Connecticut's New Fee & Auto-Renewal Law: What It Gives You
All-in pricing required and the nation's strictest auto-renewal cancellation rules — and consumers can now sue directly.
Public Act 25-44 (Substitute Senate Bill 3) — Signed June 2025; the all-in pricing and auto-renewal provisions took effect July 1, 2026.
All-in pricing: the advertised price must be the real price
- A business generally may not advertise, display, or offer goods or services at a price that does not include all required fees, charges, and costs. Taxes and government-imposed fees can be excluded.
- A business may not make you pay a fee that was never advertised or displayed as the law requires, or that was intentionally obscured, unclear, or misrepresented.
- Genuinely variable costs (like shipping that depends on your address, or costs that depend on options you pick) can be added later — but their existence must be flagged up front and the final total shown before you buy.
- For a gym, that means a membership advertised at one monthly rate generally should not sprout a surprise mandatory “annual fee,” “enhancement fee,” or “maintenance charge” that was never part of the advertised price.
Auto-renewal: cancelling must be as easy as signing up
- Businesses with auto-renewing or continuous-service agreements must send you an annual reminder saying what is renewing, how to stop it, and how much and how often you are charged — sent the same way you signed up (or by email, mail, or phone).
- You must be able to cancel through a prominently displayed link or button (for online signups), an email you can simply reply to without hunting down extra information, or a phone number clearly displayed on the business's website.
- Phone lines used for cancellation must be answered during normal business hours. If you leave a voicemail asking to cancel, the business must process it or call you back within one business day.
- They can pitch you a discount to stay — but they must first tell you that you can end the call by saying “cancel,” and if you say it, they must promptly process the cancellation.
- Obstructing or delaying a cancellation is prohibited outright.
| Law | An Act Concerning Consumer Protection and Safety |
|---|---|
| Citation | Public Act 25-44 (Substitute Senate Bill 3) |
| All-in pricing rule | P.A. 25-44, § 1 (total price disclosure) |
| Auto-renewal / cancellation rule | Conn. Gen. Stat. § 42-158ff, as amended by P.A. 25-44, § 7 |
| Effective | July 1, 2026 — Signed June 2025; the all-in pricing and auto-renewal provisions took effect July 1, 2026. |
| Enforcement | A violation of either part is an unfair or deceptive practice under the Connecticut Unfair Trade Practices Act (CUTPA, Conn. Gen. Stat. § 42-110b). The act also removed the old ban on private lawsuits over auto-renewal violations — consumers can now sue directly, and the Attorney General and Department of Consumer Protection can enforce. |
Turn this law into a letter — free
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If they ignore your letter: complain to the state
Violations of these rules are enforced by the Connecticut Attorney General. Attach your demand letter, proof of delivery, and your statements.
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Your gym-specific rights still apply
Connecticut gym members also keep their separate rights under the state health-club law (Conn. Gen. Stat. §§ 21a-216 to 21a-230), including the 3-business-day cooling-off cancellation right.
Connecticut new-law FAQ
Can my Connecticut gym still charge an annual fee?
Generally yes — but under P.A. 25-44 § 1 (effective July 1, 2026), mandatory fees generally must be included in the advertised or offered price, not added as a surprise later. A required fee that was never disclosed in the advertised price, or was obscured, may be a CUTPA violation.
My gym only lets me cancel in person. Is that still legal in Connecticut?
For agreements with auto-renewal or continuous-service provisions, Conn. Gen. Stat. § 42-158ff (as amended effective July 1, 2026) requires cancellation to be available through a prominent link/button, a reply-to email, or a phone number on their website — and prohibits obstructing cancellation. The separate health-club law adds its own written-cancellation rights.
Can I sue over an auto-renewal violation in Connecticut?
The 2025 act removed the old language barring a private right of action, so auto-renewal violations are now CUTPA violations that consumers can pursue directly. How courts will handle these claims is still untested — talk to an attorney.
P.A. 25-44 is brand-new — its provisions took effect July 1, 2026, and there are no court decisions or enforcement actions interpreting it yet. Exactly how regulators and courts will apply the pricing exceptions and the new private right of action is still untested. The law also excludes some industries (utilities, insurance, banks, and predominantly audiovisual streaming services). Verify the current statute text before relying on it, and talk to a Connecticut attorney about your specific situation. This page is general information, not legal advice.