An inactivity rule is a time limit on silence. If you place no qualifying trade within a set number of days, the firm can flag, freeze or close your evaluation or funded account. The limit, the definition of "activity" and the penalty differ from firm to firm, and they are easy to miss in the fine print. Read them before you pay, not after you lose an account.
This guide explains how the rule works, what usually counts as activity, what happens when you breach it, whether you can pause an account, and how to plan a break without losing progress.
TL;DR
- An inactivity rule closes or flags an account that has not traded for a stated number of days. 30 days is the most common limit described for major firms, but it varies.
- A good policy names three things: the time limit, the qualifying activity and the consequence.
- Logging in usually does not count as activity. Placing a trade usually does.
- Pausing is a firm-by-firm feature, not a standard. Get any pause or extension in writing before you rely on it.
- Profirms charges a one-time fee, never a subscription or an activation fee, and our evaluation and funded accounts are simulated.
Table of Contents
- What an inactivity rule is
- Inactivity rule vs. dormant-account policy
- How many days can you go without trading?
- What counts as activity
- What happens when you breach the rule
- Do rules differ between evaluation and funded accounts?
- Can you pause an evaluation or funded account?
- How to avoid losing an account to inactivity
- How the rest of the rules interact with inactivity
- A checklist to read any rulebook
- How Profirms approaches the rules
- Choose an account that fits how you trade
- FAQ
- Sources
What an inactivity rule is
A prop firm inactivity rule ends or flags an evaluation or funded account that has not traded for a stated number of days. PropExecutor, a prop-firm technology provider, uses 30 days as its example and says a well-written rule should specify the time limit, the qualifying activity and the consequence.
Those three parts are your checklist for any firm:
- Time limit. How many days, and are they calendar days or trading days?
- Qualifying activity. Does a trade have to be opened, opened and closed, or closed at a minimum size or profit?
- Consequence. Warning, dormancy, closure, a fee, or loss of the fee you paid?
Why do firms have the rule at all? Accounts that sit untouched still carry monitoring and infrastructure costs. The rule clears out accounts that are not in use.
Inactivity rule vs. dormant-account policy
The two terms overlap, and readers often use them interchangeably. There is a practical difference.
An inactivity rule at a prop firm is usually a hard stop: no trade in X days and the account is closed. A dormant-account policy is a staged process that first labels the account dormant and then applies a consequence, often a fee or eventual closure.
A regulated broker's policy shows the staged style clearly. MAIV Limited's dormant-account policy defines inactivity as no trade, deposit or withdrawal for 90 consecutive calendar days. It then classes the account as dormant, sends notice at day 80 and may charge USD 20 a month while the account stays dormant. That is a brokerage example, not a prop-firm one, but it shows the shape a fair policy takes: a clear trigger, advance notice and a defined way back.
Some prop-firm rulebooks follow a similar two-step pattern. One glossary describes a common structure in which the account enters dormancy after about 15 days and closes permanently at 30 consecutive days. Some firms compress that window.
The key point for you: whichever label a firm uses, find out whether the countdown ends in a warning or in a closed account.
How many days can you go without trading?
There is no industry standard. The pattern you will see most often:
| Policy style | Typical trigger | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Hard stop | 30 days without a qualifying trade | Account closed |
| Staged | About 15 days, then 30 days | Dormant status, then closure |
| No inactivity rule | None stated | Account stays open while the other rules are met |
The 30-day figure is a common reference point, not a rule you can assume. Firms set their own numbers, and some also set a different limit for evaluation accounts than for funded ones.
Two questions decide how much room you really have:
- When does the countdown start? From account delivery, from your first trade, or from your last trade? A rule that counts from delivery can close an account you never touched.
- Calendar days or trading days? Calendar days keep running over weekends and market holidays. Our prop firm holiday schedule guide explains how to check closures each year so a holiday week does not eat into your window.
What counts as activity
This is where traders get caught. Activity usually means a trade. PropExecutor says opening a trade usually counts. Beyond that, definitions split:
- Any trade opened. The most lenient version.
- A trade opened and closed. A position left open does not count until it is closed.
- A minimum-quality trade. Some firms require a minimum size, a minimum profit, or a minimum holding time before a trade or a day qualifies. A glossary entry on the rule notes that a losing or very small trade may not qualify at firms that set a profit threshold.
What almost never counts is passive contact. In the MAIV policy, login, password resets, profile updates and communications do not count as activity, while a trade, a deposit or a withdrawal request reactivates a dormant account.
The regulator's view is the best standard to hold a firm to. The Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission, reviewing inactivity fees at brokers, took the position that a policy must clearly disclose both the trigger and what counts as activity. Saying an account is "inactive" without defining trading activity is not enough. Prop firms are not bound by that review, but it is a fair test of any rulebook: if you cannot tell from the text what keeps your account alive, ask support before buying.
What happens when you breach the rule
The consequences fall into a few groups:
- Account closure. The most common outcome. The account is deactivated and you lose access to the balance and any progress toward a target.
- Dormant status with a warning. You get a notice and a short window to place a trade.
- A fee. Common at brokers. The MAIV policy above is an example of a monthly charge on a dormant account.
- No refund of what you paid. Many evaluation fees are non-refundable once the account is live, so a closed account usually means buying again.
Check whether a closed account can be restored, and whether restoring it costs anything. If the rulebook is silent, treat closure as final.
Do rules differ between evaluation and funded accounts?
Often, yes. Firms may apply the rule to both stages, to funded accounts only, or with different windows for each. A funded account can also carry extra conditions tied to payouts. Do not assume your evaluation experience carries over. Read the funded-stage section of the rulebook separately.
Inactivity is also only one of several controls that can end an account. Our guide to the five core risk controls that trip traders covers the others, and a short read on what to check before buying a funded account helps you compare terms side by side.
Can you pause an evaluation or funded account?
Sometimes, but there is no industry norm. Some firms offer a freeze or an extension on request, some offer it only for specific reasons, and many offer nothing at all. If a firm advertises a pause, find these details in writing:
- Who can request it, and how (support ticket, dashboard, email)?
- How long can it last, and how often can you use it?
- Does it stop the inactivity clock only, or other limits too?
- Does it cost anything?
- What happens to open positions?
If the answer is "no pause exists", the only way to keep an account alive is to place qualifying trades. That brings us to the practical part.
How to avoid losing an account to inactivity
You do not need to trade a lot. You need to trade on schedule, and to know the rule.
- Write the deadline down on day one. Count from the date the rulebook says the clock starts, not from when you remember to look.
- Set a reminder well before the limit. Aim for roughly half the allowed window. If the limit is 30 days, remind yourself at 14 or 15.
- Know your qualifying trade. If the rule requires a closed trade or a minimum size, place exactly that. A position left open overnight may not count.
- Plan around known breaks. Holidays, travel, exams and work crunches are predictable. Place a small, planned trade before you leave.
- Do not chase a trade to beat the clock. A rushed position taken only to reset the counter can break your daily loss or max-loss limits and end the account faster than inactivity would. Keep size small and follow your plan.
- Ask support before a long break. If a pause exists, request it before the deadline, not after.
- Keep your confirmation. Save any email that grants an extension.
A trade placed purely to satisfy a rule is a risk like any other. Trading involves risk of loss, and nothing here makes it risk-free.
How the rest of the rules interact with inactivity
Inactivity does not live alone. A few related rules change how easy it is to stay compliant:
- Minimum trading days. If a firm requires them, you will already be placing trades regularly, which also keeps the inactivity clock reset. If a firm has none, the inactivity rule becomes the main activity requirement.
- Consistency rules. These cap how much of your profit can come from one day. They push you toward spreading trades out, which is a separate matter from how often you must trade.
- Drawdown type. A trailing drawdown punishes you for holding open profit. A drawdown that does not trail intraday removes that pressure, so a small, planned trade carries less risk to your account.
- News and hedging limits. If you are placing a trade just to stay active, check restrictions around news events and hedging first. See our guides on news trading rules and hedging rules.
A checklist to read any rulebook
Before you pay for any evaluation or funded account, find these answers in the published rules:
- The exact number of days, and whether they are calendar or trading days
- The start of the countdown
- What qualifies as activity (opened, closed, minimum size or profit)
- Whether there is a warning or dormant stage
- Whether closure forfeits your fee
- Whether you can pause, extend or restore the account
- Whether the rule differs between evaluation and funded stages
- Whether any fee is charged on inactive accounts
If even two of these are unclear, that is information about the firm. Clear rules are a sign the firm expects to be held to them. For the full cost picture beyond inactivity, see what getting funded really costs.
How Profirms approaches the rules
We publish a transparent rulebook so you can read the terms before you buy. These are the facts that matter most to how you plan your activity:
- One-time fee. Profirms charges a one-time fee. There is no subscription and no activation fee.
- End-of-day drawdown. Your max-loss floor never trails intraday. It locks at the previous day's close, so you can recover losses within a single session.
- No consistency rule and no minimum trading days.
- 90% of every payout is yours from the first payout.
- Simulated accounts. Evaluation and funded accounts are simulated. Profirms is not a broker and is not regulated.
For the current terms on account activity, read the rulebook sections on the Profirms site or ask through the help center before you order. Our platforms are in final checks, logins are emailed as each account is set up, and every order is fully refundable until its login is delivered. Our refund policy has the details.
Choose an account that fits how you trade
If you trade a few days a week or want a simple rulebook, pick the account type and size you can manage without forcing trades. Published one-time prices include:
- Futures evaluations: 25K Eval $40, 50K Eval $60, 100K Eval $100
- Futures daily payout accounts: 25K Daily $60, 50K Daily $90, 100K Daily $150
- Instant funded futures accounts: 25K Funded $220, 50K Funded $330, 100K Funded $449
- CFD and crypto options: see the CFD rules and crypto rules
See every size and price on the Profirms pricing section, and read the rules for your account type before you check out. Profits are never promised, and results depend on how you trade.
FAQ
How long can a prop firm account sit idle?
It depends on the firm. 30 days is a commonly cited limit, and some firms use a shorter window or add a dormant stage first. Read the rulebook for the exact number and when the clock starts.
Does logging in count as trading activity?
Usually not. Policies generally require a trade, and passive actions such as logging in or updating a profile were explicitly excluded in one dormant-account policy. Place the type of trade your rulebook defines as qualifying.
Can I pause my evaluation while I travel?
Only if the firm offers it. There is no standard pause feature. Ask support before you leave, and get the length and conditions in writing.
What is the difference between an inactivity rule and a dormant-account policy?
An inactivity rule at a prop firm typically closes or flags an account after a set number of idle days. A dormant-account policy usually adds a stage, with notice, a dormant label and sometimes a fee, before any closure.
Sources
- Inactivity Rule, glossary entry
- What is an inactivity rule? PropExecutor
- Dormant Account Policy, MAIV Limited
- Thematic review on inactivity fees, CySEC
Recommended
- Hedging Rules at Prop Firms: What Is Allowed and Banned
- Prop Firm Rules: The Five Core Risk Controls That Trip Traders
- News Trading Rules at Prop Firms: What to Check First
- Payout Thresholds in Prop Firms: How to Read Them
Risk disclosure: Trading involves substantial risk of loss and is not suitable for every investor. Profirms runs simulated evaluation and funded trading programs, is not a broker-dealer or futures commission merchant and does not provide investment advice. Hypothetical or simulated performance results have inherent limitations, and no representation is made that any account will achieve profits or losses similar to those shown. Past performance is not indicative of future results.