 brands in mobile franchises; typical franchise, across every brand here.
Locations opened and closed
| Year | Franchised | Company-owned | Opened | Closed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 383 (−13) | 7 | 0 | −13 |
| 2024 | 372 (−11) | 7 | 0 | −11 |
| 2025 | 309 (−63) | 7 | +1 | −64 |
Closed or left counts terminations, non-renewals, locations bought back by the franchisor and locations that stopped operating.
These figures don't add up as printed: the 2023 counts come to 390, but the filing shows 391. Worth asking the franchisor.
See which brands grew most in the fastest-growing franchises rankings.
More in the guides: home-based franchises and franchise failure rates.
Source: SystemForward America, LLC, 2026 filing, page 47
Where Pop-A-Lock locations are
At the end of 2025, Pop-A-Lock had locations in 32 states and territories. The most are in Texas, New York and Arizona.
- Texas38
- New York31
- Arizona28
- Louisiana23
- Florida20
- Massachusetts20
| State | Franchised | Company-owned | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | 38 | 0 | 38 |
| New York | 31 | 0 | 31 |
| Arizona | 28 | 0 | 28 |
| Louisiana | 16 | 7 | 23 |
| Florida | 20 | 0 | 20 |
| Massachusetts | 20 | 0 | 20 |
| Missouri | 19 | 0 | 19 |
| Ohio | 16 | 0 | 16 |
| Virginia | 13 | 0 | 13 |
| Pennsylvania | 12 | 0 | 12 |
All 32 states
Source: SystemForward America, LLC, 2026 filing, page 56
Who owns Pop-A-Lock?
Pop-A-Lock franchises are sold by SystemForward America, LLC. Its filing names no parent company.
From SystemForward America, LLC’s 2026 filing, page 6.
Lawsuits and bankruptcy
| Lawsuits and regulatory actions | Yes. The filing describes past or pending cases involving the franchisor, its affiliates or its executives on pages 12–13. |
|---|---|
| Bankruptcy | None. The filing says no bankruptcy has to be disclosed. |
Franchisors must disclose lawsuits and bankruptcies involving the company, its parents and affiliates, and its executives. Many cases are routine disputes with franchisees over fees or contracts; read the descriptions in the filing and ask current owners about anything that worries you.
Source: SystemForward America, LLC, 2026 filing, litigation on pages 12–13, bankruptcy on page 13
Pop-A-Lock filings
The figures on this page come from SystemForward America, LLC’s 2026 filing, issued May 1, 2026, on record with the Minnesota Department of Commerce.
| Filing | Issued | Registry | On this page |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 filing | May 1, 2026 | Minnesota | Costs, fees and locations, 2023–2025 |
Each link opens the filing as a PDF. See the newest filings across all brands.
Other mobile franchises
All mobile franchises
Pop-A-Lock is also on these lists: home service franchises.