Important Notice
VOID WHERE PROHIBITED™
The phrase has appeared on millions of documents. Nobody has ever looked up where it's actually prohibited. We did.
What We Do
Every sweepstakes, promotion, contest, and offer in America appends the phrase "void where prohibited." This implies someone, somewhere, has prohibited it. Nobody ever checks where.
We check. We compile a comprehensive, jurisdiction-specific database of what is actually void where actually prohibited. We issue Void-Where determinations for client promotions. We have answers to questions that have been printed on boxes since 1952 without anyone finding out.
The answer is usually: not many places. Sometimes a few states. Occasionally a country. Rarely, nowhere at all — in which case the phrase is technically false and we note this in our report.
Our Services
Void-Where Determination
Submit your promotion or offer. We research every jurisdiction and produce a comprehensive report of where it is, legally speaking, void. Turnaround: 5 business days.
The Blanket Certificate
For clients who want to say "void where prohibited" and actually mean it. We monitor your offering continuously and update the void-where list as regulations change. Annual subscription.
Personal Application Service
You provide an item. We stamp it "VOID WHERE PROHIBITED." We determine where that is. The item comes with documentation. Gifts, letters, apologies, proposals — all accepted.
Sample Determination
VOID-WHERE DETERMINATION — REF: VW-2026-0441
Offer: "Win a weekend getaway for two." Standard sweepstakes language.
Void in: Quebec (contest laws); certain municipalities in Louisiana (gaming adjacency); one township in Ohio for reasons our team described as "unclear but persistent."
Not void in: 47 U.S. states, all territories, most of Canada (outside Quebec), all of Europe, and everywhere else we checked.
Conclusion: Phrase is substantially accurate. Client may proceed. We recommend retaining this report for 7 years.
Ready to find out where your thing is void?
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