# District of Columbia automatic renewal law

> District of Columbia's automatic-renewal law for subscription businesses: 5 cited requirements (disclosure, consent, acknowledgment, notice windows, cancellation), effective dates and who can sue. Generated from Checkbox's legal catalog; pending attorney review.

> **Pending attorney review**
>
> Generated from Checkbox's legal catalog (version `2026.11.01.1`), drafted from the primary sources linked below. Last reviewed against sources on **2026-10-29**. No attorney has reviewed these entries yet, and this page is not legal advice.

## At a glance {#at-a-glance}

| | |
|---|---|
| Applies to | Consumers in District of Columbia, wherever the business is located |
| Laws | Automatic Renewal Protections Act of 2018 |
| Effective | 2019-09-11 |
| Status | In force |
| Requirements in the catalog | 5 (2 with a notice window) |
| Private right of action | via general consumer law |
| Last reviewed | 2026-10-29 |

Federal law applies on top of this: see [federal subscription law](https://checkbox.site/laws/federal).

## The law {#laws}

### Automatic Renewal Protections Act of 2018 {#automatic-renewal-protections-act-of-2018}

- **Citation:** [D.C. Code §§ 28A-201 to 28A-204](https://code.dccouncil.gov/us/dc/council/code/sections/28A-203)
- **Effective:** 2019-09-11
- **Status:** In force
- **Verified:** 2026-10-29, official text read in full (confidence: high)

Renewal provision and cancellation procedure disclosed clearly, conspicuously and next to the consent request; post-trial price; 30-60 day renewal notices for 12-month+ terms (first renewal and yearly); 15-30 day trial notice and separate renewal consent for trials of a month or more. Violations void the renewal provision and violate the Consumer Protection Procedures Act (good-faith-error defense).

**Scope:** "Consumer" is any person acquiring goods or services (no personal-use limitation). Exempt: DISB-regulated insurers, banks and other depository institutions, PSC/FCC/FERC-regulated services, and service contracts (§ 28A-204).

## Requirements {#requirements}

Each row is one obligation in the catalog, in plain English, with the provision it comes from. "Applies when" lists the conditions under which it applies (otherwise it always applies to covered offers). The ids are stable and match the [dataset](https://checkbox.site/laws/data) and Checkbox API results.

### At sign-up {#signup}

| Requirement | Applies when | Effective | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| **Disclose the automatic renewal provision and cancellation procedure clearly and conspicuously** A contract that automatically renews at the end of a definite term must disclose the automatic renewal provision and the cancellation procedure clearly and conspicuously in the contract, visually proximate to any request for consent. <br>`US-DC.28A-203.a` | always | 2019-09-11 | [D.C. Code § 28A-203(a); § 28A-202(1)](https://code.dccouncil.gov/us/dc/council/code/sections/28A-203) |
| **Explain the post-trial price** If the offer includes a free gift or trial, clearly and conspicuously explain the price charged after the trial ends or how the subscription price will change when it ends. <br>`US-DC.28A-203.a.trial` | free trial | 2019-09-11 | [D.C. Code § 28A-203(a) (second sentence)](https://code.dccouncil.gov/us/dc/council/code/sections/28A-203) |
| **Separate affirmative consent to the automatic renewal after a free trial** Notwithstanding the consumer's consent to the free trial, obtain the consumer's affirmative consent to the automatic renewal before charging for it. <br>`US-DC.28A-203.c.2` | free trial | 2019-09-11 | [D.C. Code § 28A-203(c)(2)](https://code.dccouncil.gov/us/dc/council/code/sections/28A-203) |

### Before charges (notices and reminders) {#reminder}

| Requirement | Applies when | Effective | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| **Renewal notice 30-60 days before the cancellation deadline (12-month+ initial terms), every year** For an initial term of 12 months or more that renews for one month or more, notify the consumer of the first renewal and annually thereafter, 30 to 60 days before the cancellation deadline, by first-class mail, email, or another accessible form the consumer authorized, disclosing clearly and conspicuously: that it will renew unless cancelled; the cost for the renewal term; the cancellation deadline; and how to get details of the renewal and cancellation procedures. Email notices must include active links to cancel. <br>`US-DC.28A-203.b` | term ≥ 12 months | 2019-09-11 | [D.C. Code § 28A-203(b)](https://code.dccouncil.gov/us/dc/council/code/sections/28A-203) |
| **Trial notice 15-30 days before a free trial of one month or more ends** For a free trial with a term of one month or more that automatically renews when the trial ends, notify the consumer of the automatic renewal 15 to 30 days before the trial expires. <br>`US-DC.28A-203.c.1` | free trial, trial ≥ 28 days | 2019-09-11 | [D.C. Code § 28A-203(c)(1)](https://code.dccouncil.gov/us/dc/council/code/sections/28A-203) |

## Notice windows {#notice-windows}

When each notice must be sent. A notice outside its window does not count, so schedule sends against the exact dates.

| Notice | When | Applies when | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Renewal notice 30-60 days before the cancellation deadline (12-month+ initial terms), every year | 30-60 days before the cancellation deadline | term ≥ 12 months | [D.C. Code § 28A-203(b)](https://code.dccouncil.gov/us/dc/council/code/sections/28A-203) |
| Trial notice 15-30 days before a free trial of one month or more ends | 15-30 days before the trial ends | free trial, trial ≥ 28 days | [D.C. Code § 28A-203(c)(1)](https://code.dccouncil.gov/us/dc/council/code/sections/28A-203) |

Several states use overlapping windows; one email can often satisfy all of them. See [free-trial notices](https://checkbox.site/docs/learn/free-trial-notices) and [price increases](https://checkbox.site/docs/learn/subscription-price-increases).

## Who can sue, and remedies {#enforcement}

**Private right of action:** Indirectly: private suits go through general consumer-protection law.

Violations void the renewal provision and violate the Consumer Protection Procedures Act (CPPA; good-faith-error defense); private CPPA suits are likely.

Remedy figures come from the cited statutes and from public enforcement records summarized in Checkbox's litigation research; figures from secondary sources are marked "unverified" where they appear.

## Check your subscription flow {#check}

Checkbox evaluates these requirements automatically: the sign-up page, the emails and the cancellation flow are checked against District of Columbia's rules (and every other jurisdiction's) on every check. 11 machine checks cover this page: `signup.disclosure.autorenew_language`, `signup.disclosure.cancellation_policy`, `signup.disclosure.conspicuous`, `signup.disclosure.proximity`, `signup.disclosure.trial_terms`, `signup.disclosure.price`, `reminder.annual_renewal`, `reminder.trial_ending`, `config.trial_reminder_enabled`, `signup.consent.affirmative`, `signup.consent.not_prechecked`.

- Free to start: [get test API keys](https://app.checkbox.site/sign-up) or connect the MCP server at `https://app.checkbox.site/mcp` from your coding assistant.
- Preflight a disclosure, a Stripe Checkout Session or an email before you ship: [preflight checks](https://checkbox.site/docs/preflight) (`--jurisdictions US-DC` limits a check to District of Columbia's rules).
- Start from the [subscription compliance checklist](https://checkbox.site/docs/learn/subscription-compliance-checklist).

## Data and citation {#data}

This page is generated from the open [subscription law dataset](https://checkbox.site/laws/data) (catalog `2026.11.01.1`, CC BY 4.0), available as [JSON](https://checkbox.site/laws/data.json) and [CSV](https://checkbox.site/laws/data.csv). Cite it as: *Checkbox, "District of Columbia automatic renewal law", checkbox.site/laws/district-of-columbia, catalog 2026.11.01.1 (last reviewed 2026-10-29).* Report an error: support@checkbox.site.

> **Not legal advice**
>
> A summary for builders, not legal advice. Requirements are drafted from the cited sources and are pending attorney review; laws change — check the catalog version and the source links, and have counsel review your final terms.