Maine automatic renewal law
Maine'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.
At a glance
| Applies to | Consumers in Maine, wherever the business is located |
| Laws | Maine automatic subscription or health club membership renewal law; Maine charges after free trial period |
| Effective | 2020-01-02 (amended; latest change effective 2026-01-01); 2009-09-12 |
| Status | In force; In force |
| Requirements in the catalog | 5 (1 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.
The law
Maine automatic subscription or health club membership renewal law
- Citation: 10 M.R.S. §§ 1210-C, 1210-D (ch. 205-B)
- Effective: 2020-01-02
- Status: In force
- Verified: 2026-10-29, official text read in full (confidence: high)
Covered digital subscriptions (and, from 2026, health clubs). From Jan. 1, 2026: clear and easily accessible disclosure of material terms and cancellation methods; express consent by check box or other affirmative act; cancellation by the same method and manner as sign-up; notice no more than 30 days before 12-month+ renewals; treble refunds for unauthorized charges. 2020-2025: disclosure of cancellation methods, online cancellation, and 30-60 day notice before the cancellation deadline for 12-month+ subscriptions.
Scope: Covers only these subscriptions: online magazines, journals and periodicals; online media players; mobile apps; social networking services; internet game services; online software; and (from 2026) health club memberships (§ 1210-C(1)(A)). Physical-goods subscriptions are outside § 1210-C. Unauthorized charges must be refunded or credited at three times the amount (§ 1210-D).
| Amendment | Effective | Change |
|---|---|---|
| P.L. 2025, c. 376 (LD 1642) | 2026-01-01 | Express consent, same-method cancellation, misrepresentation, revised notice timing, health clubs, treble refunds, AG enforcement. |
Maine charges after free trial period
- Citation: 10 M.R.S. §§ 1210-1210-B (ch. 205-A)
- Effective: 2009-09-12
- Status: In force
- Verified: 2026-10-29, official text read in full (confidence: medium)
Free offers that convert to paid: billing information must come directly from the consumer and the offer terms must be disclosed clearly and conspicuously. Violations are UTPA violations (§ 1210-A).
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 and Checkbox API results.
At sign-up
| Requirement | Applies when | Effective | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
Clear, conspicuous and easily accessible disclosure of all material terms and the ways to cancel Present a clear, conspicuous and easily accessible disclosure of all material terms of the renewal offer — including the amount and frequency of charges and the refund policy on cancellation — and of the methods the consumer may use to cancel; any cancellation phone number must be toll-free and prominently displayed in the disclosure. No misrepresentation of material facts about the renewal offer. US-ME.1210-C.2.disclosure | always | 2026-01-01 | 10 M.R.S. § 1210-C(2) |
Express consent to the renewal by check box, e-signature or other affirmative action Before enrollment, obtain the consumer's express consent to the automatic renewal through a check box, electronic signature or other affirmative action agreeing to the renewal offer. US-ME.1210-C.2.consent | always | 2026-01-01 | 10 M.R.S. § 1210-C(2) |
Free offers: get billing information directly from the consumer and disclose the free-offer terms A seller may not make a free offer (one that obligates the consumer to pay unless they contact the seller) unless, when the consumer agrees, the seller obtains the billing information directly from the consumer and clearly and conspicuously discloses the terms of the free offer, including any additional financial obligations. US-ME.1210.2 | free trial | 2009-09-12 | 10 M.R.S. § 1210(2) |
Before charges (notices and reminders)
| Requirement | Applies when | Effective | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
Renewal notice no more than 30 days before renewal for 12-month+ subscriptions For an extended renewal (subscription term of 12 months or more renewing for more than one month), notify the consumer no more than 30 days before the renewal date, disclosing clearly and conspicuously that it will renew unless cancelled and where to obtain details of the renewal and cancellation procedure. US-ME.1210-C.3 | term ≥ 12 months | 2026-01-01 | 10 M.R.S. § 1210-C(1)(B), (3) |
Cancelling
| Requirement | Applies when | Effective | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
Cancellation by the same method and in the same manner as sign-up Provide for cancellation of the subscription or membership using the same method, and in the same manner, by which the consumer initially agreed to it (an online sign-up must be cancellable online). US-ME.1210-C.2.cancel | always | 2026-01-01 | 10 M.R.S. § 1210-C(2) |
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 no more than 30 days before renewal for 12-month+ subscriptions | 0-30 days before renewal | term ≥ 12 months | 10 M.R.S. § 1210-C(1)(B), (3) |
Several states use overlapping windows; one email can often satisfy all of them. See free-trial notices and price increases.
Who can sue, and remedies
Private right of action: Indirectly: private suits go through general consumer-protection law.
Treble refund of amounts charged in violation (§ 1210-D); Attorney General enforcement; private enforcement through the state's general consumer-protection (UDAP) statute is inferred, not verified.
Recorded in the catalog: double or treble damages, refunds or restitution.
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.
Earlier versions
Obligations the law replaced. They still apply to conduct before the date shown.
| Requirement | In force until | Citation |
|---|---|---|
Disclose the ways to cancel and provide online cancellation (2020-2025 text) US-ME.1210-C.2.2020 | 2026-01-01 | 10 M.R.S. § 1210-C(2) (P.L. 2019, c. 175) |
Renewal notice 30-60 days before the cancellation deadline for 12-month+ subscriptions (2020-2025 text) US-ME.1210-C.3.2020 | 2026-01-01 | 10 M.R.S. § 1210-C(3) (P.L. 2019, c. 175) |
Check your subscription flow
Checkbox evaluates these requirements automatically: the sign-up page, the emails and the cancellation flow are checked against Maine's rules (and every other jurisdiction's) on every check. 13 machine checks cover this page.
- Free to start: get test API keys or connect the MCP server at
https://app.checkbox.site/mcpfrom your coding assistant. - Preflight a disclosure, a Stripe Checkout Session or an email before you ship: preflight checks (
--jurisdictions US-MElimits a check to Maine's rules). - Start from the subscription compliance checklist.
Data and citation
This page is generated from the open subscription law dataset (catalog 2026.11.01.1, CC BY 4.0), available as JSON and CSV. Cite it as: Checkbox, "Maine automatic renewal law", checkbox.site/laws/maine, catalog 2026.11.01.1 (last reviewed 2026-10-29). Report an error: support@checkbox.site.
Checkbox is compliance software, not a law firm; nothing in these docs is legal advice (details). You remain solely responsible for your subscription program, and Checkbox takes on no legal liability for it (Terms). Checkbox is a System1 company; Trust center · Status. For AI agents: every page is available as Markdown at the same URL plus .md; the index is /llms.txt.