Your subscription cancellation rights in Connecticut

What the law says

Connecticut layers three regimes: the base statute (CGS § 42-126b) requires written cancellation notice 14 to 60 days ahead for consumer contracts longer than 180 days that renew for more than 31 days; the 2023 law (PA 23-191, for agreements entered or amended since October 2023) requires affirmative consent before any charge including promotional rates and an online cancellation path for online sign-ups; and amendments effective July 1, 2026 add an annual renewal reminder regardless of term length, ban in-person-or-mail-only cancellation, require voicemail cancellation requests to be processed within one business day, and oblige phone agents to tell subscribers they may cancel at any time before pitching retention offers — violations are unfair trade practices under CUTPA.

The July 2026 amendments are enforced with visible intent: the Attorney General and the Department of Consumer Protection publicly warned businesses within weeks of commencement and invited consumer complaints. Few states pair fresh rules with fresh enforcement appetite this directly.

The rules that decide real disputes

The annual reminder. Every covered auto-renewing contract earns a yearly reminder naming the service, the billing frequency and amount, and how to cancel — sent through the channel the subscription was activated in or one you normally use. A Connecticut subscription that has renewed silently for years past mid-2026 has a citable defect.

The exit channels. In-person-only and mail-only cancellation is banned. A business with an online platform must offer a clear online cancellation option or a dedicated cancellation email address. For online sign-ups, the 2023 layer already required an online exit — a direct link or email path.

The phone rules. A voicemail asking to cancel must be processed within one business day. And an agent may not walk you through discounts, retention benefits or warnings about what you will lose without first telling you that you may cancel at any time; say the word “cancel” clearly, and the cancellation must be processed.

Consent before charging. Since October 2023, no covered business may charge you — even at a promotional rate — without your affirmative consent to the renewal or continuous-service terms.

The base layer for long contracts

Underneath sits the older notice statute: consumer contracts longer than 180 days that renew for more than 31 days require clear written cancellation notice 14 to 60 days ahead. The alarm contract and the annual service plan live here; the layers stack rather than replace each other.

The order to work in

1. For a silent renewal, ask for the reminder. When was the annual reminder sent, and through which channel? Absence is the defect to name.

2. For an obstructed exit, name the channel rule. Online platform without an online cancellation path, or a demand to appear in person — both are directly non-compliant since July 2026.

3. Escalate to the enforcers who asked to hear from you. The Attorney General and the Department of Consumer Protection both take complaints, and a violation is an unfair trade practice under CUTPA — which supports consumer remedies as well.

This page gives general information, not legal advice. Statutes are summarised; the wording that binds is the current text of the law itself. For a contested case, a consumer-protection office or a licensed attorney in your state is the right address.

Source: Connecticut Attorney General / CGS § 42-126b, checked September 9, 2026. · How we verify legal content