California Gym and Subscription Cancellation Letter

Cancel a gym membership or an auto-renewing subscription in California with a letter that builds in California law, including Contracts for Health Studio Services (Cal. Civ. Code Title 2.5). It runs in your browser; nothing you type is stored or sent.

California rules checked against primary sources on October 21, 2026.

Everything you type stays in your browser. Nothing is sent, saved, or added to the page address.

Only the reasons California law addresses for this kind of contract are listed.

California gym membership rules

The law: Contracts for Health Studio Services (Cal. Civ. Code Title 2.5). Read the law

Who it covers: The law covers contracts for exercise instruction or training, use of a health studio or gym, or membership in a club formed for those purposes, but not services by licensed health professionals, Education Code schools, or diet-only programs.

  • Cooling-off period: You may cancel before midnight of the health studio's fifth business day after the agreement date, not counting Sundays and holidays; contracts costing $1,500 or more get longer windows of 20, 30 or 45 days. Source: Cal. Civ. Code 1812.85(b)(1), (d)
  • How the club must let you cancel: When the health studio law itself gives a right to cancel (such as the cooling-off period, or facilities that are not provided on time), you may cancel in person, by email from an address on file with the studio, or by first-class mail; if you accepted an auto-renewing membership online, the business must also let you end it online. Source: Cal. Civ. Code 1812.84(c); Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code 17602(d)(1)
  • Moving away: California law requires gym contracts to provide that a member who moves more than 25 miles from the studio and cannot transfer to a comparable facility owes nothing for services after the move and gets unused prepaid money back; the contract may set a fee of up to $100 (or $50 after half the term). Source: Cal. Civ. Code 1812.89(b)
  • Disability or illness: California law requires gym contracts to provide that a member whom a physician-verified condition keeps from physically using the facilities owes nothing for services after the onset, and prepaid money for services not taken must be refunded. Source: Cal. Civ. Code 1812.89(a)
  • Death of the member: California law requires gym contracts to provide that on the member's death the member and estate owe nothing for services after death, and the studio must refund the prepaid share for services not received to the personal representative on request. Source: Cal. Civ. Code 1812.89(a)
  • Club closes or moves: If the studio eliminates or substantially reduces facilities (such as pools or tennis courts) described in the contract, an ad or a written offer, you may cancel with a pro rata refund; temporary closures for reasonable repairs after notice do not count. You may also cancel with a pro rata refund if the studio does not provide the specific facilities it advertised or offered in writing by the time indicated; if the contract gives no time, the statute lets you cancel within six months after signing with a pro rata refund (1812.85(a)). Source: Cal. Civ. Code 1812.85(a), (c)
  • Refund timing: Money paid must be refunded within 10 days after the studio receives the cancellation notice, less payment for services already received. Source: Cal. Civ. Code 1812.85(b)(5)

If a business will not process a cancellation, you can complain to: California Attorney General, Public Inquiry Unit (Consumer Complaint Against a Business)

Your details
The business

Use the cancellation address in your contract if it gives one; for a franchise gym, that is often your home club.

Leave blank to cancel immediately.

Check before you send:

  • Add the member name exactly as it appears on the account.
  • Add the business name.
  • Add the business mailing address (from your contract or the business website).

Your letter

[Member name]

[Your address]

October 26, 2026

[Business name]

[Business address]

Re: Cancellation of membership

To whom it may concern:

I am writing to cancel my membership, effective immediately.

Please stop all further charges to my payment method, refund any amount paid for a period after the cancellation takes effect, and confirm the cancellation in writing, including the date it took effect.

Please keep this letter with the account records. I am keeping a copy, with proof of the date it was sent.

Sincerely,

[Member name]

Before you send (not part of the letter)

  • California: When the health studio law itself gives a right to cancel (such as the cooling-off period, or facilities that are not provided on time), you may cancel in person, by email from an address on file with the studio, or by first-class mail; if you accepted an auto-renewing membership online, the business must also let you end it online. (Cal. Civ. Code 1812.84(c); Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code 17602(d)(1))
  • Refund timing in California: Money paid must be refunded within 10 days after the studio receives the cancellation notice, less payment for services already received. (Cal. Civ. Code 1812.85(b)(5))
  • Send it in a way you can prove: a method your contract or state law names, and keep a copy. Certified mail with a return receipt gives you a dated record.
  • If charges continue after the cancellation takes effect, you can dispute them with your card issuer or bank (see the timing rules on this page).
  • Complaints: California Attorney General, Public Inquiry Unit (Consumer Complaint Against a Business), https://oag.ca.gov/contact/consumer-complaint-against-business-or-company
  • This letter is a starting point you edit and send yourself. It does not cancel anything by itself, and it is not legal advice.

California gym membership cancellation law

California regulates these contracts through Contracts for Health Studio Services (Cal. Civ. Code Title 2.5) (Cal. Civ. Code 1812.80-1812.98, Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code 17602). The rules below come from the statute text; each links to its source, and the first line says which contracts the law covers.

California gym membership rules

The law: Contracts for Health Studio Services (Cal. Civ. Code Title 2.5). Read the law

Who it covers: The law covers contracts for exercise instruction or training, use of a health studio or gym, or membership in a club formed for those purposes, but not services by licensed health professionals, Education Code schools, or diet-only programs.

  • Cooling-off period: You may cancel before midnight of the health studio's fifth business day after the agreement date, not counting Sundays and holidays; contracts costing $1,500 or more get longer windows of 20, 30 or 45 days. Source: Cal. Civ. Code 1812.85(b)(1), (d)
  • How the club must let you cancel: When the health studio law itself gives a right to cancel (such as the cooling-off period, or facilities that are not provided on time), you may cancel in person, by email from an address on file with the studio, or by first-class mail; if you accepted an auto-renewing membership online, the business must also let you end it online. Source: Cal. Civ. Code 1812.84(c); Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code 17602(d)(1)
  • Moving away: California law requires gym contracts to provide that a member who moves more than 25 miles from the studio and cannot transfer to a comparable facility owes nothing for services after the move and gets unused prepaid money back; the contract may set a fee of up to $100 (or $50 after half the term). Source: Cal. Civ. Code 1812.89(b)
  • Disability or illness: California law requires gym contracts to provide that a member whom a physician-verified condition keeps from physically using the facilities owes nothing for services after the onset, and prepaid money for services not taken must be refunded. Source: Cal. Civ. Code 1812.89(a)
  • Death of the member: California law requires gym contracts to provide that on the member's death the member and estate owe nothing for services after death, and the studio must refund the prepaid share for services not received to the personal representative on request. Source: Cal. Civ. Code 1812.89(a)
  • Club closes or moves: If the studio eliminates or substantially reduces facilities (such as pools or tennis courts) described in the contract, an ad or a written offer, you may cancel with a pro rata refund; temporary closures for reasonable repairs after notice do not count. You may also cancel with a pro rata refund if the studio does not provide the specific facilities it advertised or offered in writing by the time indicated; if the contract gives no time, the statute lets you cancel within six months after signing with a pro rata refund (1812.85(a)). Source: Cal. Civ. Code 1812.85(a), (c)
  • Refund timing: Money paid must be refunded within 10 days after the studio receives the cancellation notice, less payment for services already received. Source: Cal. Civ. Code 1812.85(b)(5)

If a business will not process a cancellation, you can complain to: California Attorney General, Public Inquiry Unit (Consumer Complaint Against a Business)

California subscription and automatic renewal law

California has a general automatic renewal law that applies to consumer subscriptions.

California subscription and auto-renewal rules

The law: Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code 17600-17606. Read the law

Who it covers: The law covers any business that makes an automatic renewal or continuous service offer to a consumer in California buying for personal, family, or household purposes, except utilities and telecom services regulated by the CPUC, FCC, or FERC, insurers, alarm companies, banks and credit unions, and regulated service contract sellers.

  • Cancelling online: A business that lets a consumer sign up online must let the consumer cancel exclusively online, at will, through a prominent direct link or button or a ready-made termination email, without steps that obstruct or delay cancellation. Source: Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code 17602(d)(1)
  • Required ways to cancel: The business must offer a toll-free number, email address, postal address (if it bills directly) or another easy cancellation mechanism, must answer cancellation calls promptly and return voicemail requests within one business day, must offer cancellation in the same medium the consumer used to sign up or the medium the consumer usually uses with the business, and may make a retention offer only if the consumer can still cancel right away. Source: Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code 17602(c), (e), (f)
  • Renewal reminders: For a free trial or promotional price lasting more than 31 days, the business must send a notice 3 to 21 days before it ends; for a term of one year or longer, a notice 15 to 45 days before renewal; a price-change notice 7 to 30 days before the change; and an annual reminder under annual plans. The annual reminder and fee-change notice rules, added in 2024, apply to subscriptions entered into, amended or extended on or after July 1, 2025 (17602(j)). Source: Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code 17602(b), (g)(2), (h), (j)
  • Free trials: An offer with a free gift or trial must clearly explain the price charged after the trial, and the business must say how to cancel and allow cancellation before the consumer pays. Source: Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code 17602(a)(1), (a)(3)
  • If the business breaks the law: Goods sent under an automatic renewal without the consumer's affirmative consent are treated as an unconditional gift, and all available civil remedies apply to violations, though a violation is not a crime and good-faith compliance is a defense. Source: Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code 17603; 17604

If a business will not process a cancellation, you can complain to: California Attorney General, Public Inquiry Unit (Consumer Complaint Against a Business)

Federal rules that still apply

No. The Federal Trade Commission finalized a "click to cancel" rule in 2024, but on July 8, 2025 the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit vacated it because the agency skipped a preliminary regulatory analysis the FTC Act requires (Custom Communications, Inc. v. FTC, No. 24-3137 (8th Cir. 2025)). The vacatur brought back the original 1973 rule, which covers only "prenotification" plans such as product-of-the-month clubs, not gym memberships or most subscriptions.

In March 2026 the FTC asked for public comment on a new negative option rule. An advance notice is an early step: it does not create any new obligation for businesses. (FTC press release, March 11, 2026)

Federal law still reaches subscriptions sold online. For subscriptions sold online with automatic charges, federal law (ROSCA) requires clear disclosure of the terms, the consumer's express informed consent, and simple mechanisms to stop the recurring charges. (15 U.S.C. 8403). For gym memberships signed in person, the cancellation rules come from state law and your contract.

If they keep charging you

If a business keeps charging you after a cancellation took effect, you can dispute the charge with the company that issued your card or holds your account. For a credit card, a written billing-error notice must reach the card issuer, at the address it gives for billing errors, within 60 days after it sent the first statement showing the charge. (12 CFR 1026.13(b)) For a debit card or bank transfer, an oral or written error notice must reach the bank within 60 days after it sent the statement that first shows the charge. (12 CFR 1005.11(b)(1)(i))

For automatic debits from a bank account, you can also stop future payments. You can tell your bank to stop a preauthorized electronic payment from your account, orally or in writing, at least three business days before the payment is scheduled. If you call, the bank may require written confirmation within 14 days, and an unconfirmed oral stop order then lapses. (12 CFR 1005.10(c)(1)-(2))

Your copy of the cancellation letter and your proof of the date you sent it are the evidence for a dispute. The regulations define which errors these procedures cover and the card issuer or bank investigates, so send the dispute promptly and in writing.

You can also report a business that will not let you cancel to your state attorney general (each state page lists its complaint office), to the Federal Trade Commission, or, for a problem with a card or bank dispute, to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

What this tool does not do

  • It does not cancel anything for you or contact the business. You send the letter yourself.
  • It cannot read your contract. A statute may exempt your club or plan (for example by price, length, or type of business), and your contract may give you more rights than the statute.
  • It does not tell you whether you owe a fee, a buyout, or the rest of a contract term. Those depend on your contract and the facts.
  • It covers state statutes and the main federal rules only. City rules and court decisions can add to them.
  • It is legal information, not legal advice.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there a cooling-off period for gym memberships in California?

You may cancel before midnight of the health studio's fifth business day after the agreement date, not counting Sundays and holidays; contracts costing $1,500 or more get longer windows of 20, 30 or 45 days. (Cal. Civ. Code 1812.85(b)(1), (d))

Can I cancel my gym membership in California if I move?

California law requires gym contracts to provide that a member who moves more than 25 miles from the studio and cannot transfer to a comparable facility owes nothing for services after the move and gets unused prepaid money back; the contract may set a fee of up to $100 (or $50 after half the term). (Cal. Civ. Code 1812.89(b))

How do I cancel a gym membership in California?

When the health studio law itself gives a right to cancel (such as the cooling-off period, or facilities that are not provided on time), you may cancel in person, by email from an address on file with the studio, or by first-class mail; if you accepted an auto-renewing membership online, the business must also let you end it online. (Cal. Civ. Code 1812.84(c); Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code 17602(d)(1))

Does California have a click-to-cancel law?

A business that lets a consumer sign up online must let the consumer cancel exclusively online, at will, through a prominent direct link or button or a ready-made termination email, without steps that obstruct or delay cancellation. (Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code 17602(d)(1))

Sources

California rules checked against official sources on October 21, 2026.

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