# Virginia automatic renewal law

> Virginia's automatic-renewal law for subscription businesses: 7 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 Virginia, wherever the business is located |
| Laws | Virginia Automatic Renewal Offers and Continuous Service Offers |
| Effective | 2018-07-01 (amended; latest change effective 2026-07-01) |
| Status | In force |
| Requirements in the catalog | 7 (3 with a notice window) |
| Private right of action | yes |
| Last reviewed | 2026-10-29 |

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

## The law {#laws}

### Virginia Automatic Renewal Offers and Continuous Service Offers {#virginia-automatic-renewal-offers-and-continuous-service-off}

- **Citation:** [Va. Code Ann. §§ 59.1-207.45 to 59.1-207.49](https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title59.1/chapter17.8/section59.1-207.46/)
- **Effective:** 2018-07-01
- **Status:** In force
- **Verified:** 2026-10-29, official text read in full (confidence: high)

Offer terms next to consent (strict clear-and-conspicuous standard online); affirmative consent; acknowledgment; cancellation at least as easy as sign-up through every sign-up channel with no required agent; material-change notice; free-trial notice within the last 30 days of trials over 30 days; 30-60 day notice for renewals extending more than 12 months. Violations are VCPA prohibited practices.

**Scope:** "Consumer" includes small businesses (independently owned, 250 or fewer employees or $10 million or less in receipts). Exempt (§ 59.1-207.48): franchised/SCC-, FCC- or FERC-regulated services, banks and other licensed financial institutions, insurers.

| Amendment | Effective | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 Va. Acts c. 557 (HB 78) | 2022-07-01 | Conspicuous online cancellation option for online sellers; trial acknowledgment wording. |
| 2023 Va. Acts c. 288 | 2023-07-01 | "Automatic renewal" limited to renewal terms of more than one month. |
| 2023 Va. Acts c. 688 (HB 1517) | 2023-07-01 | Free-trial notice for trials over 30 days. |
| 2024 Va. Acts c. 452 (HB 744) | 2024-07-01 | 30-60 day renewal notice; timing of disclosures and material-change notice. |
| 2026 Va. Acts cc. 931, 932 (HB 1022/SB 493) | 2026-07-01 | Cancellation-mechanism rewrite (as easy as sign-up, every channel, no required agent, phone rules); "seller"; clear-and-conspicuous standard. |

## 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| **Present the renewal terms clearly and conspicuously before the consumer is obligated, next to the consent request** Before the consumer becomes obligated and before the initial order is completed, present the automatic renewal offer terms — continues until cancelled; the cancellation policy including how to find the cancellation mechanism; recurring charges and any change; each deadline (by date or frequency) to stop charges; the renewal term or that service is continuous; any minimum purchase obligation — clearly and conspicuously and in visual (or temporal) proximity to the request for consent. <br>`US-VA.59.1-207.46.A.1` | always | 2018-07-01 | [Va. Code Ann. § 59.1-207.46(A)(1), (F); § 59.1-207.45](https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title59.1/chapter17.8/section59.1-207.46/) |
| **Obtain affirmative consent before charging** Before the initial order is completed, do not charge the consumer's card or third-party account without first obtaining affirmative consent to the agreement containing the offer terms. <br>`US-VA.59.1-207.46.A.2` | always | 2018-07-01 | [Va. Code Ann. § 59.1-207.46(A)(2)](https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title59.1/chapter17.8/section59.1-207.46/) |

### After sign-up (acknowledgment) {#confirmation}

| Requirement | Applies when | Effective | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| **Send a retainable acknowledgment; for free trials explain how to cancel before paying** Provide a retainable acknowledgment with the offer terms, cancellation policy and how to cancel; if the offer includes a free trial, also disclose how to cancel the trial before the consumer pays or becomes obligated to pay. <br>`US-VA.59.1-207.46.A.3` | always | 2018-07-01 | [Va. Code Ann. § 59.1-207.46(A)(3)](https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title59.1/chapter17.8/section59.1-207.46/) |

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

| Requirement | Applies when | Effective | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| **Notice of material changes before implementation** Before implementing a material change in accepted terms, give a clear and conspicuous notice of the change and retainable information on how to cancel. <br>`US-VA.59.1-207.46.C` | always | 2018-07-01 | [Va. Code Ann. § 59.1-207.46(C)](https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title59.1/chapter17.8/section59.1-207.46/) |
| **Notice within the last 30 days of a free trial longer than 30 days** For a free trial lasting more than 30 days, notify the consumer within 30 days of the end of the trial of the option to cancel before the trial ends to avoid an obligation to pay. <br>`US-VA.59.1-207.46.D` | free trial, trial ≥ 31 days | 2023-07-01 | [Va. Code Ann. § 59.1-207.46(D)](https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title59.1/chapter17.8/section59.1-207.46/) |
| **Renewal notice 30-60 days ahead for renewals extending the contract by more than 12 months** For an offer that renews after more than 30 days and extends the contract for more than 12 months, notify the consumer of the option to cancel 30 to 60 days before the cancellation deadline or the end of the current term, conspicuously disclosing that it will renew unless cancelled, the cancel-by date, how to cancel, and a copy of the renewal provisions. <br>`US-VA.59.1-207.46.E` | term ≥ 12 months | 2024-07-01 | [Va. Code Ann. § 59.1-207.46(E)](https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title59.1/chapter17.8/section59.1-207.46/) |

### Cancelling {#cancellation}

| Requirement | Applies when | Effective | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| **Cancellation at least as easy as sign-up, through every sign-up channel, without a required agent** Provide a cost-effective, timely, easy-to-use cancellation mechanism that is clear and conspicuous and easy to find; at least as easy as the sign-up mechanism; available through each method by which consumers can sign up (in-person sign-ups: online or by phone); no required interaction with a live or virtual agent unless sign-up is only possible through one; phone cancellation effectuated promptly on a number answered or recording messages during business hours, free of charge and no more costly than sign-up; print publications sold in person, by pamphlet or mail must be cancellable online or by phone. <br>`US-VA.59.1-207.46.B` | always | 2026-07-01 | [Va. Code Ann. § 59.1-207.46(B)](https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title59.1/chapter17.8/section59.1-207.46/) |

## 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Notice of material changes before implementation | any time before the price change | always | [Va. Code Ann. § 59.1-207.46(C)](https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title59.1/chapter17.8/section59.1-207.46/) |
| Notice within the last 30 days of a free trial longer than 30 days | 0-30 days before the trial ends | free trial, trial ≥ 31 days | [Va. Code Ann. § 59.1-207.46(D)](https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title59.1/chapter17.8/section59.1-207.46/) |
| Renewal notice 30-60 days ahead for renewals extending the contract by more than 12 months | 30-60 days before the cancellation deadline | term ≥ 12 months | [Va. Code Ann. § 59.1-207.46(E)](https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title59.1/chapter17.8/section59.1-207.46/) |

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:** Yes: the law lets consumers sue directly.

Virginia Consumer Protection Act private suit (actual damages or $500, trebled to $1,500 if willful); a reported $5,000-per-violation figure after the 2026 amendments is unverified (open question 12). Small businesses count as consumers; the good-faith defense was removed in 2026.

Recorded in the catalog: double or treble damages, statutory damages.

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 {#earlier-versions}

Obligations the law replaced. They still apply to conduct before the date shown.

| Requirement | In force until | Citation |
|---|---|---|
| Cancellation mechanism described in the acknowledgment (2018-2026 text) <br>`US-VA.59.1-207.46.B.2018` | 2026-07-01 | [Va. Code Ann. § 59.1-207.46(B) (2018 c. 704; through June 30, 2026)](https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title59.1/chapter17.8/section59.1-207.46/) |
| Conspicuous online cancellation option for online sellers (2022-2026 text) <br>`US-VA.59.1-207.46.B.2022` | 2026-07-01 | [Va. Code Ann. § 59.1-207.46(B) (2022 c. 557; through June 30, 2026)](https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title59.1/chapter17.8/section59.1-207.46/) |

## Check your subscription flow {#check}

Checkbox evaluates these requirements automatically: the sign-up page, the emails and the cancellation flow are checked against Virginia's rules (and every other jurisdiction's) on every check. 21 machine checks cover this page.

- 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-VA` limits a check to Virginia'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, "Virginia automatic renewal law", checkbox.site/laws/virginia, 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.