Credit Acceptance Corporation Settlement — Find Your State’s Payout, No Claim Form Required

A note on which case this is, before the numbers. Three separate Credit Acceptance Corporation legal matters get confused in coverage right now:

1. This article’s subject: the Sept. 17, 2026 multistate consumer-protection settlement — 40 states, Washington D.C., and New York (settling its own concurrent case) resolving predatory-lending claims against Credit Acceptance. This is what pays borrowers.
2. Not this article: Palm Tran, Inc. Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1577 Pension Plan v. Credit Acceptance Corp. (E.D. Mich., No. 20-cv-12698) — a $12 million securities class action for people who bought Credit Acceptance stock between May 2018 and August 2020. Settled in 2022, already paid out, unrelated to borrowers.
3. Not this article, and not even the same company: “General Credit Acceptance Co.,” an unrelated Missouri repossession case that settled separately for $2.75 million in 2023.

If you had a Credit Acceptance auto loan, keep reading. If you owned CACC stock in 2018–2020, that’s a different, already-closed case.

The National Numbers, Explained Once So They Don’t Confuse You Later

You’ll see this settlement reported as “$694 million” or “$710 million” or “$700 million” depending on the outlet — they’re all describing the same deal, just totaling different pieces of it:

• $634 million in debt forgiveness for qualifying loans made between November 1, 2015 and November 30, 2025 — $388 million for consumers whose cars were repossessed, $246 million for consumers who still have their vehicles
• $60 million in cash restitution, distributed by the states to consumers who received especially risky loans
• = $694 million in direct consumer relief (the figure most state AGs use)
• + $15.5 million penalty paid to the states themselves, not to consumers
• = $710 million total company payout (Reuters’ and some states’ preferred figure)
• New York’s own release rounds this to “$700 million” from its vantage point

None of these numbers are wrong — they’re just measuring different slices of the same settlement.

So what: Whatever figure you see in a headline, the consumer relief underneath it is the same $694 million, split by state below.

How You Get Paid — No Claim Form, in Every State

This works the same way regardless of which state you live in:

• Debt relief (the $634 million piece): Credit Acceptance itself identifies and notifies eligible borrowers directly.
• Cash restitution (the $60 million piece): a claims administrator, not you, identifies eligible consumers and contacts them.
• You do not need to file anything, prove anything, or search for a claim form. If your state’s AG office says you’re eligible, you’ve already been identified.
• Credit Acceptance isn’t required to begin providing relief until November 2, 2026 — so if you think you qualify and haven’t heard anything before then, that’s expected.
• Questions in the meantime: Credit Acceptance customer service, (800) 634-1506, or your own state attorney general’s consumer protection line.

Find Your State

The table below shows every state with a published individual figure as of this writing. Some participating states haven’t broken out their own numbers publicly yet — those are listed below the table as “confirmed participant, state figure not yet published.” If your state isn’t in either list, it likely wasn’t part of this particular coalition (see the note on Texas, Massachusetts, and Mississippi at the bottom).

State	Consumers / Households	Restitution	Debt Relief	Other Payment to State
California	—	~$1.46 million	~$5.4 million	—
Colorado	~500 consumers	$678,736	— (included in relief total)	$186,455
Connecticut	—	up to $2 million (combined)	up to $2 million (combined)	$177,650
New Jersey	—	~$2.2 million	~$25.6 million	(included in $28.5M total)
New York	~2,500 consumers	(part of ~$34M total)	(part of ~$34M total)	~$34 million combined
Oregon	—	(part of combined total)	(part of combined total)	~$754,000 combined
Pennsylvania	—	~$2.97 million	~$17 million	$469,623
Washington	~260 consumers	~$373,000	~$2.4 million	—

Figures marked “—” mean the state’s release didn’t break that number out separately, usually because it reported a single combined total instead.

Confirmed participants without a published state-specific figure yet (as of Sept. 18, 2026): Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Wisconsin. If you’re in one of these states, you’re still covered by the settlement — your state’s AG office simply hasn’t published an individual dollar breakdown publicly yet. Watch for a notice from Credit Acceptance or the claims administrator regardless.

So what: Not seeing your state in the table above doesn’t mean you’re excluded — it means the number just isn’t public yet. The eligibility rules (loan dates, repossession status, risk-score criteria) are identical no matter which state you’re in.

 Wells Fargo Class Action Lawsuits 2025 piece as another example of automatic, no-claim-form CFPB-style relief. And Colony Ridge Lawsuit 2026, $68M Predatory Lending Settlement article as a contrast case where the settlement money didn’t reach victims directly.

Reforms That Apply Everywhere, Not Just to Past Loans

Separate from the money, every state in the settlement gets the same business-practice changes going forward:

• New risk disclosures before a consumer signs a Credit Acceptance loan
• “Off-ramps” for loans that fail quickly: for loans made starting December 2025, if an at-risk borrower defaults within 12 or 18 months and the car is repossessed and sold, Credit Acceptance must forgive 95% of the remaining debt, can collect only the other 5%, and cannot sue over the forgiven balance or sell it to another collector
• Dealer add-on protections: Credit Acceptance must contact consumers directly, outside the dealership, to explain any Vehicle Service Contract or GAP insurance packed into their loan, and give them a way to cancel those add-ons without giving up the vehicle

So what: These protections apply to future Credit Acceptance borrowers in all 41 jurisdictions equally — where you live doesn’t change what the company is now required to disclose.

States Not Part of This Settlement

A few notable absences, and why:

• Massachusetts already settled its own case against Credit Acceptance in 2021 for $27.2 million, covering more than 3,000 Massachusetts borrowers — separate and years earlier than this settlement.
• Mississippi settled its own, much smaller case in 2019 ($325,000 plus a $125,000 charitable donation).
• Texas and several other states are not named in any participating-state list found across the released announcements as of this writing. If you’re a Texas resident, this specific settlement does not appear to include you — check with the Texas Attorney General’s consumer protection division directly if you believe you were affected.

Credit Acceptance Settlement — Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to file a claim to get paid?

 No. Every state’s release says the same thing: eligible consumers have already been identified, and either Credit Acceptance (debt relief) or a claims administrator (cash restitution) will contact you directly.

Why do different sources report $694 million, $700 million, and $710 million for the same settlement?

 They’re measuring different totals: $694 million is consumer relief only (debt forgiveness plus restitution); $710 million adds the $15.5 million penalty paid to the states; $700 million is New York’s own rounded figure for the same overall deal.

My state isn’t in the table — does that mean I’m not covered?

 Not necessarily. Most participating states haven’t published an individual dollar breakdown yet, even though they’re confirmed parties to the settlement. Check the “confirmed participants” list above.

What if I live in Texas, Massachusetts, or Mississippi? 

Massachusetts and Mississippi already settled separately with Credit Acceptance years ago (2021 and 2019, respectively) and aren’t part of this new settlement. Texas isn’t named in any participating-state list found for this settlement as of this writing.

Is this the same case as the Credit Acceptance securities lawsuit?

 No. That’s Palm Tran v. Credit Acceptance Corp., a $12 million securities class action for stock purchasers from 2018–2020, already closed since 2022. Unrelated to this borrower settlement.

When does relief actually start? 

Credit Acceptance is required to begin providing relief on or before November 2, 2026.

What if my loan doesn’t fall in the November 2015–November 2025 window?

 The debt-relief provisions specifically cover loans originated in that window. Loans outside it aren’t covered by this settlement’s debt-forgiveness terms.

Sources Used in This Article

• New York Attorney General’s Office — “Attorney General James Secures $700 Million from Abusive Subprime Auto Lender Credit Acceptance Corporation,” Sept. 17, 2026: https://ag.ny.gov/
• Colorado Attorney General’s Office, Sept. 17, 2026: https://coag.gov/press-releases/colorado-joins-694m-nationwide-settlement-with-subprime-auto-lender-credit-acceptance-corporation/
• California Department of Justice, Sept. 17, 2026: https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/attorney-general-bonta-joins-nationwide-bipartisan-settlement-subprime-auto
• New Jersey Office of the Attorney General, Sept. 17, 2026: https://www.njoag.gov/new-jersey-announces-694-million-settlement-with-subprime-auto-lender-credit-acceptance-corporation-for-making-unaffordable-designed-to-fail-loans/
• Oregon Department of Justice, Sept. 17, 2026: https://www.doj.state.or.us/media-home/news-media-releases/ag-rayfield-delivers-win-for-oregon-drivers-trapped-in-predatory-auto-loans/
• Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General (via PennWatch republication), Sept. 17, 2026: https://pennwatch.org/attorney-general-sunday-joins-694-million-national-settlement-with-subprime-auto-lender-credit-acceptance-corporation/
• Connecticut Office of the Attorney General (via EIN Presswire republication), Sept. 17, 2026: https://www.einpresswire.com/article/943084980/attorney-general-tong-announces-694-million-multistate-settlement-with-subprime-auto-lender-credit-acceptance-corporation
• Arkansas Attorney General’s Office, Sept. 17, 2026: https://arkansasag.gov/news-release/attorney-general-griffin-joins-694-million-multistate-settlement-with-subprime-auto-lender-credit-acceptance-corporation/
• Washington State Office of the Attorney General (via KOMO News and MyBellinghamNow republications), Sept. 17, 2026
• Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office — “In Largest Settlement of Its Kind, AG Healey Secures $27 Million for Thousands of Massachusetts Consumers From Subprime Auto Lender,” Sept. 1, 2021: https://www.mass.gov/news/in-largest-settlement-of-its-kind-ag-healey-secures-27-million-for-thousands-of-massachusetts-consumers-from-subprime-auto-lender
• Credit Acceptance Corporation SEC Form 8-K (Mississippi settlement), Dec. 15, 2021: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/885550/000088555021000156/cacc-20211215.htm

Researched and written by Israr Ahmad, legal content researcher and founder of AllAboutLawyer.com. All state-specific figures verified against each state’s own Attorney General press release or its direct wire-service republication, cross-checked against the New York Attorney General’s original announcement and Credit Acceptance’s own company statement, as of September 18, 2026. Last Updated: September 18, 2026.

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Laws vary by state and individual circumstances differ. For advice about your specific situation, consult a qualified attorney.