Equifax $30 Million Settlement, Check If You Qualify — Hines v. Equifax Information Services, LLC, No. 1:19-cv-06701

There’s roughly $30 million waiting for people who disputed a hard inquiry on their Equifax credit report — if you did that between October 4, 2016, and March 27, 2026. Equifax agreed to pay $30 million to settle four lawsuits claiming it failed to properly investigate those disputes. You have until November 29, 2026, to file.

Equifax Credit Inquiry Dispute Settlement — Key Facts

Field	Detail
Settlement Amount	$30,000,000
Claim Deadline	November 29, 2026
Who Qualifies	Three groups: a certified group, a general dispute group, and a New York subclass — see eligibility section below
Estimated Payout	Approximately $100 (general dispute group) to $300 (certified group) to $400 (New York subclass) per valid claim
Proof Required (Yes/No)	UNVERIFIED — the official settlement site blocked automated access, so this article could not independently confirm documentation requirements beyond the claim number and PIN referenced in settlement notices
Settlement Status	Agreement in principle reached; awaiting final court approval
Court & Case Number	U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York — Hines v. Equifax Information Services, LLC, No. 1:19-cv-06701 (RPK)(JAM)
Law Alleged	Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA); related New York and New Jersey state laws
Administrator	UNVERIFIED — settlement notices refer to a “Settlement Administrator” at P.O. Box 16, West Point, PA 19486, without naming the firm
Official Claim Site	equifaxdisputeclassaction.com
Last Updated	September 26, 2026

Who Is Equifax and Why Are They Being Sued Over Inquiry Disputes?

Equifax Information Services LLC is one of the three major credit bureaus, and every hard inquiry on your credit file runs through a company like it. That scale is exactly the problem here: four separate lawsuits claim that when consumers disputed a hard inquiry, Equifax didn’t investigate the way the Fair Credit Reporting Act requires, and in some cases didn’t remove inquiries that should have come off.

What Did Equifax Do to Consumers Who Disputed Inquiries?

The lawsuits allege that Equifax failed to conduct reasonable investigations of hard-inquiry disputes, didn’t maintain reasonable procedures for handling them, and didn’t remove disputed inquiries from credit files when it should have. The Fair Credit Reporting Act requires credit bureaus to actually investigate a dispute — not just log it and move on — and these cases argue Equifax fell short of that on a systemic basis.

Equifax has not admitted wrongdoing. But in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, the company confirmed it accrued $30 million in the fourth quarter of 2025 as its “best estimate of the liability related to global settlement of these matters” — months before this settlement website ever went live. That’s Equifax’s own accounting, not a plaintiff’s estimate.

That’s the company itself putting a number on this before the public notice even existed.

Who Qualifies for the Equifax Credit Inquiry Dispute Settlement?

Here’s exactly how to know if this case includes you. There are three separate groups, and you may fall into more than one.

• Anyone who mailed Equifax a letter disputing a hard inquiry between October 4, 2016, and March 27, 2026, and had it coded “not mine” or “unauthorized” — this is the certified group
• Anyone who disputed a hard inquiry with Equifax by any method between August 31, 2021, and March 27, 2026 — this is the general dispute group
• New York residents who received a “Cons Comm 664” letter in response to a mailed dispute between November 27, 2017, and September 10, 2024 — this is the New York subclass
• People who experienced an economic loss, a loss of privacy, or were denied credit because of a disputed inquiry

You likely do not qualify if:

• You never disputed a hard inquiry with Equifax
• Your dispute falls outside all three date windows above
• You already opted out of a related settlement covering the same conduct

Equifax Dispute Settlement Members Outside New York — Are You Still Covered?

Yes, for the certified and general dispute groups. Those two groups are nationwide — the FCRA is a federal law, so where you live doesn’t limit your eligibility. The New York subclass is the one geography-limited group, and it only adds an additional, larger estimated payment for New York residents who also meet its specific criteria.

Not sure which group you fall into? A free consultation with a consumer rights attorney can help you sort that out before the November 29 deadline.

How Much Can Equifax Settlement Class Members Get? Up to $400 Per Person

Estimated payouts vary by group: roughly $100 per valid claim for the general dispute group, $300 for the certified group, and $400 for the New York subclass. More filers means smaller checks for everyone — that’s how a pro-rata settlement works, and these figures could shift depending on the total number of valid claims submitted.

What Pro-Rata Means for Your Equifax Check

The $30 million fund covers administration costs, any court-approved attorneys’ fees, and payments to roughly 3 million potential class members. If more people file valid claims than expected, individual payments drop below the estimates above. If fewer file, they could rise.

Payments over $600 may appear on a 1099. Check with a tax professional about how a settlement payment could affect your taxes.

The estimates range from $100 to $400 depending on which group you’re in — worth checking closely which one applies before you assume your number.

How to File Your Equifax Settlement Claim — Step by Step

1. Go to the official claim site: equifaxdisputeclassaction.com/claimform.aspx
2. Enter the claim number and PIN from your settlement notice
3. Certify, under penalty of perjury, that you disputed an inquiry on your Equifax credit report and experienced an economic loss, a loss of privacy, another negative consequence, or a credit denial because of it
4. Choose electronic payment or a mailed paper check
5. Submit and save your confirmation
6. Watch your email or mail — the settlement administrator will contact you if anything else is needed

Takes about five minutes.

⚠️ 64 days left as of this writing — file now at equifaxdisputeclassaction.com/claimform.aspx.

Should Equifax Class Members Opt Out or Object Before November 20, 2026?

What Opting Out of the Equifax Settlement Actually Means

Opting out means giving up any payment from this $30 million fund but keeping the right to sue Equifax separately over the same inquiry-dispute claims. Most people shouldn’t opt out of a settlement like this without talking to a lawyer first. The opt-out deadline is November 20, 2026.

How to Object to the Equifax Settlement

UNVERIFIED — this article could not confirm the exact objection deadline or format requirements from the official settlement site due to access restrictions. It appears likely to align with the November 20, 2026 opt-out deadline, but that has not been independently confirmed.

Talk to a class action lawsuit attorney before November 20, 2026, if you’re considering either option.

Equifax Credit Inquiry Dispute Settlement — Key Dates, 2026

Milestone	Date
Settlement Agreement in Principle Reached	January 2026
$30 Million Liability Accrued (per Equifax SEC filing)	Fourth quarter of 2025
Claims Period Ends (certified and general dispute groups)	March 27, 2026
Opt-Out Deadline	November 20, 2026
Objection Deadline	UNVERIFIED — not independently confirmed
Claim Filing Deadline	November 29, 2026
Final Approval Hearing	December 10, 2026
Expected Payment Date	UNVERIFIED — payments go out after final approval and any appeals are resolved

Equifax Credit Inquiry Dispute Settlement — Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a lawyer to file an Equifax settlement claim?

 No. The online claim form at equifaxdisputeclassaction.com is built for consumers to file on their own using the claim number and PIN from their notice.

Is the Equifax $30 million settlement legitimate? 

Yes. It resolves four lawsuits — including Hines v. Equifax Information Services, LLC, No. 1:19-cv-06701, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York — and Equifax has already booked the $30 million as a liability in its own SEC filings.

When will Equifax settlement payments be sent? 

UNVERIFIED — no specific payment date has been announced. Payments typically follow the December 10, 2026 final approval hearing, assuming the court approves the deal and no appeals delay it.

What if I missed the Equifax claim deadline? 

If you miss November 29, 2026, you generally lose the right to a payment from this fund, though you’d still be bound by the settlement’s terms if you didn’t opt out earlier.

Will my Equifax settlement payment go on a 1099?

 Possibly. Payments over $600 may be reported on a 1099. Check with a tax professional about your specific situation.

Which three groups make up the Equifax settlement class? 

A certified group (mailed disputes coded “not mine” or “unauthorized” from October 4, 2016 to March 27, 2026), a general dispute group (any hard-inquiry dispute from August 31, 2021 to March 27, 2026), and a New York subclass (residents who got a specific “Cons Comm 664” letter between November 27, 2017 and September 10, 2024).

Do I have a lawyer in the Equifax case already, or do I need to find one?

 The named plaintiffs are represented by Robert S. Sola PC and Francis Mailman Soumilas, P.C. You don’t need your own attorney to file a claim, but you can consult one if you have questions about your specific situation.

Sources Used in This Equifax Credit Inquiry Dispute Article

• Equifax Inc. — Form 10-Q, Q2 2026, SEC EDGAR filing confirming the $30 million liability accrual and description of the “Inquiry Disputes Litigation”: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0000033185/000003318526000028/efx-20260630.htm
• Official Settlement Website — Hines v. Equifax Information Services, LLC, contact and case information: https://www.equifaxdisputeclassaction.com/contact.aspx

Researched and written by Israr Ahmad, legal content researcher and founder of AllAboutLawyer.com. Facts verified against Equifax’s own SEC filing and the settlement website’s cached case information on September 26, 2026, with limitations noted above. Last Updated: September 26, 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.