diff --git a/src/iterateJsdoc.js b/src/iterateJsdoc.js
index 843facc6c..26a48b4c9 100644
--- a/src/iterateJsdoc.js
+++ b/src/iterateJsdoc.js
@@ -281,9 +281,6 @@ const getSettings = (context) => {
   settings.allowEmptyNamepaths = _.get(context, 'settings.jsdoc.allowEmptyNamepaths') !== false;
   settings.checkSeesForNamepaths = Boolean(_.get(context, 'settings.jsdoc.checkSeesForNamepaths'));
 
-  // `require-returns` only
-  settings.forceRequireReturn = Boolean(_.get(context, 'settings.jsdoc.forceRequireReturn'));
-
   // `require-example` only
   settings.avoidExampleOnConstructors = Boolean(_.get(context, 'settings.jsdoc.avoidExampleOnConstructors'));
 
diff --git a/src/rules/requireReturns.js b/src/rules/requireReturns.js
index 92e5fcb7e..a440fd898 100644
--- a/src/rules/requireReturns.js
+++ b/src/rules/requireReturns.js
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import iterateJsdoc from '../iterateJsdoc';
+import warnRemovedSettings from '../warnRemovedSettings';
 
 /**
  * We can skip checking for a return value, in case the documentation is inherited
@@ -43,16 +44,20 @@ const canSkip = (utils) => {
 export default iterateJsdoc(({
   report,
   utils,
-  context,
-  settings
+  context
 }) => {
+  warnRemovedSettings(context, 'require-returns');
+
   // A preflight check. We do not need to run a deep check
   // in case the @returns comment is optional or undefined.
   if (canSkip(utils)) {
     return;
   }
 
-  const options = context.options[0] || {};
+  const options = context.options[0] || {
+    forceRequireReturn: false,
+    forceReturnsWithAsync: false
+  };
 
   const tagName = utils.getPreferredTagName('returns');
   if (!tagName) {
@@ -68,7 +73,7 @@ export default iterateJsdoc(({
   const [tag] = tags;
   const missingReturnTag = typeof tag === 'undefined' || tag === null;
   if (missingReturnTag &&
-    ((utils.isAsync() && !utils.hasReturnValue(true) ? options.forceReturnsWithAsync : utils.hasReturnValue()) || settings.forceRequireReturn)
+    ((utils.isAsync() && !utils.hasReturnValue(true) ? options.forceReturnsWithAsync : utils.hasReturnValue()) || options.forceRequireReturn)
   ) {
     report(`Missing JSDoc @${tagName} declaration.`);
   }
@@ -84,6 +89,10 @@ export default iterateJsdoc(({
             },
             type: 'array'
           },
+          forceRequireReturn: {
+            default: false,
+            type: 'boolean'
+          },
           forceReturnsWithAsync: {
             default: false,
             type: 'boolean'
diff --git a/src/warnRemovedSettings.js b/src/warnRemovedSettings.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..dd841180e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/warnRemovedSettings.js
@@ -0,0 +1,107 @@
+/**
+ * @typedef {(
+ *   | "require-jsdoc"
+ *   | "require-returns"
+ *   | "valid-types"
+ *   | "require-example"
+ *   | "check-examples"
+ * )} RulesWithMovedSettings
+ */
+
+/** @type {WeakMap<Object, Set<string>>} */
+const warnedSettings = new WeakMap();
+
+/**
+ * Warn only once for each context and setting
+ *
+ * @param {Object} context
+ * @param {string} setting
+ */
+const hasBeenWarned = (context, setting) => {
+  return warnedSettings.has(context) && warnedSettings.get(context).has(setting);
+};
+
+const markSettingAsWarned = (context, setting) => {
+  if (!warnedSettings.has(context)) {
+    warnedSettings.set(context, new Set());
+  }
+
+  warnedSettings.get(context).add(setting);
+};
+
+/**
+ * @param {Object} obj
+ * @param {string} property
+ * @returns {boolean}
+ */
+const has = (obj, property) => {
+  return Object.prototype.hasOwnProperty.call(obj, property);
+};
+
+/**
+ *
+ * @param {RulesWithMovedSettings} ruleName
+ * @returns {string[]}
+ */
+const getMovedSettings = (ruleName) => {
+  switch (ruleName) {
+  case 'require-jsdoc':
+    return ['exemptEmptyFunctions'];
+  case 'require-returns':
+    return ['forceRequireReturn'];
+  case 'valid-types':
+    return ['allowEmptyNamepaths', 'checkSeesForNamepaths'];
+  case 'require-example':
+    return ['avoidExampleOnConstructors'];
+
+  // TODO: move settings of check-examples to options
+  /* istanbul ignore next */
+  case 'check-examples':
+    return [
+      'captionRequired',
+      'exampleCodeRegex',
+      'rejectExampleCodeRegex',
+      'allowInlineConfig',
+      'noDefaultExampleRules',
+      'matchingFileName',
+      'configFile',
+      'eslintrcForExamples',
+      'baseConfig',
+      'reportUnusedDisableDirectives'
+    ];
+  }
+
+  /* istanbul ignore next */
+  return [];
+};
+
+/**
+ * @param {Object} context
+ * @param {RulesWithMovedSettings} ruleName
+ */
+export default function warnRemovedSettings (context, ruleName) {
+  const movedSettings = getMovedSettings(ruleName);
+
+  if (!context.settings || !context.settings.jsdoc) {
+    return;
+  }
+
+  for (const setting of movedSettings) {
+    if (
+      has(context.settings.jsdoc, setting) &&
+      !hasBeenWarned(context, setting)
+    ) {
+      context.report({
+        loc: {
+          start: {
+            column: 1,
+            line: 1
+          }
+        },
+        message: `\`settings.jsdoc.${setting}\` has been removed, ` +
+          `use options in the rule \`${ruleName}\` instead.`
+      });
+      markSettingAsWarned(context, setting);
+    }
+  }
+}
diff --git a/test/rules/assertions/requireReturns.js b/test/rules/assertions/requireReturns.js
index 0d261f1c5..23df57328 100644
--- a/test/rules/assertions/requireReturns.js
+++ b/test/rules/assertions/requireReturns.js
@@ -85,6 +85,29 @@ export default {
         }
       }
     },
+    {
+      code: `
+          /**
+           *
+           */
+          function foo() {}
+
+          /**
+           *
+           */
+          function bar() {}
+          `,
+      errors: [
+        {
+          message: '`settings.jsdoc.forceRequireReturn` has been removed, use options in the rule `require-returns` instead.'
+        }
+      ],
+      settings: {
+        jsdoc: {
+          forceRequireReturn: true
+        }
+      }
+    },
     {
       code: `
           /**
@@ -99,13 +122,11 @@ export default {
           message: 'Missing JSDoc @returns declaration.'
         }
       ],
+      options: [{
+        forceRequireReturn: true
+      }],
       parserOptions: {
         ecmaVersion: 8
-      },
-      settings: {
-        jsdoc: {
-          forceRequireReturn: true
-        }
       }
     },
     {
@@ -121,13 +142,11 @@ export default {
           message: 'Missing JSDoc @returns declaration.'
         }
       ],
+      options: [{
+        forceRequireReturn: true
+      }],
       parserOptions: {
         ecmaVersion: 8
-      },
-      settings: {
-        jsdoc: {
-          forceRequireReturn: true
-        }
       }
     },
     {
@@ -143,13 +162,11 @@ export default {
           message: 'Missing JSDoc @returns declaration.'
         }
       ],
+      options: [{
+        forceRequireReturn: true
+      }],
       parserOptions: {
         ecmaVersion: 8
-      },
-      settings: {
-        jsdoc: {
-          forceRequireReturn: true
-        }
       }
     },
     {
@@ -165,13 +182,11 @@ export default {
           message: 'Missing JSDoc @returns declaration.'
         }
       ],
+      options: [{
+        forceRequireReturn: true
+      }],
       parserOptions: {
         ecmaVersion: 8
-      },
-      settings: {
-        jsdoc: {
-          forceRequireReturn: true
-        }
       }
     },
     {
@@ -188,11 +203,9 @@ export default {
           message: 'Missing JSDoc @returns declaration.'
         }
       ],
-      settings: {
-        jsdoc: {
-          forceRequireReturn: true
-        }
-      }
+      options: [{
+        forceRequireReturn: true
+      }]
     },
     {
       code: `
@@ -490,11 +503,9 @@ export default {
         }
       }
       `,
-      settings: {
-        jsdoc: {
-          forceRequireReturn: true
-        }
-      }
+      options: [{
+        forceRequireReturn: true
+      }]
     },
     {
       code: `
@@ -516,11 +527,9 @@ export default {
           function quux () {
           }
       `,
-      settings: {
-        jsdoc: {
-          forceRequireReturn: true
-        }
-      }
+      options: [{
+        forceRequireReturn: true
+      }]
     },
     {
       code: `
@@ -541,11 +550,9 @@ export default {
             return undefined;
           }
       `,
-      settings: {
-        jsdoc: {
-          forceRequireReturn: true
-        }
-      }
+      options: [{
+        forceRequireReturn: true
+      }]
     },
     {
       code: `
@@ -565,11 +572,9 @@ export default {
           function quux () {
           }
       `,
-      settings: {
-        jsdoc: {
-          forceRequireReturn: true
-        }
-      }
+      options: [{
+        forceRequireReturn: true
+      }]
     },
     {
       code: `
@@ -580,11 +585,9 @@ export default {
             return;
           }
       `,
-      settings: {
-        jsdoc: {
-          forceRequireReturn: true
-        }
-      }
+      options: [{
+        forceRequireReturn: true
+      }]
     },
     {
       code: `
@@ -602,13 +605,11 @@ export default {
           async function quux () {
           }
       `,
+      options: [{
+        forceRequireReturn: true
+      }],
       parserOptions: {
         ecmaVersion: 8
-      },
-      settings: {
-        jsdoc: {
-          forceRequireReturn: true
-        }
       }
     },
     {