Matchmakers and dating services in the US: what the law says

In the US, what most people call a dating agency is usually sold as a matchmaker or a dating service: a business that, for a fee, introduces you to people from its own client list, sometimes searching beyond it. The law that protects you comes from your state, not from Washington. Several states have statutes written specifically for dating service contracts, and they are more detailed than anything in UK law.

This guide covers four states whose statutes we read in full on 8 November 2026. It is general information, not legal advice, and other states may have rules we haven't covered here.

The rules at a glance

All four states give you three business days to change your mind. Beyond that, they differ on contract length, moving home and how fast a refund must arrive.

California

California's law covers any business offering dating, matrimonial or social referral services, whether by swapping names and details, by photo or video selection, by personal introductions at its office or through social events it runs. Online dating services are covered too, with some lighter rules.

• The contract must be in writing, and you must get a copy when you sign. Near your signature, in bold type of at least 10 point, it must tell you that you can cancel.
• Three business days to cancel. You can cancel until midnight of the third business day after the contract date; Sundays and holidays don't count. Send a signed, dated notice to the address in the contract. The business must refund everything you paid within 10 days of receiving it.
• No lifetime deals. Payments can't run for more than two years from the contract date, and the term can't be measured by your lifetime.
• Death or disability. If death or disability stops you using the service, you or your estate can stop paying for services not yet received and get a prompt refund of anything prepaid. A disability needs a written note from a physician you choose. If it is expected to last under six months, the business may extend the contract by six months at no extra cost instead.
• Moving. If you move more than 50 miles from the office and the contract can't be transferred to a comparable service, you can stop paying and get a refund for services not received. The business may keep a fee of up to $100, or $50 if more than half the term has passed.
• A contract that breaks these rules can be cancelled by you at any time.

New York

New York regulates social referral services: any fee-based service that matches people for dating or social contact, by computer or otherwise. Its rules are the most detailed we found.

• Price and length: the cash price can't exceed $1,000 and the service can't run beyond two years. Online dating services are exempt from the price cap if each term, including renewals, is a year or less and the higher price is reasonable for what is offered.
• Referrals you can count on: a contract costing more than $25 must state how many referrals you'll get each month, unless the service lets you search or presents matches to you. If the business misses them for two months running, you can cancel and get your money back, less a cancellation fee of no more than 15% of the cash price or a pro rata amount for referrals already made, whichever is greater.
• No forced extras: you can't be made to buy photography, coaching or other add-ons as a condition of joining.
• Pausing: you can put your membership on hold for up to a year by written notice.
• Distance: the contract must state how far you are willing to travel, and you mustn't be sent referrals beyond it, unless the service is national or global.
• Your information: it can't be passed on without your written consent, and must be returned or destroyed when the contract ends.
• Cancelling: you have three business days after receiving the written contract, which must come with a detachable cancellation form. The refund is due within 10 business days.
• A Dating Service Consumer Bill of Rights must be given to you, separately, at every sale and renewal.

The state Attorney General can seek penalties of up to $1,000 per violation, and you can sue for your actual losses or $50, whichever is greater.

Illinois

Illinois has a Dating Referral Services Act.

• Cancelling: you can cancel within three business days after the first business day following the day you sign, and get a full refund. If you bought before the business had opened, the window is seven calendar days. Notice must go by certified or registered mail, and the refund is due within 30 days.
• Moving: if you move more than 20 miles further from the business than you were, it must either find a comparable service within 25 miles of your new home that agrees to take on the contract, or let you cancel. You pay only for the time before you gave evidence of the move, plus any fee the contract allows, capped at the lesser of 10% of the unused balance or $50.
• Death: your estate owes only the charges up to the date of death.
• Not open yet: if a planned business doesn't open its facilities within six months, or within three months of a date stated in the contract, whichever is earlier, you can cancel and must be refunded within 30 days.

Arizona

Arizona's rule is short. You can cancel a dating referral contract within three business days after signing, by signed written notice sent by certified mail or delivered in person to the address in the contract or to the business. All your money must come back within 30 days.

If your state has no dating service law

Your state's general consumer protection law still applies, and so does the contract. Your state attorney general's consumer protection office can tell you which rules cover you. In any state:

1. Take the contract home. Three days is not long; don't sign at the first meeting.
2. Get the numbers in writing: how many introductions, over what period, of whom, within what distance.
3. Read the cancellation and refund clauses before you pay, and note any renewal date.
4. Pay by credit card where you can, so you have the card issuer's dispute process if things go wrong.
5. Keep everything: the brochure, emails and notes of what the matchmaker told you.

Our questions to ask a dating agency work for US matchmakers too, and warning signs when choosing an agency covers the pressure tactics to walk away from.

Scams and where to report them

A matchmaker's client list is not immune to romance fraud, and online dating certainly isn't. The Federal Trade Commission's advice is simple: never send money or gifts to someone you haven't met in person, and be wary of anyone who asks you to move to a private chat quickly or always has a reason not to meet. Report a scam to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. Our guide to how romance scams work explains the patterns.

If you would rather search for yourself, how online dating works explains the alternative, and what dating agencies cost helps you compare the money. For other countries, see dating agency rules by country.