RenewProof · Small business

US auto-renewal & cancellation laws for small businesses: does it apply to you?

Federal ROSCA + 30+ state auto-renewal laws carry real penalties — clear disclosure, consent, and a cancel path as easy as signup. (The FTC's federal click-to-cancel rule was vacated in 2025; state laws still bite.) Check your flow.

Does business size change anything?

📐 The honest answer: Auto-renewal laws apply to recurring billers of any size — there's no small-seller carve-out. If you run subscriptions, the disclosure, consent and easy-cancel rules apply to you.

What it requires

If it applies to you, here's what you need — these are the points small businesses most often miss:

What's at stake

⚠️ Exposure: FTC fines up to $53,088/violation + state penalties · Status: In force. Regulators and plaintiffs do go after small businesses — being small is not a defence.

Compare the penalty for every rule →

Common questions

Does uS auto-renewal & cancellation laws apply to small businesses?

Auto-renewal laws apply to recurring billers of any size — there's no small-seller carve-out. If you run subscriptions, the disclosure, consent and easy-cancel rules apply to you.

Is the FTC click-to-cancel rule in effect?

The federal 'click-to-cancel' Negative Option Rule was vacated in July 2025, but ROSCA and 30+ state auto-renewal laws still require clear disclosure, consent, and easy cancellation — and the FTC reopened rulemaking in 2026.

What do auto-renewal laws require?

Clear, upfront disclosure of the renewal terms before billing, affirmative consent to the recurring charge, and a cancellation path at least as easy as signup.

Do I need to send a renewal reminder?

Several state laws require advance notice before annual renewals or price changes; sending one is best practice everywhere.

The source

RuleGoose checks this against US auto-renewal law (FTC ROSCA + state ARLs). Read it yourself: ROSCA on Cornell LII (15 U.S.C. 8401) →

Find out in 60 seconds — free.
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or read the full US auto-renewal & cancellation laws guide, or get one RuleGoose Score across every rule.

Informational only, not legal advice, and not affiliated with the FTC. Thresholds can change and be fact-specific — confirm against the cited source. Last reviewed 2026-06-30.