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Automatic renewal law in Connecticut

Under Connecticut automatic renewal law (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 42-158ff), online sign-ups must be cancellable online, and since July 1, 2026 you get an annual reminder about the automatic renewal. Connecticut has a general automatic renewal law. Save the confirmation, or send a letter you can prove arrived.

Last reviewed 1 official source

What the Connecticut law requires

We read Conn. Gen. Stat. § 42-158ff on the state's official site and list what it requires below. A summary leaves out detail; the linked text is the authority.

Connecticut: Automatic renewal and continuous service provisions

Source: Conn. Gen. Stat. § 42-158ff

  • § 42-126b: Trial or introductory-rate offers need clear written notice of the right to cancel and the procedure.
  • § 42-126b: Contracts over 180 days with auto-renewal over 31 days need written cancellation notice 15-60 days before renewal or the cancellation deadline, whichever is earlier.
  • § 42-126b: Contracts of 180 days or less must state the cancellation right in the contract and cannot require cancelling more than 60 days before term end.
  • § 42-126b: Goods or services furnished after a noticeless renewal are deemed an unconditional gift.
  • § 42-126b: A violation is an unfair or deceptive trade practice under CUTPA (42-110b(a)).
  • § 42-158ff: before the agreement or renewal, the business must disclose that it renews until cancelled, how to stop it, recurring charges, renewal length, minimum purchase and contact details.
  • § 42-158ff(c): no charge for an automatic renewal or continuous service without the consumer's affirmative consent.
  • § 42-158ff: agreements entered into online must be cancellable online with no offline step, via a prominent link or button or a reply-to email from the business.
  • § 42-158ff(b)(1)(F): free gifts, trials or promo prices of at least 32 days need a notice at least 21 days after the period starts and not earlier than 3 days before it ends; periods of a year or more need notice 15-45 days before expiry.
  • From July 1, 2026 (P.A. 25-44): an annual reminder stating the goods or services, how to cancel, and the frequency and amount of charges.
  • From July 1, 2026: businesses may offer a retainable phone number shown on their website; calls must be answered promptly, voicemail cancellations handled within one business day, and phone retention offers only after telling the consumer they can say 'cancel'.
  • From July 1, 2026: a violation of § 42-158ff is an unfair trade practice under CUTPA (42-110b(a)); the earlier no-private-right-of-action clause was deleted.

In the law's own words:

Cancelling a renewal in Connecticut

The cancellation route differs by company; see Streaming services, Software subscriptions, News and magazine subscriptions and Netflix for the details we hold.

  1. Start with how you joined

    Find the email or contract that confirmed the subscription and note the next renewal date, so you know how much time you have.

  2. Cancel the way the law allows

    If you signed up online, you must be able to stop the renewal online with no offline step. Since July 1, 2026 businesses must offer a cancel link or button, a reply-to cancellation email, or a phone number shown on their website, with voicemail requests handled within one business day. Take a screenshot or keep the email that confirms it.

  3. Send a written notice you can prove

    Write to the business, cite Conn. Gen. Stat. § 42-158ff and ask for written confirmation. You can build the letter with the free letter template.

  4. If you are billed again

    Contact the business with your dated proof first, then your card issuer. The steps are in when a company keeps charging after you cancel.

Where a mailed cancellation letter fits

A mailed letter does not replace the routes Connecticut law requires the business to offer, but it gives you proof that holds up: the delivery record shows who received your notice and when.

Certified mail for cancellations explains what each delivery record proves.

Federal law in Connecticut

The federal Restore Online Shoppers' Confidence Act requires online sellers using automatic renewals to provide simple mechanisms to stop recurring charges. The FTC's 2024 click-to-cancel amendments are not in force: on July 8, 2025 the Eighth Circuit vacated them (Custom Communications, Inc. v. FTC, No. 24-3137), on February 12, 2026, in a rule effective that day, the FTC recodified its Negative Option Rule "as it existed before the effective date" of the 2024 amendments (91 FR 6507), and on March 13, 2026 it asked for public comment on "the need for amendments" (91 FR 12318). Our state-by-state overview and the FTC click-to-cancel guide have the details.

Send your cancellation by certified mail

Tell us the company you want to leave. We write a formal cancellation letter, mail it by certified mail the next business day and send you the delivery proof.

Sources

Official pages we read on the review date.

  1. Connecticut: Conn. Gen. Stat. § 42-158ff(d)(1)

This is general information, not legal advice.