Automatic renewal rules in New Jersey

We read N.J.S.A. 56:12-95.5, 56:8-42.1 on the state's official site and list what it requires below. A summary leaves out detail; the linked text is the authority.

The key phrases, copied from the official text:

• “Notification shall be provided to the consumer not less than 30 days nor more than 60 days before the cancellation deadline pursuant to the automatic renewal provision.” (N.J.S.A. 56:12-95.5(a))
• “All cancellation requests are required to be acknowledged within five business days of receipt and honored within 10 business days of receipt” (N.J.S.A. 56:12-95.5(d))
• “a direct link or button on the subscription service provider’s Internet website through which a consumer can initiate termination of the automatic renewal of the subscription service” (N.J.S.A. 56:8-42.1(a))
• “A health club services contract shall not obligate the buyer to renew the contract.” (N.J.S.A. 56:8-42(i))

The cancellation route differs by company; see Home security, Gym memberships, ADT and Planet Fitness for the details we hold.

1. 1

   Start with how you joined

   Look up the sign-up confirmation and the renewal date. Your contract sets the method unless the sector law above says otherwise.

2. 2

   Cancel the way the law allows

   For health club subscriptions bought online, the provider must offer a direct link or button to end automatic renewal in the account or app settings, or a pre-formatted termination email. For auto-renewing service contracts, the renewal notice must give an online cancellation method plus a mailing address, or a phone number to cancel. Save the confirmation screen or email.

3. 3

   Put it in writing as well

   N.J.S.A. 56:12-95.5, 56:8-42.1 covers only service contracts to maintain, repair or replace property, and health club memberships, so cite it only if your contract is one of them. Send a written notice that cites N.J.S.A. 56:12-95.5, 56:8-42.1, your account details and the end date you want. Our cancellation letter template has the layout.

4. 4

   If you are billed again

   Reply with your proof and the citation, ask for a refund, and if that fails, dispute the charge with your bank. See what to do when a company keeps charging you.

Where no statute sets the route, many contracts ask for written notice. A mailed letter with a delivery record proves the date your notice arrived, and it is the route of last resort when an online or phone cancellation fails.

Certified mail for cancellations explains what each delivery record proves.

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.