This settlement resolves claims over the Pierce County Library System data incident disclosed in July 2025. If you were notified as a current or former employee, a family member of one, or a current or former contractor, you can choose a $70 cash payment or claim reimbursement for documented losses — plus 3 years of free credit monitoring — by September 28, 2026.
What Is This Settlement About?
The Pierce County Library System (PCLS) is the public library system serving Pierce County, Washington. According to the settlement notice, PCLS was the target of a cyber incident that it disclosed in July 2025 (the "Data Incident"), which may have exposed the personally identifiable information of its current and former employees, their family members, and current and former contractors. PCLS denies all claims and denies any wrongdoing or liability, and the settlement is not an admission that PCLS violated any law; the parties agreed to settle to avoid the uncertainty and expense of continued litigation.The case, In re: Pierce County Library System Data Breach Litigation, Case No. 25-2-11297-2, is pending in the Superior Court of the State of Washington for Pierce County. Under the settlement, eligible Class Members can now submit a Claim Form for a cash payment or reimbursement of documented losses, and every Class Member can enroll in three years of credit monitoring and identity restoration services. The claim deadline is September 28, 2026. This page explains who qualifies, what you can get, and how to file.
Who Qualifies?
The Settlement Class is defined as all current and former employees, and their family members, as well as current and former contractors, who received notice from PCLS and whose personal information may have been impacted in the Data Incident. If you received a notice about the incident, the settlement administrator has already identified you as a member of the Settlement Class.Certain people are excluded from the Settlement Class, including PCLS and its parents, subsidiaries, affiliates, and any entity in which PCLS has a controlling interest; anyone who timely and properly excludes themselves from the settlement; the attorneys representing the parties in the litigation; the judges assigned to the case and their immediate families; and any person found guilty (or who pleads no contest) under criminal law of initiating, causing, aiding, or abetting the Data Incident. If you are not sure whether you are included, you can confirm your status through the official settlement website.
How Much Can You Get?
Class Members who submit a valid, timely Claim Form can choose between a flat cash payment or reimbursement of their actual losses, and every Class Member can also enroll in credit monitoring:- Alternative Cash Payment — $70. You can elect a flat $70 cash payment if you choose not to submit claims for ordinary losses, extraordinary losses, or attested lost time. This is the simplest option and requires no loss documentation.
- Compensation for ordinary losses — up to $250. Reimbursement for out-of-pocket costs fairly traceable to the Data Incident (incurred on or after April 15, 2025), such as bank fees, certain phone or data charges, postage, mileage for local travel, and fees for credit reports or credit monitoring. Third-party documentation is required.
- Compensation for extraordinary losses — up to $4,000. Reimbursement for documented, unreimbursed monetary losses stemming from fraud or identity theft that were more likely than not caused by the Data Incident, incurred after the incident and not covered by another category. Third-party documentation is required.
- Reimbursement for attested lost time — up to $80. Time spent dealing with the Data Incident is reimbursed at $20 per hour, capped at 4 hours ($80). Lost time can be combined with the loss-reimbursement categories, but not with the $70 Alternative Cash Payment.
- Credit monitoring & identity restoration — 3 years. Every Class Member can enroll in three years of credit monitoring and identity restoration services through IDX/Zerofox, including at least one major credit bureau and $1,000,000 in identity-theft insurance with no deductible. This benefit is separate and is not subject to the cash cap.
The Alternative Cash Payment, the loss-reimbursement categories, and attested lost time are together subject to a $385,000 aggregate cap. If the total of approved claims for those benefits exceeds $385,000, the payments are reduced pro rata so the total does not exceed the cap. Credit monitoring, notice and administration costs, court-approved attorneys' fees, and service awards are paid separately and do not count toward that cap.
How to File a Claim
The only way to receive a payment is to submit a Claim Form. The fastest way is to file online at the official settlement website; you can also download a paper Claim Form and mail it to the settlement administrator. To file online, log in with the LoginID and PIN printed on the notice that was mailed to you. If you are mailing your claim, you can instead provide the name and physical address the July 2025 notice was sent to. If you plan to claim ordinary or extraordinary losses, be ready to attach supporting third-party documentation such as receipts or account statements — self-prepared documents alone are not sufficient.If you cannot locate your LoginID and PIN, you can request them through the official settlement website's contact page by providing your full name and mailing address. Whether you file online or by mail, your claim must be submitted or postmarked no later than September 28, 2026.
You have other options too. If you do nothing, you remain in the Settlement Class, receive no payment, and give up your right to sue PCLS over the claims resolved by the settlement. If you want to keep your right to sue, you must exclude yourself (opt out) by August 28, 2026. If you want to stay in the class but tell the Court why you object to the settlement, you must submit an objection by August 28, 2026. The Court's final approval hearing is scheduled for October 9, 2026 at 9:00 a.m.; no payments will be issued unless and until the Court approves the settlement and it becomes final.
Watch Out for Scams
Legitimate settlement administrators never ask you to pay a fee to release a class action payment, and they will not ask for your banking passwords or a "processing payment" to send your check. File only through the official settlement website, and ignore any call, text, or email demanding payment or sensitive account credentials to "claim" your money. For other cases you can still file, see our roundup of open data breach settlements, our explainer on how a data breach class action works, and a related employer-records breach in the Excel Fitness data breach settlement.Frequently Asked Questions
Who qualifies for the Pierce County Library System data breach settlement?
The Settlement Class includes current and former employees of the Pierce County Library System (PCLS), their family members, and current and former contractors who received notice from PCLS and whose personal information may have been impacted by the data incident PCLS disclosed in July 2025. If you received a notice about the incident, the settlement administrator has already identified you as a Class Member.
How much can I get from the Pierce County Library settlement?
You can choose an Alternative Cash Payment of $70, or instead claim reimbursement of documented losses — up to $250 for ordinary out-of-pocket losses, up to $4,000 for extraordinary losses from fraud or identity theft, and up to $80 for attested lost time ($20 per hour, capped at 4 hours). These cash benefits share a $385,000 aggregate cap and are reduced pro rata if total valid claims exceed it. Separately, every Class Member can enroll in 3 years of credit monitoring and identity restoration services with $1,000,000 in identity-theft insurance.
Do I need proof to file a claim?
Yes. To file online you must log in with the LoginID and PIN printed on the notice that was mailed to you (by mail, you can instead provide the name and physical address the July 2025 notice was sent to). Claims for ordinary or extraordinary losses also require third-party documentation such as receipts or account statements — self-prepared documents alone are not enough. The $70 Alternative Cash Payment and attested lost time require no loss documentation, but you still need your notice identifier to verify class membership.
What is the deadline to file a claim?
Claims must be submitted online or postmarked by September 28, 2026. If you want to exclude yourself (opt out) or object to the settlement, the deadline for both is earlier — August 28, 2026. The Court's final approval hearing is scheduled for October 9, 2026, and no payments will be made unless and until the Court approves the settlement and it becomes final.
