Tesla Supercharger Idle Fee Settlement, Check If You Qualify — Shenkman v. Tesla, Inc., No. RG21102833

Quick answer: if you bought a Supercharger-enabled Tesla in California before December 16, 2016, and still owned it as of June 2021, you’re likely included. There’s no single published fund total, but eligible owners can collect up to $350 in cash, a full refund of any idle fees they paid, and Tesla has to stop disabling Supercharger access. The deadline to file is September 25, 2026.

Tesla Supercharger Idle Fee Settlement — Key Facts

Category	Details
Settlement Amount	UNVERIFIED — no aggregate fund total published; per-claimant benefits range from $10 to $350 cash, plus refunds of idle fees actually paid
Claim Deadline	September 25, 2026
Who Qualifies	California owners of Supercharger Enabled/Hardware/Hardware & Access vehicles received before Dec. 16, 2016, who kept the vehicle past that date and were CA residents as of June 21, 2021
Estimated Payout	$10 (no longer own vehicle) · full refund of paid idle fees · $50 (disabled under 30 days) or $350 (disabled 30+ consecutive days) — benefits are cumulative
Proof Required (Yes/No)	No — attestation on the Claim Form; Tesla’s own records determine refund and disabling amounts
Settlement Status	Preliminarily approved; awaiting Final Approval Hearing
Court & Case Number	Superior Court of California, County of Alameda — No. RG21102833
Law Alleged	Breach of contract and unlawful business practices tied to Tesla’s “free Supercharging for life” promise
Administrator	Simpluris
Official Claim Site	teslaidlefeeclassaction.com/form/claim
Last Updated	July 25, 2026

Who Is Tesla and Why Is It Being Sued Over Idle Fees?

Tesla promised early buyers of Supercharger-enabled vehicles free Supercharging for life, then in 2016 started charging “Idle Fees” to anyone who left a car plugged in after it finished charging. Kevin Shenkman, one of those early owners, says Tesla disabled his Supercharger access entirely in 2020 when he refused to pay — after the company had already reversed a similar charge for him once before. That dispute became a 2021 lawsuit, and this settlement resolves it.

What Did Tesla Do to Supercharger-Enabled Owners Before December 16, 2016?

Tesla’s original pitch to early Model S and Model X buyers was simple: buy a car described in the Motor Vehicle Purchase Agreement as “Supercharger Enabled,” “Supercharger Hardware,” or “Supercharger Hardware & Access,” and Supercharging is free for the life of the vehicle.

Starting in 2016, Tesla began charging Idle Fees — a penalty for leaving a car plugged into a Supercharger after it stopped drawing power. The lawsuit alleges that wasn’t just a fee dispute: if an owner refused to pay, Tesla could disable that vehicle’s access to the entire Supercharger network. That’s the core of what class members are being compensated for now.

Tesla denies doing anything wrong and says its conduct complied with the law and its agreements. Like most settlements, this one resolves the dispute without either side admitting fault.

That denial doesn’t change what’s on the table: if your vehicle was ever disabled over unpaid idle fees, that’s a documented event in Tesla’s own records, and this settlement is built to pay you for it.

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Who Qualifies for the Tesla Supercharger Idle Fee Settlement?

Here’s exactly how to know if this case includes you.

• Owners who received a Tesla described as “Supercharger Enabled” in their purchase agreement before December 16, 2016.
• Owners whose purchase agreement instead says “Supercharger Hardware” or “Supercharger Hardware & Access,” also before that date.
• Anyone who kept the vehicle past December 16, 2016, and was a California resident as of June 21, 2021.
• People excluded from the class: Tesla’s officers, directors, and related companies; the judge and the judge’s family and staff; and anyone who already excluded themselves from the case.

Tesla Owners Outside California — Are You Still Covered?

No. This settlement is limited to owners who were California residents as of June 21, 2021, and who received their vehicle in California before December 16, 2016. If you bought a Supercharger-enabled Tesla in another state, this particular settlement doesn’t reach you, though your state’s own consumer protection or contract law might.

Not sure if you qualify for the Tesla idle fee settlement? A free consultation with a consumer rights lawyer can help you check your purchase agreement language and vehicle history before the September 25 deadline.

If your name is on a California Tesla purchase agreement from before December 16, 2016, and you still have the car — or used to — this settlement is very likely about you.

How Much Can Tesla Idle Fee Settlement Class Members Get?

The settlement doesn’t publish one lump total — instead, it pays out per benefit type, and the benefits stack. If you still own an eligible vehicle, Tesla has already agreed to stop disabling Supercharger access and to waive any unpaid idle fees, no claim form required for that part. Everything below does require a Claim Form:

• $10 if you no longer own the vehicle.
• A full refund of any idle fees you actually paid, based on Tesla’s own billing records.
• $50 if your Supercharger access was disabled for under 30 days over unpaid fees.
• $350 if it was disabled for 30 or more consecutive days — you’ll need to identify roughly which year or years that happened.

Class Counsel will separately ask the court for up to $1,000,000 in attorneys’ fees, up to $100,000 in costs, and a $10,000 service award for Shenkman — all paid by Tesla, on top of what class members receive, not out of it. Payments over $600 may appear on a 1099. Check with a tax professional if your refund or payment reaches that level.

Ten to fifteen dollars doesn’t sound like much, but if you were one of the owners actually locked out of Supercharging for a month or more, this settlement is worth up to $350 in cash plus whatever fees you already paid back — that adds up fast for anyone who fought this before.

How to File Your Tesla Supercharger Idle Fee Settlement Claim — Step by Step

1. Go to teslaidlefeeclassaction.com/form/claim — the official online claim portal.
2. Confirm your vehicle details and attest that you’re a class member.
3. Select which benefits apply to you — refund, disabling payment, or the $10 no-longer-own-it payment — since they’re cumulative, not exclusive.
4. If claiming the $350 disabling payment, identify the approximate year(s) your Supercharger access was cut off.
5. Submit online, or download and mail the printable Claim Form to the Settlement Administrator at P.O. Box 25226, Santa Ana, CA 92799-9958.
6. Save your confirmation. Watch your email — the administrator will reach out if anything’s missing.

⚠️ About two months left — file at the link above before September 25, 2026.

Should Tesla Idle Fee Class Members Opt Out or Object Before September 25, 2026?

Can You Still Opt Out of the Tesla Idle Fee Settlement?

Not at this stage. The window to exclude yourself from this case already closed, back when the class was first certified — well before this settlement was reached. If you didn’t request exclusion then, you’re bound by this settlement now, unless you already opted out previously.

How to Object to the Tesla Idle Fee Settlement

You can still object, even without having opted out earlier. Objecting means telling the court in writing why you think it shouldn’t approve the settlement. Your objection needs the case name and number, your contact information, proof you’re a class member (like a vehicle VIN), your reasons, and your signature — sent to both the Clerk of the Court and the Settlement Administrator by September 25, 2026.

Talk to a class action lawsuit attorney before September 25, 2026, if you’re weighing whether to object.

Tesla Supercharger Idle Fee Settlement — Key Dates, 2026

Milestone	Date
Notification Email Sent	July 24, 2026
Claim Filing Deadline	September 25, 2026
Objection Deadline	September 25, 2026
Opt-Out Deadline	UNVERIFIED — opt-out period closed at class certification, prior to this settlement notice
Final Approval Hearing	December 2, 2026, 1:30 p.m. PT
Expected Payment Date	UNVERIFIED — payments go out after final approval and any appeals are resolved

Tesla Supercharger Idle Fee Settlement — Frequently Asked Questions, No. RG21102833

Do I need a lawyer to file a Tesla idle fee settlement claim? 

No. The Claim Form takes a few minutes and doesn’t require an attorney. Class Counsel — Seth Yohalem and Daniel Johnson of Waskowski Johnson Yohalem LLP, and Dimitrios Korovilas and Jason Wucetich of Wucetich & Korovilas LLP — already represents the class at no separate cost to you.

Is the Tesla idle fee settlement legitimate?

 Yes. It’s overseen by the Superior Court of California, County of Alameda, in Shenkman v. Tesla, Inc., No. RG21102833, and administered by Simpluris, a court-appointed settlement administrator.

When will Tesla settlement payments be sent? 

Not before the Final Approval Hearing on December 2, 2026. If the court approves the settlement and no appeals delay it, payments go out after that; the exact timeline isn’t published yet.

What if I missed the Tesla claim deadline?

 If you do nothing by September 25, 2026, you won’t receive a cash benefit, but you’ll still get the non-cash protections — no disabling of Supercharger access and a waiver of unpaid idle fees going forward, if you still own an eligible vehicle.

Will my Tesla settlement payment go on a 1099?

 Possibly. Payments over $600 may be reported. Check with a tax professional if your refund plus any cash payment adds up to that much.

Can I get more than one type of payment from this settlement? 

Yes. The benefits are cumulative — you could qualify for an idle fee refund and a disabling payment in the same claim if both apply to you.

How do I know if my vehicle counts as “Supercharger Enabled” or “Supercharger Hardware”? 

Check the Motor Vehicle Purchase Agreement you signed when you bought the car. If you can’t find it, the Settlement Administrator can help you confirm your status by phone or email.

Sources Used in This Tesla Supercharger Idle Fee Settlement Article

• Official Settlement Website — FAQ, Documents, and Important Dates pages, Simpluris (Settlement Administrator): https://teslaidlefeeclassaction.com/faq/ and https://teslaidlefeeclassaction.com/dates/
• Official Settlement Website — Home page case summary: https://www.teslaidlefeeclassaction.com/
• Original Complaint Coverage — Electrek, “Tesla is being sued over its extremely reasonable Supercharger idle fees,” reporting on the underlying 2021 complaint: https://electrek.co/2021/07/01/tesla-sued-over-extremely-reasonable-supercharger-idle-fees/

Researched and written by Israr Ahmad, legal content researcher and founder of AllAboutLawyer.com. All facts verified against the official settlement website and the sources listed above on July 25, 2026. Last Updated: July 25, 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.