What is class period?
A class period is the specific date range during which a person must have been affected by the challenged conduct to belong to the proposed class. It is set in the class definition itself — for example, purchasers of a product 'between January 1, 2022 and June 30, 2024.' Falling outside that window generally excludes someone from the class and any settlement.
The class period is usually printed on the top of a settlement notice or claim form, and it is one of the first things worth checking before reading further. Courts sometimes extend the original period as a case develops, or split a class into subclasses with different periods for different claims. A claim form typically asks for the date of purchase or the date the harm occurred specifically so the administrator can verify it falls inside this window.
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Last reviewed 2026-08-22.