Fitness membership agreement template
A fitness membership agreement sets out what a member pays, for how long, and how they get out of it. Those three points cause nearly every complaint about gyms. This template is written for independent gyms, studios and boxes: clear dues, a minimum term, monthly renewal after it, and a cancellation process that's as easy as joining. Read it below, then open it in SignMaster and have new members sign at the desk or from home.
Updated November 5, 2026 · 3 min read
The contract
Gray blanks are yours to fill in before you send. Each signer fills in the blanks in their color.
- You, before sending
- Member
- Club representative
Fitness Membership Agreement
This Fitness Membership Agreement (the "Agreement") is made on Agreement date between Club name, located at Club address (the "Club"), and Member name (the "Member").
1. Membership
- Membership type: Membership type
- Start date: Membership start date
- Includes: Included services
- Access hours: Access hours
Personal training, specialty programs and some classes are sold separately under their own agreements.
2. Fees
- Enrollment fee, due today: Enrollment fee.
- Monthly dues: Monthly dues, charged automatically on day Billing day of month of each month to the payment method on file.
- Annual facility fee, if any: Annual fee, charged each Annual fee month.
- Failed or returned payment fee: Failed payment fee.
The Club collects payment details through its own billing system, not on this form. It will give the Member at least Price change notice days days' written notice before changing the dues, and the Member may cancel before the change takes effect without any early cancellation fee.
3. Term and automatic renewal
The membership has a minimum term of Minimum term in months months. After that, it renews automatically every month at the then-current dues until the Member cancels under section 4.
4. Canceling
- After the minimum term, the Member may cancel with Cancel notice days days' notice by How to cancel. Canceling is as simple as joining: no reason is needed.
- Canceling during the minimum term costs Early cancellation fee, unless one of the next two points applies.
- The Member may cancel without a fee by giving proof that they have moved more than Relocation distance in miles miles from the Club, or a doctor's note that they can't exercise for the rest of the term.
- If state law gives the Member a period to cancel after signing, or other cancellation rights, those rights apply in addition to this section, and the Club will give any notice the law requires.
5. Freezing
The Member may freeze the membership for up to Freeze months per year months a year, with Freeze notice days days' notice, for Freeze fee per month a month. A frozen month doesn't count toward the minimum term.
6. Health and exercise risks
The Member confirms that no doctor has told them not to exercise, or that they'll get medical clearance first, and will tell staff about any condition that affects their training. Exercise carries risks, from strains and falls to, rarely, heart problems. The Member accepts these ordinary risks of using the Club and releases the Club from claims arising from them. The release doesn't cover injury caused by the Club's gross negligence or willful misconduct.
7. Club rules
The Member will follow the Club's posted rules, wipe down equipment, return weights, and treat staff and other members with respect. Guest policy: Guest policy. The Club isn't responsible for lost or stolen belongings, so lockers should be locked and valuables left at home. The Club may suspend or end a membership for serious or repeated rule breaking, refunding any dues paid for time not yet used.
8. Access card
The Member's access card or app pass is personal and can't be shared or transferred. A replacement card costs Replacement card fee. The Club may keep a photo of the Member on file to check entry.
9. Closure or relocation
If the Club closes for good, or moves to a place much farther from the Member, the Member may cancel and receive a refund of any prepaid dues and fees for time not yet used.
10. General terms
This Agreement is governed by the laws of the state of State. If a part of it can't be enforced, the rest still applies. Electronic signatures on it count as originals, and the Member will receive a signed copy.
Member contact details
Date of birth: Date of birth Phone: Member phone Email: Member email Emergency contact: Emergency contact
I understand that after the minimum term my membership renews every month until I cancel, how to cancel, and the fees in section 2.
Member
Club representative
Opens it in SignMaster as a template you can edit and send.
A starting point, not legal advice. Have a lawyer review it for your state and situation.
On this page
Why the agreement matters
Members rarely read a membership contract until they want to leave. If the minimum term, the renewal and the way to cancel weren't clear when they signed, that's when the angry reviews and chargebacks start. A plain agreement, signed with the dues and dates filled in, settles those questions before they're asked, and gives your front desk one page to point to.
It also covers what a gym needs day to day: a health statement, a release for the ordinary risks of training, guest rules, and what happens to a member's access card.
What the template covers
- Membership: type, start date, what's included and access hours, with training and specialty programs sold separately.
- Fees: enrollment, monthly dues on a set billing day, an optional annual fee, and a failed payment fee.
- Price changes: written notice in advance, and the right to cancel before a rise takes effect.
- Term and renewal: a minimum term, then month to month, stated in one sentence.
- Canceling: the notice period and method, an early cancellation fee, and fee-free exits for moving away or a medical reason.
- Freezes, health and the risk release, club rules, access cards, and closure or relocation.
Mistakes that turn members into complaints
- Cancellation only by certified letter or in person. Make it as easy to cancel as it was to join, and write down exactly how.
- Hiding the auto-renewal. Many states have automatic renewal laws that require clear disclosure and the member's agreement; a separate tick box is the simplest proof.
- Typing card numbers into the contract. Collect payment details in your billing system, not on a PDF that gets emailed around.
- Ignoring your state's health club law. Several states give members a few days to cancel after signing, cap contract length, or require specific notice wording.
Add your state's health club rules
Health club and automatic renewal laws vary a lot by state, from cancellation windows to the exact notice you must print. The template has general wording and a blank for your state, and section 4 keeps any extra cancellation rights your state gives. If your state requires its own notice wording, add it once in a Text box with the editor's Markup tools, and every agreement after that carries it.
How to send it with SignMaster
- 1
Open the template
Choose Use this template. The member signs first and a club representative countersigns.
- 2
Set your club's terms
Fill in the gray blanks: club name and address, dues, fees, minimum term, notice periods, how to cancel and your guest policy. For several plans, duplicate the template once per membership type.
- 3
Sign up members at the desk
Start the envelope and hand the new member your iPad with in-person signing. They fill in the blue blanks, contact details and emergency contact, tick the renewal box and sign.
- 4
Or let them join online
Put a public signing link behind the Join button on your website. Each person who opens it gets their own agreement, and you countersign as it comes in.
- 5
Everyone keeps a copy
When both of you have signed, the member gets the signed PDF by email, which is the copy they'll look for when they want to check the cancellation terms.
When your prices change
Raising dues across the club means notifying every member. Export your member list and use bulk send to send each person an updated agreement or a short price-change notice, with their name and new dues filled in from the spreadsheet. Each member signs their own copy, and you can see who hasn't.
Questions? Answers.
Is this the same as a gym waiver?
No. The membership agreement covers money, term and rules, and includes a short risk release. Many gyms also use a fuller gym waiver, especially for classes, guests and day passes.
Can members cancel by email?
That's up to you, but make it easy. Write the exact method in section 4, such as by email to a named address or through your app, and check whether your state requires a particular method.
Do I need a new agreement when a member upgrades?
It's cleanest to send a new agreement with the new membership type and dues, so the signed terms always match what they pay.
Can a member under 18 sign?
No. Have a parent or guardian sign for a minor, and give them your club's rules for teenage members, such as supervised hours.