By Steve Levine
Published: March 22, 2026
Status
Classes Certified — Notice Live · Trial Sept 28, 2026
certified Feb 2026 by Hon. William H. Orrick (N.D. Cal.), No. 3:20-cv-02345 · official court notice is live
Next Opt-Out Deadline
June 13, 2026 (Direct Purchasers)
retail consumer (May 20, 2026) and business reseller (May 8, 2026) deadlines have passed · do nothing to stay in your class
Class Periods
Oct 2018 – Feb 2026 (varies by class)
direct from Juul/JUUL.com (Oct 5, 2018–Feb 26, 2026); retail pods (Oct 25, 2018–Mar 29, 2024); reseller (Dec 1, 2018–Mar 31, 2025)
Estimated Payout
TBD — Treble Damages Possible
no money available now; depends on trial outcome or settlement; antitrust damages are tripled under federal law
Claim Form / Proof
No Claim Form Yet
nothing to file today — save receipts and bank/credit card statements showing Juul purchases in case claims open later
Latest Update · May 29, 2026
The case has moved into the certified-class notice phase. Three classes are certified — direct purchasers, retail consumers (indirect purchasers), and business resellers — and official court-notice websites are live. The direct-purchaser opt-out deadline is June 13, 2026; the retail-consumer (May 20, 2026) and reseller (May 8, 2026) opt-out deadlines have passed. Trial is scheduled for September 28, 2026 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California (No. 3:20-cv-02345). There is still no settlement, no money, and no claim form — if money or benefits become available later, class members will be notified.
What Is This New Juul Lawsuit About?
This is a separate antitrust class action against Juul Labs and Altria -- and it has nothing to do with the old $300 million Juul settlement that has been paying out since 2024. It is a completely different case with completely different allegations, and it is now a certified class action with official court notice underway.The old Juul settlement was about deceptive marketing, addiction, and targeting minors. This new case is about money. Specifically, it alleges that Juul and Altria conspired to destroy competition in the e-cigarette market and artificially inflate the price of Juul pods.
Here is what the lawsuit claims happened. In December 2018, Altria -- the tobacco giant that owns Marlboro -- acquired a 35% stake in Juul Labs for $12.8 billion. The lawsuit alleges that as part of this deal, the two companies agreed to restrain competition in the closed-system e-vapor market. The plaintiffs claim Altria pulled its own competing e-cigarette products from the market and agreed not to compete with Juul, effectively eliminating a major competitor. With less competition, the lawsuit alleges, Juul was able to charge higher prices for its pods than it could have in a truly competitive market.
In plain terms: the lawsuit says Juul and Altria teamed up so Juul could charge you more for pods, and you had fewer alternatives to choose from as a result.
Juul and Altria deny these allegations. They say their transaction did not harm competition or inflate prices. They have stated their intention to appeal the class certification to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.
This Is NOT the Old Juul Settlement
We want to be absolutely clear about this because it is going to confuse a lot of people. This is not the same case as the $300 million Juul consumer settlement. These are two completely separate lawsuits.The old case (In re JUUL Labs, Inc. Marketing, Sales Practices, and Products Liability Litigation) was about Juul lying about addiction and safety, targeting kids with candy flavors and social media ads, and misleading consumers. That case settled. Checks went out. A second round of payments started going out on March 20, 2026.
This new case (In re Juul Labs, Inc. Antitrust Litigation) is about antitrust price-fixing -- Juul and Altria allegedly conspiring to eliminate competition so they could charge more for pods. This case has not settled. It is going to trial.
You can be part of both. Getting paid from the old settlement does not prevent you from being included in this new class action. They are different legal claims.
Who Is Automatically Included?
In February 2026, Judge William H. Orrick of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California certified classes in this case, and official court notice is now live. There are three separate groups, each with its own class period, its own official notice website, and its own opt-out deadline. If you fit one of them, you are already in that class — you do not need to sign up, register, or file anything to stay in.1. Direct Purchasers — Bought Directly From Juul
You may be in the direct purchaser class if you bought JUUL e-vapor products directly from Juul Labs, including through Juul's website (JUUL.com), from October 5, 2018 to February 26, 2026. Direct-purchaser notice began on March 30, 2026, and the deadline to exclude yourself (opt out) of this class is June 13, 2026. Details are on the official direct purchaser site, JuulAntitrust.com.2. Retail Consumers (Indirect Purchasers) — Bought Pods From a Store
You may be in the consumer classes if you purchased Juul pods (not devices, and not pods sold in starter kits containing devices) from a physical retail store — such as a convenience store, gas station, grocery store, or vape shop — for personal use (not resale) between October 25, 2018 and March 29, 2024. There are also separate statewide classes for consumers in states including California, Illinois, Massachusetts, and Michigan, with claims under those states' antitrust laws. The opt-out deadline for this group was May 20, 2026, which has already passed, so consumers who did not exclude themselves remain in the class. Details are on the official consumer site, JuulAntitrustConsumer.com.3. Business Resellers (Indirect Reseller Class)
There is also a separate class for businesses that bought Juul pods indirectly for resale from December 1, 2018 through March 31, 2025 in listed states. The opt-out deadline for this group was May 8, 2026, which has passed. Details are on the official reseller site, JuulIndirectResellerClassAction.com.Purchases that generally do NOT qualify for the consumer pod classes: purchases of Juul devices (only pods count) and pods that came bundled in kits with devices. Each official notice website explains the exact eligibility rules for its class.
Do I Need to Do Anything Right Now?
If you want to stay in your class: do nothing. You are automatically included. If the plaintiffs win at trial or a settlement is reached, you will be notified about how to file a claim and receive your share.If you want to opt out: you must submit a request for exclusion by your class's deadline. For the direct purchaser class, that deadline is June 13, 2026. The retail consumer deadline (May 20, 2026) and the business reseller deadline (May 8, 2026) have already passed, so members of those classes can no longer opt out and remain in the case. Opting out means you will not receive any money from this case if it succeeds, but you keep your right to sue Juul and Altria separately for these antitrust claims. Most people should not opt out unless they have a specific reason to pursue individual litigation. Follow the exclusion instructions on your class's official notice website.
There is no claim form available yet. Claims will only open if the plaintiffs win at trial or a settlement is reached.
When Is the Trial?
The trial is currently scheduled for September 28, 2026 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. This date may change. There is no guarantee the plaintiffs will win, and there is no guarantee that class members will receive any money.If the plaintiffs win, the court would determine damages based on how much consumers overpaid for Juul pods as a result of the alleged anticompetitive conduct. If Juul and Altria settle before trial (which is always possible), a settlement fund would be established and a claims process would be created.
Either way, no money is available right now. This is an active lawsuit, not a completed settlement. But being in the class now means you are positioned to receive compensation if the case succeeds.
How Much Could I Get?
No payment amounts have been determined because the case has not been decided yet. If the plaintiffs win or a settlement is reached, payments would be calculated based on how much each class member overpaid for Juul pods due to the alleged price-fixing. The more pods you bought during the class period, the higher your potential recovery.The scope of this case is significant. Juul controlled roughly 72% of the e-cigarette market at its peak in 2018. Millions of consumers bought Juul pods from retail stores during the class period. If antitrust damages are proven, the total liability could be substantial -- and under federal antitrust law, damages can be tripled (treble damages).
When Will the Claim Form Be Available?
There is no claim form right now and there will not be one until either the plaintiffs win at trial or a settlement is reached. The trial is scheduled for September 28, 2026. If the plaintiffs win, the court would then establish a process for class members to submit claims and prove their pod purchases. If a settlement is reached before trial (which happens in many class actions), a claims process would be announced as part of the settlement terms.The realistic earliest timeline for a claim form: if the trial goes forward in September 2026 and the plaintiffs win, a claims process could open in late 2026 or early 2027. If a settlement is reached before trial, it could potentially happen sooner. If the defendants successfully appeal the class certification to the Ninth Circuit (which they have stated they intend to do), the entire timeline could be pushed back significantly.
Bottom line: do not expect a claim form anytime soon. This is a case to watch, not a case to act on today. The only opt-out deadline still open is the June 13, 2026 direct-purchaser deadline (the retail-consumer and reseller deadlines have already passed) -- and for most people, the right move is to do nothing and stay in their class.
What Could the Total Settlement Be Worth?
No settlement amount has been announced because no settlement exists yet. But we can look at the scale of the market to understand what is at stake.During the class period (October 2018 through March 2024), Juul was the dominant e-cigarette brand in the United States. At its peak in late 2018, Juul held approximately 72% of the entire e-cigarette market. A 4-pack of JUULpods retailed for approximately $15.99. Millions of consumers purchased pods regularly -- many buying multiple packs per week. The total consumer spending on Juul pods during the class period runs into the billions of dollars.
The lawsuit alleges that pod prices were artificially inflated because Altria removed its competing products from the market as part of its deal with Juul. If the court determines that prices were, say, 10% to 30% higher than they would have been in a competitive market, the overcharge across all consumers over a five-and-a-half-year class period would be enormous. And under federal antitrust law, those damages are automatically tripled.
For context, the old Juul marketing settlement was $300 million. Antitrust cases of this scale -- involving a dominant market player, a multi-billion dollar acquisition, and years of allegedly inflated consumer prices -- have historically produced settlements and verdicts in the hundreds of millions to billions of dollars. We are not predicting a specific number, but the potential liability here is very large.
Could Payouts Be as Large as the First Juul Settlement?
It is too early to say with certainty, but there are reasons to believe individual payouts in this case could be meaningful.In the original $300 million Juul marketing settlement, the average first-round payment was approximately $240. Some heavy users received $5,000 to $10,000 or more, depending on how much they spent on Juul products and whether they were youth purchasers who received the 4x weighting multiplier.
This antitrust case has a different structure. Payments would be based on the price overcharge per pod, multiplied by the number of pods you bought, potentially tripled under antitrust law. A regular user who bought a 4-pack every week for several years could have a substantial claim if the overcharge percentage is significant.
Whether individual payouts reach the $10,000+ range that some claimants received in the old settlement depends entirely on three things: the total settlement or verdict amount, how many class members file claims, and the per-pod overcharge calculation. In the old settlement, the fraud rejection rate was staggering -- over 63 million of 63.5 million claims were rejected in the ATM settlement, for example, which dramatically increased per-person payouts. If something similar happens here (legitimate purchasers filing honest claims while fraudulent claims are filtered out), individual payouts could be higher than expected.
The honest answer: nobody knows yet. But the ingredients for a large recovery are present -- dominant market share, billions in consumer spending, federal treble damages, and a class period spanning over five years. This is a case worth watching closely.
What Should I Do to Prepare?
Even though there is no claim form yet, there are things you can do now to be ready if the case succeeds. If you have old receipts from convenience stores, gas stations, or vape shops showing Juul pod purchases between October 2018 and March 2024, hold onto them. Bank or credit card statements showing purchases at retailers where you bought Juul pods could also be useful. The more documentation you have of your purchases, the stronger your claim will be if a claims process opens.You should also make sure you do not accidentally opt out. If you receive a legal notice about this case by mail or email, read it carefully. If you want to stay in your class and be eligible for any future payout, do nothing. Only people who affirmatively submit an exclusion request by their class's deadline are removed from the class — for direct purchasers that deadline is June 13, 2026, while the retail consumer (May 20, 2026) and business reseller (May 8, 2026) deadlines have already passed.
Case Information
Case: In re Juul Labs, Inc. Antitrust Litigation
Case Number: 3:20-cv-02345 (filed April 7, 2020)
Court: U.S. District Court, Northern District of California
Judge: Hon. William H. Orrick
Defendants: Juul Labs, Inc. and Altria, Inc.
Allegation: Antitrust -- conspired to restrain competition and inflate Juul pod prices
Status: Classes certified (February 2026); official notice live; case heading to trial
Direct Purchaser Class: bought directly from Juul / JUUL.com, Oct 5, 2018 -- Feb 26, 2026 (opt-out deadline June 13, 2026; notice began March 30, 2026)
Retail Consumer Classes: bought pods from a physical store for personal use, Oct 25, 2018 -- Mar 29, 2024 (statewide classes incl. CA, IL, MA, MI; opt-out deadline May 20, 2026 -- passed)
Business Reseller Class: bought pods indirectly for resale, Dec 1, 2018 -- Mar 31, 2025, in listed states (opt-out deadline May 8, 2026 -- passed)
Trial Date: September 28, 2026 (subject to change)
Claim Form: Not yet available -- will open only if the case succeeds
Settlement Amount: None yet -- case going to trial
Official Websites: JuulAntitrust.com (direct purchasers), JuulAntitrustConsumer.com (retail consumers), JuulIndirectResellerClassAction.com (resellers)
How Do I Find Class Action Settlements?
Find all the latest class actions you can qualify for by getting notified of new lawsuits as soon as they are open to claims:Official Case Websites
• JuulAntitrust.com — direct purchaser class• JuulAntitrustConsumer.com — retail consumer (indirect purchaser) classes
• JuulIndirectResellerClassAction.com — business reseller class
What About the Old Juul Settlement?
If you are looking for information about the previous $300 million Juul consumer settlement (the one about deceptive marketing and targeting minors), that is a completely separate case. That settlement has already been approved, first-round payments went out in 2024-2025, and second-round payments started going out on March 20, 2026. Here are the relevant pages:• Juul $255M Class Action Settlement (Original)
• Juul Labs Settlement Details
• Juul $300M Settlement Second Payment -- $15.3M Going to 165,982 Claimants
• Juul Settlement Remaining Funds Explained -- Why Millions Were Left Unclaimed
The old settlement is closed to new claims. The claim deadline was February 5, 2024. If you missed it, you cannot file now. But this new antitrust case is separate, and if you bought Juul pods from a store during the class period, you are automatically part of it.
Sources
• Official Direct Purchaser Notice Website -- JuulAntitrust.com• Official Consumer (Indirect Purchaser) Notice Website -- JuulAntitrustConsumer.com
• Official Indirect Reseller Notice Website -- JuulIndirectResellerClassAction.com
• Order certifying classes, February 2026, Hon. William H. Orrick, U.S. District Court, N.D. Cal.; court-approved class notice (direct purchaser notice began March 30, 2026)
• Docket -- In re Juul Labs, Inc. Antitrust Litigation, No. 3:20-cv-02345 (N.D. Cal.), filed April 7, 2020 (CourtListener)
Filing Class Action Settlement Claims
There is no claim form available for this case at this time. If you are in the class, you do not need to take any action right now. If the case succeeds at trial or a settlement is reached, a claims process will be established and you will be notified. OpenClassActions.com is a consumer advocacy and class action news site, and is not a class action administrator or a law firm.
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Submit Claim| Juul Antitrust Class Action Summary | |
| Status | Classes certified -- notice live -- trial Sept 28, 2026 |
|---|---|
| Allegation | Antitrust price-fixing (inflated pod prices) |
| Defendants | Juul Labs, Inc. and Altria, Inc. |
| Case No. | 3:20-cv-02345 (N.D. Cal.) |
| Classes | Direct purchasers; retail consumers (indirect); business resellers |
| Opt-Out Deadlines | Direct purchasers: June 13, 2026. Retail consumers: May 20, 2026 (passed). Resellers: May 8, 2026 (passed). |
| Trial Date | September 28, 2026 (subject to change) |
| Claim Form | Not yet available |
| Settlement Amount | None yet -- no money available now |
| Official Websites | Juul Antitrust.com (direct), Juul Antitrust Consumer.com (retail), Juul Indirect Reseller Class Action.com (resellers) |