Gyms in Arlington

An Arlington gym falls under the state Health Spa Act when it sells memberships for instruction in, or use of facilities for, a physical exercise program. The Act excludes tax-exempt nonprofits, member-owned private clubs, dance- or aerobics-only studios, rehab providers and school programs.

• Registration: each covered location needs its own health spa certificate from the Secretary of State, which costs $100 and lasts one year. Look the gym up on the SOS online health spa search, or on the weekly PDF list updated every Wednesday.
• Posted certificate: the certificate must hang conspicuously at the location, and your contract must include the registration number.
• Security: unless exempt, a gym posts $20,000 to $50,000 per location with the SOS for members who lose money if it closes. The search shows whether security is posted.

A contract is void if the gym wasn't registered when you signed. Gyms may not advertise that they are "bonded by the state".

Arlington gyms set their own prices. Nationally, the average gym membership was $28.58 a month in 2021 (Statista, cited by Forbes Health), with prices from about $10 to $300. Fixr's January 2025 figures put a basic gym at $15 to $40 a month and gyms with more advanced equipment at $50 to $100.

Watch the extras. A gym that never requires contracts or prepayment beyond 31 days, financing, automatic bank drafts or initiation fees can skip the security requirement. One that charges an initiation fee or drafts your account monthly generally must post security or qualify another way. The Texas gyms guide has the full contract checklist.

Texas sets the limits, and your contract must state some of them in conspicuous 10-point type:

• You can cancel for a full refund by certified mail by midnight of the third business day after the contract date.
• A contract can't run longer than three years, and financed contracts can't require payments for more than five years.
• If you die or become totally and permanently disabled, you or your estate can cancel and get unearned payments back.
• If the gym closes without offering facilities within 10 miles, moves more than 10 miles, or fails to provide advertised services, you can cancel for a partial refund.

Storm closures at Arlington gyms

Arlington has seen damaging storms, including the March 28, 2000 tornadoes. If a gym is unusable for 30 days or more because of something beyond the owner's control, such as a natural disaster, it must extend your contract by the same time.

A Texas gym must post notice inside and outside each entrance at least 30 days before closing or relocating, and tell the Secretary of State; that notice isn't required after a fire, flood or act of God. Members can then claim against its security by mailing their contract and proof of payment to the SOS within 90 days of the closure notice appearing on the SOS website.

If you buy a presale membership at a new Arlington gym, the prepayments must sit in an FDIC-insured escrow account until 30 days after opening, unless the gym is exempt. If it doesn't open within 180 days of first selling memberships, or doesn't stay open 30 days, you're generally entitled to a full refund.

For a dispute, call the Attorney General's Consumer Protection Division at (800) 621-0508; the SOS only registers gyms and has no say over how they do business. A Health Spa Act violation counts as a deceptive trade practice, and members can't waive the Act's protections, whatever the contract says. Compare gyms in Grand Prairie, or see Arlington dentists and the Arlington local services page.