How long does consent last?
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The answer depends on the type of consent you collected and which laws apply to your audience.
Explicit consent, where someone actively opted in, generally lasts until the subscriber withdraws it. When they unsubscribe, consent ends. There's no legal expiration clock running unless they leave. That said, a subscriber who opted in four years ago and hasn't opened anything in eighteen months isn't really on your list in any meaningful sense, legally valid consent aside.
CASL is stricter. It puts hard time limits on implicit consent (consent inferred from a transaction or relationship rather than an explicit opt-in): typically 24 months from the last transaction for customer relationships, or 6 months from an inquiry. After those windows close, you need explicit consent or you stop sending. CASL's limits apply when you're emailing Canadians regardless of where you're based.
Beyond legal timeframes, there's a practical reality: list decay happens whether consent is technically valid or not. Long-dormant subscribers eventually generate spam complaints that hurt your sender reputation, regardless of what they agreed to years ago.
Some senders run consent refresh campaigns periodically, asking long-term subscribers to confirm they still want to hear from you. You'll lose some names, but the ones who stay are the ones who actually open. If your list is aging and you're not sure where you stand, we clean lists and can tell you which addresses are worth keeping. RME Clean is a one-time fee and you walk away knowing exactly what you have.
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