In addition to the federal securities laws, every state has its own set of securities laws—commonly referred to as “Blue Sky Laws”—that are designed to protect investors against fraudulent sales practices and activities. While these laws do vary from state to state, most state laws typically require companies making offerings of securities to register their offerings before they can be sold in a particular state, unless a specific state exemption is available. The laws also license brokerage firms, their brokers, and investment adviser representatives.