Equifax $30M Hard Inquiry Settlement: What You Need to Know

If you have ever felt frustrated while trying to clear unauthorized credit checks from your credit report, you are certainly not alone.

Equifax has agreed to a $30 million class action settlement to resolve claims that it failed to properly investigate disputed hard inquiries.

According to lawsuit filings cited in the official settlement details on Top Class Actions, plaintiffs alleged that Equifax violated the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) by failing to contact inquiring companies or remove disputed checks.

Under FCRA § 611 (15 U.S.C. § 1681i), consumer reporting agencies are legally required to conduct a reasonable reinvestigation free of charge whenever a consumer disputes the accuracy of information in their file.

Instead of conducting these required investigations, the lawsuit claims Equifax routinely sent standard form letters stating that inquiries are simply a "factual record of file access."

Although Equifax denies any wrongdoing, the settlement covers an estimated 3 million affected consumers across the United States and its territories.

Eligibility depends on when and how you submitted your dispute to Equifax between October 4, 2016, and March 27, 2026.

Class members fall into different payout tiers, with estimated cash payments ranging from $100 to $400 depending on group classification.

Those in the Certified Group are estimated to receive around $300, while General Dispute Group members may receive approximately $100.

A special New York subclass covering specific dispute letters sent between November 27, 2017, and September 10, 2024, could receive around $400.

To claim your portion of the settlement, you must submit a valid claim form by the November 29, 2026 deadline.

You can file your claim, check your group eligibility, or update your payment preferences directly through the official administrator portal at EquifaxDisputeClassAction.com.

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