Illinois Automatic Contract Renewal Act: What It Requires

The Automatic Contract Renewal Act, codified at 815 ILCS 601, is the Illinois law governing how businesses may sell subscriptions and other contracts that renew on their own unless the customer cancels. It was first enacted as Public Act 91-674, effective June 1, 2000, and has been amended since — most significantly by Public Act 102-0517, effective January 1, 2022, which added online-cancellation rights and additional reminder requirements.

The law applies to a person, firm, or company that sells products or services to a consumer under a contract that automatically renews unless the consumer cancels. That reaches many everyday arrangements: streaming services, software subscriptions, gym memberships, subscription boxes and clubs, and similar recurring plans offered to Illinois consumers. The Act sets rules for three moments in the subscription lifecycle — the disclosure at sign-up, the reminder before a renewal, and the ability to cancel.

Because these rules sit in the consumer-protection part of Illinois law, they are enforced through the state's broader Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act, discussed below. The sections that follow summarize what the statute requires as of 2026; they are general information, not legal advice.

Under 815 ILCS 601/10, a business must disclose the automatic renewal offer terms clearly and conspicuously in the contract before the subscription or purchasing agreement is fulfilled. The disclosure has to appear in visual proximity to where you agree — or, for a spoken offer, in temporal proximity — so the renewal terms are not buried far from the point of sign-up.

The Act defines "clear and conspicuous" to mean language in a font, size, and location a reasonable person would notice, set apart from surrounding text. The automatic renewal offer terms a business must present include that the plan continues until the consumer cancels, the recurring charges (or how they are calculated), the length of the renewal term, and how to cancel.

The statute also bars a business from charging your credit card, debit card, or other payment method for an automatic renewal without first obtaining the consumer's consent to the contract containing the automatic renewal offer terms. In practice, agreement to the renewal has to be knowing — not slipped in through a pre-checked box or an undisclosed condition.

For longer commitments, the Act requires a reminder before the plan rolls over. When a contract has an initial term of 12 months or more and automatically renews for a period of one month or more, the business must send written notice no less than 30 days and no more than 60 days before the cancellation deadline. The notice must be in a retainable form and must state that the contract will renew unless cancelled, provide a cancellation mechanism, and give the deadline to cancel to avoid the next term's charge.

A separate reminder rule covers introductory offers. For a free trial or promotional period lasting 15 days or more that converts into a paid subscription, the business must notify the consumer no less than 3 days before the cancellation deadline. This gives customers a chance to opt out before an introductory rate becomes a recurring charge.

In both cases the point is the same: the customer should not be surprised by a renewal. A missed or defective reminder is one of the more common bases for a complaint under the Act.

The 2022 amendment (Public Act 102-0517) added a right that matters for modern subscriptions: a consumer who accepts an automatic renewal or continuous service offer online must be allowed to terminate it exclusively online. If you signed up on a website or app, the business cannot force you to call, mail a letter, or visit in person to cancel. The statute notes this may include a termination email formatted and provided by the business.

The Act also requires businesses that make these offers online to provide an easy cancellation path — a toll-free telephone number, an email address, a postal address if the seller bills you directly, or another cost-effective, timely, and easy-to-use mechanism for cancellation. The method offered is meant to be one the consumer commonly uses to interact with the business.

If you decide to cancel, keeping a record — a confirmation number, screenshot, or email — helps document that you cancelled before the deadline in case a later charge is disputed.

The Automatic Contract Renewal Act does not create a stand-alone penalty scheme. Instead, 815 ILCS 601/15 provides that a violation of the Act constitutes an unlawful practice under the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act (815 ILCS 505). That link is what gives the Act its teeth.

Under the Consumer Fraud Act, the Illinois Attorney General and State's Attorneys can investigate and bring enforcement actions, and courts can impose civil penalties — up to $50,000 per violation under 815 ILCS 505/7 in cases involving an intent to defraud. The Consumer Fraud Act also allows a consumer injured by an unlawful practice to file a private lawsuit under 815 ILCS 505/10a, seeking actual damages and, at the court's discretion, attorney's fees.

Consumers who believe a business violated these rules can file a complaint with the Illinois Attorney General's Consumer Protection Division. Whether any particular situation amounts to a violation depends on the facts, which is a question for a lawyer or the enforcing agency — not this page.

The Act includes exemptions in 815 ILCS 601/20. It does not apply to business-to-business contracts, and it does not apply to banks, trust companies, savings and loan associations, savings banks, credit unions, or their subsidiaries and affiliates. It also does not apply where a contract is extended beyond its original term because the consumer initiated a change to the contract's terms.

These carve-outs mean that not every recurring charge an Illinois resident sees is governed by this specific statute; some are addressed by other state or federal rules. Federal negative-option marketing rules and the terms of a provider's own contract may also apply alongside the Illinois Act.

This page explains the Illinois Automatic Contract Renewal Act in general terms and is not legal advice. For how the law applies to a specific contract or dispute, consult a licensed Illinois attorney or the Illinois Attorney General's office, and rely on the current statutory text as published by the Illinois General Assembly.