The State of the States report provides a comprehensive overview of the legislative and regulatory landscape shaping the operations of health and fitness facilities across all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
As the US health and fitness sector continues to grow, diversify, and evolve, so too does the policy environment that shapes how gyms, health clubs, studios, and other fitness businesses operate. It is for this reason that the Health & Fitness Association (HFA) developed the State of the States report: a definitive, state-by-state guide to the US fitness industry’s legislative and regulatory landscape.
State of the States is designed to help operators, policymakers, and industry stakeholders better understand the regulatory environment, market conditions, and key policy developments that affect fitness businesses nationwide. These insights allow the sector to track year-over-year changes, anticipate emerging policy risks, support advocacy campaigns, and ensure compliance with state-level requirements.
Report highlights
More than 160 fitness-relevant bills were considered in 2025
21 bills were enacted into law, with many more eligible for carryover into 2026
Consumer protection, pricing transparency, and auto-renewal policies dominated legislative activity
Growing focus on biometric data, click-to-cancel rules, and health and sanitation standards
Only eight states did not consider new legislation in any of the policy areas tracked, underscoring how actively state policymakers are engaging with issues that affect fitness businesses.
Scope
The report is structured in two complementary parts. The first half offers a year-in-review analysis of state legislative and regulatory developments, highlighting enacted laws, significant proposals, and emerging policy trends affecting fitness facilities.
The second half functions as a compliance reference tool. Comparative tables provide a standardized, cross-state summary of major operator requirements, allowing readers to quickly identify areas of alignment or difference across states. Together, these tables consolidate complex statutory and regulatory obligations into an accessible format designed to support rapid compliance checks, multi-state planning, and internal risk assessment.
Areas of Legislative Activity Tracked:
Advertising & Transparency Requirements
Click-to-Cancel and Auto-Renewal Restrictions
Consumer Protection and Membership Practices
Fitness-Related Tax Policy
Geolocation & Biometric Data Collection Restrictions
Health and Sanitation Requirements
Liability Waivers
Personnel & Accessibility Requirements
Treatment of Independent Contractors
Compliance Areas Covered
AED Liability Requirements
Automatic Renewal Restrictions
Bonding/Escrow Requirements
Click to Cancel
Cold Spa and Sauna Temperature Regulations
Cold Spa Lifeguard and Sanitation Compliance
Collection of Customer Location Data for Check-in Purposes
Collection of Fingerprint Scans for Barcode Entry
Compliance with Auto-Expire Provisions
Cooling-Off Period
Credit/Debit Card Collection Prohibition for Free Trial Enrollment
Disclosure and Affirmative Consent for Monthly or Annual Membership
Does the State Sales Tax Apply to Non-profit Fitness Memberships?
Free Trial Restrictions
Immediate Cancellation or Immediate Halting Charges Language
Liability Waiver Ban
Price Transparency and Total Price Advertising Requirements
Property Tax on Publicly-Funded Facilities
Refund Timelines
Required Cancellation Methods
Service Animal Access Requirements – Emotional Support Animals
State mandates for fitness instructors or personal trainers to hold specific licenses or certifications
State mandates on accessible design (beyond ADA)
State Sales Tax on Fitness Facility Memberships
Stricter-than-Federal Franchise Disclosure Obligations
Treatment of Independent Contractors
Youth Access & Age Restrictions
Methodology
Research for this report is based on publicly available state legislative, regulatory, and rulemaking sources. The Health & Fitness Association partnered with Stateside Associates, a state government affairs firm with more than 30 years of experience, to conduct a comprehensive review of statutes, regulations, legislative activity, and rulemaking, supplemented by HFA’s internal policy tracking.
