Can You Freeze LA Fitness Membership?
Yes, LA Fitness allows members to freeze their account for up to three months for a $10 monthly hold fee, extendable in cases of injury or deployment.
Quick Answer
Yes, LA Fitness allows you to freeze your membership for up to three months for a $10 per month hold fee. Medical freezes with a doctor's note can extend to six months. Military deployments qualify for indefinite freezes with orders.
You must request a freeze in person at your home club or by certified mail. It cannot be done online or through the app.
The Standard Freeze Terms
A standard freeze runs one to three months. The account is placed on hold, your barcode stops working at the door, and your monthly rate drops to a $10 hold fee.
You can request the freeze at any time. It takes effect on your next billing cycle. Retroactive freezes are not allowed, so plan ahead if you know you will be traveling.
Medical and Military Freezes
- Medical freeze: Provide a signed doctor's note stating you cannot exercise. Freeze can extend to 6 months with no hold fee.
- Military deployment: Provide official deployment orders. Membership is frozen with no fee for the length of deployment.
- Pregnancy: A doctor's note qualifies for a medical freeze. Some clubs also waive the hold fee for this specific case.
- Job relocation: Not a qualifying reason for a fee-free freeze. Use the standard $10/month freeze.
How to Request a Freeze
Visit your home club and ask the Operations Manager for a "membership hold" form. Fill it in with the start date and duration. Get a stamped copy.
Alternatively, mail a signed request to Fitness International LLC (same address as cancellation). Include your barcode, dates and reason.
What Happens During the Freeze
Your barcode is disabled at the turnstile. You cannot use guest passes. You cannot swap onto Signature or downgrade the plan. Personal training packages are also frozen and their expiration dates extend by the freeze length.
The $10 hold fee is charged automatically each month of the freeze. If you do not want to pay it, cancel instead.
Coming Off a Freeze
The freeze auto-ends on the date you selected. Your card is automatically charged the full monthly rate on the next billing cycle. No action needed on your part.
If you want to end the freeze early, visit the club and ask them to reactivate. If you want to extend, you must submit a new request before the current freeze ends.
When Freeze Is Better Than Cancel
Freeze if you plan to return within six months. You keep your locked-in monthly rate and avoid paying another $99 initiation fee on rejoin.
Cancel if you are unlikely to be back within a year. The $10-per-month freeze fees stack up; six months of freeze at $10 plus the cost of rejoining eats the savings from keeping your rate lock.
Pro Tips Before You Commit
- Tour on a weekday evening between 5pm and 7pm. That is the busiest window. If the equipment is still accessible then, it will be fine any other time.
- Ask for the promotional rate, do not accept the rack rate. LA Fitness runs quiet in-club promos almost every month; sales counselors have discretion to waive the initiation fee if you ask.
- Get every quote in writing. Verbal promises about future price locks are worth nothing once the sales rep leaves the club.
- Read the exact clause on annual fees. Most members are surprised in month 8 by a $59 annual fee they were never verbally told about.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I freeze right after signing up? Yes, but the initiation fee is still due at sign-up.
Can I use LA Fitness during a freeze? No, your barcode is disabled at the door.
Does the annual fee still hit during a freeze? Yes, the annual fee bills on schedule regardless of freeze status.
Can I freeze more than once per year? Officially no, but managers often approve a second freeze if the first ended cleanly.
Bottom Line
Freeze if you will be back in three months and want to protect your rate lock. Cancel if you are unsure. The $10 hold fee makes freezing cheap enough to justify almost any short-term absence.