NYC Central Booking Class Action Settlement

NYC Central Booking Class Action Settlement is a civil-rights case with a fund of up to $21.5 million. Eligible people may receive up to $475 for each separate detention at a covered Central Booking facility — not a one-time payment. There are two separate class periods, not one continuous window. You can file without a mailed notice. Claim deadline: October 19, 2026. File at centralbookingsettlement.com/submit-claim.

Do I Qualify?

You may be eligible if:

• You were detained at Brooklyn Central Booking between April 8, 2017 and December 27, 2019
• OR you were detained at any NYC Central Booking location between February 3, 2020 and March 1, 2023
• These are two separate windows — you qualify if you fit either one
• You do not need a mailed notice or Notice ID to file
• A Social Security number is required to sign the attestation because of a state-mandated child-support lien check
• You file a valid claim by October 19, 2026

No Notice ID is required. The online form has a path for people who never received a mailed notice. A Social Security number is required to sign the attestation. Detention counts used for payment come from NYC Department of Correction records.

What Happened?

Plaintiffs alleged that people held at New York City Central Booking facilities were subjected to unlawful conditions of detention. The City denies wrongdoing and agreed to settle.

The settlement creates a fund of up to $21.5 million. Payments of up to $475 per separate detention are calculated from NYC Department of Correction records. Attorneys' fees of up to $2.95 million are paid separately by the City and do not reduce the class fund.

Unpaid child-support judgments can be asserted as a lien against a payment. The court's final approval hearing is October 22, 2026; the notice says payments are expected by the end of 2026 if approved.

How to File Your Claim

1. File online at centralbookingsettlement.com/submit-claim — choose the I have a Notice ID path or the I didn't receive a notice path (opens a blank form either way)
2. Complete demographics and pick a payment method (check, PayPal, Venmo, Zelle, or prepaid card)
3. Sign the attestation with your Social Security number
4. A paper form is also bound into the mailed notice and can be returned by mail by October 19, 2026
5. Visit the official claim form: https://www.centralbookingsettlement.com/submit-claim

How Much Will I Actually Get?

Up to $475 for each separate time a person was detained during the class period (not a one-time flat amount), calculated from NYC Department of Correction records. Total fund capped at $21.5 million. Unpaid child-support judgments will have that lien asserted against the payment. Attorneys' fees (up to $2.95 million) are paid separately by the City and do not reduce the class fund.

Last reviewed: September 7, 2026 | Information verified from court records and official settlement documents.

Frequently Asked Questions