Automatic renewal law in North Carolina

These are the rules in N.C. Gen. Stat. § 75-41 that matter when a subscription or membership renews on its own. The official text is one click away if your contract is unusual.

What the text says, word for word:

• “Disclose clearly and conspicuously how to cancel the contract in the initial contract, contract offer, or with delivery of products or services.” (N.C. Gen. Stat. 75-41(a)(2))
• “provide written notice to the consumer by personal delivery, email, or first-class mail, at least 15 days but no earlier than 45 days before the date the contract is to be automatically renewed” (N.C. Gen. Stat. 75-41(a)(3))
• “A violation of this section renders the automatic renewal clause void and unenforceable.” (N.C. Gen. Stat. 75-41(e))

To find the cancellation route and mailing address of the business you are leaving, start with Streaming services, Gym memberships, Software subscriptions and Hulu.

1. 1

   Check how you signed up

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

2. 2

   Use the cancellation route the law protects

   The law does not set a cancellation channel; the business must clearly disclose how to cancel in the contract, the offer, or with delivery of the product or service. Save the confirmation screen or email.

3. 3

   Send a written notice you can prove

   Send a written notice that cites N.C. Gen. Stat. § 75-41, your account details and the end date you want. Our cancellation letter template has the layout.

4. 4

   If the charges continue

   Show the business your proof and the statute, then dispute the charge with your card issuer. What to do if a company keeps charging you walks through it.

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

See certified mail for cancellations for the proof each mail service gives you.

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.