Published
October 14, 2025
Updated
August 1, 2026
The Snow v. Align Technology settlement received final approval and judgment on November 21, 2025. The October 2025 claim deadline is over; known purchasers were slated for automatic payments and other approved claimants entered the distribution process.
Current Status
Final approval is no longer pending. The federal court granted final approval and entered judgment on November 21, 2025. The order anticipated distribution within 75 days of the settlement's effective date and required a post-distribution accounting afterward. The administrator's public document list does not yet display that accounting, so this page describes the matter as being in the distribution stage rather than claiming a specific payment date. New claims cannot be submitted.StatusFinal Approval Granted; Distribution Stage
Claim DeadlineOctober 27, 2025 — Passed
Settlement Fund$31.75 Million
Final JudgmentNovember 21, 2025
What Was the Lawsuit About?
The plaintiffs alleged that Align Technology entered an agreement with SmileDirectClub that suppressed competition in the market for clear dental aligners. According to the lawsuit, Align agreed not to compete with SmileDirectClub in the direct-to-consumer channel and transferred certain assets as part of the arrangement. The plaintiffs claimed the alleged restraint allowed SmileDirectClub aligner prices to remain higher than they would have been with more competition. Align denied the allegations and denied violating antitrust or consumer-protection law. The settlement resolved the claims without a trial or finding of wrongdoing.Who Was Included?
The settlement class generally included people in the United States who purchased, paid for, or reimbursed some or all of the price of SmileDirectClub aligners for personal use from October 22, 2017, through August 18, 2022. The formal notice listed exclusions, including Align and related parties, certain government entities, court personnel, and people who validly requested exclusion. Eligibility depended on the settlement definition, not simply on having been a SmileDirectClub customer at any time.How Were Payments Structured?
The $31.75 million common fund pays class benefits after court-approved fees, expenses, administration costs, and other deductions. The original estimate was roughly $40 to $60 per class member, with a $10 minimum for approved recipients, but the actual amount is pro rata and depends on the final eligible population and deductions. The estimate was not a guaranteed payment. The settlement covers the qualifying aligner purchase, not dental injury, unfinished-treatment, warranty, or bankruptcy claims against SmileDirectClub.Who Needed to File a Claim?
People identified in SmileDirectClub's purchaser records were scheduled to receive an automatic cash payment if they did not exclude themselves. They could still use the administrator's form to update payment information or choose a digital method. People who were not identified as known purchasers had to submit a claim by October 27, 2025 and could be required to supply proof of a qualifying aligner purchase. The claim portal now states that submissions are closed.What Did the Court Approve?
After a final approval hearing on November 20, 2025, the court entered an amended final approval order and final judgment the next day. The order approved the settlement as fair, reasonable, and adequate, dismissed the covered claims against Align with prejudice, and set distribution-related requirements. It also required a public accounting after substantial completion of payments, including the number and value of payments sent and redeemed.When Should Payments Arrive?
The final approval order listed an estimated distribution date within 75 days after the effective date. That timing could be affected by the effective-date provisions, payment validation, returned mail, or other administration work. Because the official documents page has not posted the required final accounting, recipients should use the court orders on the official documents page rather than assuming a payment was missed based only on the hearing date.How This Differs From the HFD Plan
This is an antitrust settlement with Align Technology covering purchases from 2017 through 2022. It is separate from the $4.8 million HFD compensation plan for some SmilePay customers whose treatment was incomplete when SmileDirectClub shut down in December 2023. The programs use different eligibility rules, deadlines, benefits, and official websites.Official Information
Review the latest information on the Snow v. Align official documents website.
Case
Snow v. Align Technology, Inc.
Case Number
3:21-cv-03269-VC
Court
U.S. District Court, Northern District of California
Status
Final approval and judgment entered
Settlement Fund
$31.75 million
Class Period
October 22, 2017–August 18, 2022
Claim Deadline
October 27, 2025
Official Website
Snow v. Align official documents
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