The short answer
Get an accredited certification and CPR/AED training, buy general and professional liability insurance, and check whether your city needs a permit to train in parks. No US state licenses personal trainers. Sell sessions in packages, screen every client's health before the first session, and have them sign a waiver. A health questionnaire, a waiver, a package payment form and a monthly check-in cover the paperwork.
The numbers
| State license | None required in any US stateNASM, 2026 |
|---|---|
| ACSM-CPT exam | $310 for members, $410 for non-membersACSM |
| ACE certification | Study programs from $494.50 on sale; exam $99 extraACE |
| What employed trainers earn | $22.67 an hour (median, May 2025)US Bureau of Labor Statistics |
| Example package | 1 session $70, or 10 for $600ACE |
| Self-employment tax | 15.3%, once you net $400 in a yearIRS |
US figures, checked on . Rules change by state and city, so check yours before you rely on them.
1 Get certified and trained in CPR
No state requires a license, but clients and gyms expect an accredited certification and current CPR/AED training.
"No US state currently requires personal trainers to hold a government-issued license" (NASM). Still, trainers "usually must be certified before they begin working with clients", and most also need CPR, first aid and AED certification (BLS).
Look for a certification accredited by the NCCA. Prices from the certifying bodies themselves: the ACSM-CPT exam is $310 for members and $410 for non-members (ACSM); ACE study programs start at $494.50 on sale, with the exam a $99 add-on, and ACE asks for adult CPR and AED with a hands-on skills check (ACE).
2 Register, insure and check where you can train
Register your business name, buy general and professional liability insurance, and check whether your city needs a permit to train clients in parks.
Register. Register your business name with your state and local government; an EIN is free (SBA).
Insurance. General liability covers bodily injury and property damage; professional liability covers "malpractice, errors, and negligence" (SBA). Trainers usually need both, because the risk is in the advice as much as the setting.
Parks. Many cities require a permit for fitness instruction on public land. In Austin, "a permit is required for regular, instructor-led fitness classes held on City parkland." Check your parks department before you start meeting clients outdoors.
3 Screen every client's health and get a signed waiver
Before the first session, ask a short set of yes/no health questions, send anyone who answers yes to their doctor, and have every client sign a waiver.
The PAR-Q+ is the standard screening tool: everyone answers the first page, and any yes leads to follow-up questions or a conversation with a doctor. Its wording is copyrighted, so our questionnaire covers the same topics in our own words, plus the ACSM warning signs: chest discomfort on exertion, unusual breathlessness, or leg cramps on short walks mean stop and get medical clearance first (ACE).
In the kit
Personal training health questionnaire
Eight yes/no health questions before the first session. Any yes asks for detail and a doctor's okay.
Try the form →Waiver rules differ by state. In New York, a release of "any and all claims" failed in court because it didn't tell the signer it covered the trainer's own negligence (NY Appellate Division). Use the waiver form as a starting point, and have a local lawyer read the wording.
In the kit
Personal training waiver and consent form
The risks in plain words, three things the client agrees to, an emergency contact and a signature.
Try the form →4 Set prices and sell packages
Sell sessions in packages paid upfront: for example one session at $70, or ten for $600.
ACE's pricing guide gives a common setup: one session for $70, or ten for $600. Its author found experienced metro trainers charging $100 to $200 an hour and suburban or rural trainers $40 to $60 a session, though the article is from 2014 (ACE). It also warns that some states limit expiry dates on prepaid services.
A package keeps clients coming back and pays you before you work. The package form asks how many sessions, multiplies by your price and takes the payment by card.
In the kit
Personal training package form
Clients pick how many sessions and pay by card: price per session × sessions.
Try the form →5 Find clients and keep them
Set up a Google Business Profile with your service area, collect reviews, and check in with every client monthly so you can adjust their plan.
Google ranks local results by relevance, distance and prominence, and reviews count toward prominence. There's "no way to request or pay for a better local ranking" (Google). If you train at clients' homes or in parks, hide your address and show a service area instead (Google).
Clients stay when they see progress. A monthly check-in asks about energy, sleep, soreness, wins and any new pain, and only asks for details if they report pain.
In the kit
Personal training monthly check-in
Energy, sleep, soreness, wins and any pain, once a month, so you can adjust the plan.
Try the form →The whole kit, free
We built these 4 forms for a personal training business. Each comes with the emails that go out after someone fills it in. Add them all to your workspace in one go, then change anything by telling the agent.
- Personal training health questionnaireEight yes/no health questions before the first session. Any yes asks for detail and a doctor's okay.
- Personal training waiver and consent formThe risks in plain words, three things the client agrees to, an emergency contact and a signature.
- Personal training package formClients pick how many sessions and pay by card: price per session × sessions.
- Personal training monthly check-inEnergy, sleep, soreness, wins and any pain, once a month, so you can adjust the plan.
Free to start. Unlimited submissions. No card.
Questions
Do I need a license to be a personal trainer?
No US state requires a government-issued license for personal trainers. Most clients and gyms do expect an NCCA-accredited certification and current CPR and AED training.
How much does personal trainer certification cost?
The ACSM-CPT exam costs $310 for members and $410 for non-members. ACE study programs start at $494.50 on sale, with the exam as a $99 add-on. Prices are from each body's own website.
What insurance does a personal trainer need?
Usually both general liability, for injury and property damage, and professional liability, which covers malpractice, errors and negligence in your advice.
Can I train clients in a public park?
Often only with a permit. Austin, for example, requires one for regular instructor-led fitness classes on city parkland. Check your city's parks department.
What health questions should I ask a new client?
Ask whether they have a heart condition or high blood pressure, chest pain, dizziness or fainting, other long-term conditions, prescribed medicines, joint problems, or a doctor's advice to exercise only under supervision. Any yes means they should get a doctor's okay first.
Should I sell single sessions or packages?
Packages paid upfront are common: for example one session at $70 or ten for $600. Check your state's rules before putting an expiry date on prepaid sessions.