Automatic renewal rules in Washington

Each point below comes from the text on Washington's official legislature or code site, read on the review date. The full text has definitions and exceptions, so open it before you rely on one point.

What the text says, word for word:

• “If a contract extends for more than one year, the buyer may cancel the contract for any reason upon thirty days' written notice to the health studio” (RCW 19.142.040(7)(c))
• “If you wish to cancel this contract without penalty, you may cancel it by delivering or mailing a written notice to the health studio.” (RCW 19.142.040(9))
• “Use fees or dues may not be raised more than once in any calendar year” (RCW 19.142.040(5))

To find the cancellation route and mailing address of the business you are leaving, start with Gym memberships, Planet Fitness, LA Fitness and Crunch Fitness.

1. 1

   Note how and when you agreed

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

2. 2

   Use the cancellation route the law protects

   Deliver or mail written notice to the health studio: within 3 business days of signing for a penalty-free cancel, or on 30 days' written notice for any contract longer than one year. Keep whatever confirmation the business gives you.

3. 3

   Put it in writing as well

   RCW ch. 19.142 covers only health studio contracts, so cite it only if your contract is one of them. Send a written notice that cites RCW ch. 19.142, 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.

A mailed letter does not replace the routes your contract names, 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.

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.