The claim window for the Advance Auto Parts data breach settlement claim form closed on October 8, 2025, and the settlement administrator is not accepting late submissions.1Advance Auto Stores Company, Incorporated. Advance Auto Parts Data Breach Settlement A federal court in Montana gave the $10 million settlement final approval on October 23, 2025, and payments to claimants who filed on time began going out in early February 2026.2United States District Court for the District of Montana. In re Snowflake, Inc., Data Security Breach Litigation (Advance Auto Parts) If you filed, the sections below explain what to expect. If you did not, skip to the last section.
If You Already Filed a Claim
Distribution started in early February 2026. Payments arrive by check or electronic transfer depending on the option you selected on the form. You can check the status of your claim at aapdatasettlement.com; the site is still active for that purpose.
The exact amount you receive depends on which benefits you claimed and how many other people filed valid claims. The $10 million fund is fixed, and attorneys’ fees, administration costs, and service awards come off the top before claimants are paid. Class counsel was awarded 33.33% of the fund, or $3,333,000, in fees.2United States District Court for the District of Montana. In re Snowflake, Inc., Data Security Breach Litigation (Advance Auto Parts) The flat cash benefits are pro-rated against what’s left, so your final check can be higher or lower than the estimates given during the claims period.1Advance Auto Stores Company, Incorporated. Advance Auto Parts Data Breach Settlement
What Each Benefit Category Pays
The claim form asked you to select from several categories, and you could combine them where they applied.
Documented Losses
Up to $5,000 in reimbursement for out-of-pocket costs tied to the breach: fees for credit monitoring purchased before the settlement, bank charges from fraudulent transactions, and costs to replace a compromised driver’s license or other ID. Identity theft losses (unauthorized charges, credit freeze fees, expenses to resolve fraudulent accounts) also fell under this category. These claims required receipts, bank statements, or, for identity theft, stronger evidence like police reports or credit bureau correspondence linking the fraud to the Advance Auto incident.1Advance Auto Stores Company, Incorporated. Advance Auto Parts Data Breach Settlement
Lost Time
Up to five hours at $25 per hour, capped at $125, for time spent dealing with the breach: reviewing credit reports, calling banks, placing fraud alerts, changing passwords. A short written description of what you did was required. No receipts.
Credit Monitoring or a Cash Payment
You could choose two years of Kroll Essential Monitoring at no cost, or take an estimated $100 flat cash payment instead. Not both.1Advance Auto Stores Company, Incorporated. Advance Auto Parts Data Breach Settlement
California CCPA Payment
California residents whose data was compromised between April 14 and May 24, 2024, were eligible for an additional estimated $100 under the California Consumer Privacy Act. This payment stacked on top of any other benefit a California claimant selected, and it too was subject to pro rata adjustment.1Advance Auto Stores Company, Incorporated. Advance Auto Parts Data Breach Settlement
Taxes on Your Settlement Payment
Data breach settlement payments are generally taxable. The IRS treats settlement proceeds as taxable income unless they compensate for physical injury or physical sickness, and a data breach doesn’t involve physical harm.3IRS. Tax Implications of Settlements and Judgments Whether your payment covered documented losses, lost time, the alternative cash option, or the CCPA benefit, plan on reporting it on your federal return for the year you receive it.
Starting in 2026, issuers must send a Form 1099-MISC when total payments to one recipient reach $2,000 or more in a calendar year. Most class members will receive far less than that and won’t get a 1099. The payment is still taxable. A tax professional can walk you through how to report it if you’re unsure.
If You Missed the October 8, 2025 Deadline
The deadline was firm and there is no indication that late claims are being accepted.1Advance Auto Stores Company, Incorporated. Advance Auto Parts Data Breach Settlement Class members who didn’t file get nothing from the fund. You are still bound by the settlement’s release of claims against Advance Auto Parts for this incident, whether you filed or not.
You can still protect yourself outside the settlement. A fraud alert or credit freeze at Equifax, Experian, or TransUnion is free and doesn’t require a claim. Pull your reports at AnnualCreditReport.com and look for accounts you don’t recognize. If you find identity theft tied to the breach, file a report at IdentityTheft.gov and follow the FTC’s recovery steps. None of that depends on the settlement.