How to file a discrimination complaint in California

This page covers how to file with the state. It is general information, not legal advice. To learn what counts as illegal discrimination, see What counts as illegal discrimination or harassment at work.

Who can file?

You can file if you work or applied for work in California and believe you were treated worse because of a protected trait, such as race, national origin, sex, pregnancy, age 40 and over, disability, religion, sexual orientation or gender identity. You can also file if you were punished for complaining about discrimination.

• Discrimination complaints cover employers with 5 or more workers.
• Harassment complaints cover every employer, of any size.
• Your status does not matter. The Civil Rights Department says the law applies to workers whatever their citizenship or immigration status, and the department does not ask about status.

What is the deadline?

Generally 3 years from the last thing that happened. Do not wait until the end. Memories fade and witnesses move away.

What should I have ready?

You can start without all of this. Gather what you can.

• Your contact details: a phone number, email or mailing address where the department can reach you
• Your employer: business name and address, and the names of the people involved, like the owner, manager or coworker
• The trait: why you believe it happened, for example your national origin, pregnancy or age
• What happened: each event, with dates, in order. Use the incident log if you kept one.
• What it cost you: firing, lost hours, lost pay, a job you did not get
• Witnesses: names and how to reach them
• Papers: texts, emails, schedules, pay stubs, write ups, any complaint you made at work. Online, you can upload files.

Keep your originals. Send copies.

How do I file?

Pick the way that works for you.

1. Online (fastest). Go to the Civil Rights Department's How to File a Complaint page and use the online portal (called CCRS).

• Register with an email address you check.
• Choose the intake form for employment.
• Enter the people involved and what happened.
• Upload any files.
• Pick a time for your interview with an intake consultant.
• You can pause and come back within 30 days of starting.

No email? Ask a family member you trust to help you make a free one, or file by phone instead.

2. By phone. Call 800-884-1684, Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., except state holidays. A representative can help you file and set your interview.

3. By email or mail. Download the intake form in your language from the How to File page. Fill out one form for each type of complaint. Email it to contact.center@calcivilrights.ca.gov, or mail it to Civil Rights Department, 651 Bannon Street, Suite 200, Sacramento, CA 95811. Mail can take longer.

4. In person. Visit a Civil Rights Department office. Check the office list on the department's website before you go.

What happens after I file?

Here is the usual path, from the department's complaint process page (checked October 21, 2026). Times vary. Ask the department or a clinic what to expect in your case.

1. Intake interview. Sending your intake form starts an interview with a department representative about what happened. Have your timeline and papers in front of you. Ask for an interpreter if you need one.
2. Decision to investigate. The department decides whether to accept your complaint for investigation. Being accepted does not mean it has found a violation. If it accepts, it prepares a complaint for you to sign, then sends it to your employer, who must respond by a deadline.
3. Free dispute resolution. The department offers free mediation in many cases, a meeting where a neutral person helps you and your employer try to settle. You do not have to accept a settlement offer you do not want. If the department later finds reasonable cause, the two sides are typically required to go to mediation.
4. Investigation. If there is no settlement, an investigator gathers facts, which can include talking with witnesses and asking for records.
5. Result. If the department finds the law was broken, it may try to settle the case or take it to court. If it finds no reasonable cause, it closes the case and you get a right to sue notice. You then have one year from the date of that notice to file a lawsuit yourself (Government Code 12965(c)). If you also filed with the federal EEOC, that deadline can be longer; ask a clinic.

Going straight to court. You do not have to use the department's investigation. In employment cases, you must get an immediate Right to Sue notice from the department before you file your own lawsuit. The one year clock to sue runs from the date of that notice, so it starts right away. That is why this route makes sense mainly if you already have a lawyer. See Do I need a lawyer for a case against my employer?

Should I also file with the federal government?

Maybe. The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) enforces federal job discrimination laws, which reach fewer employers than California law. Title VII, the main federal law, covers employers with 15 or more employees (42 U.S.C. 2000e(b)); California's law covers employers with 5 or more. The federal deadline is much shorter: 180 days, or 300 days where a state agency enforces a similar law, as California's does (age claims have their own rule). The EEOC and state agencies share complaints, so a charge filed with one is usually filed with the other automatically. EEOC: 1-800-669-4000 (EEOC, checked October 21, 2026). A clinic can tell you whether to file with both.

What if the problem was about my papers?

If, when you were hired or kept on, your employer asked for more or different papers than the I-9 rules require, refused papers that looked real, or treated you worse because of your citizenship status, a federal office also takes these complaints: the U.S. Department of Justice, Immigrant and Employee Rights Section (IER).

• Hotline: 1-800-255-7688 (TTY 711)
• Deadline: within 180 days of what happened
• File online or with a form in 11 languages, by email, mail or fax

File a charge with IER (U.S. Department of Justice)

What if I am punished for filing?

Your employer may not fire you, cut your hours or threaten you because you filed a complaint, testified or helped a coworker (Government Code 12940(h)). That is called retaliation. Tell the department if it happens. In California, threatening to call immigration on a worker who uses their rights is illegal retaliation. See What counts as illegal retaliation at work.

Mistakes to avoid

• Waiting too long. The state deadline is generally 3 years, but the federal deadline for papers related complaints is 180 days.
• Leaving out dates. Your best guess is better than nothing. Write "about March 2026" if that is what you remember.
• Skipping the interview. If you cannot make your appointment, reschedule. Online, you can do this in the portal.
• Missing mail. Tell the department if your address, phone or email changes.
• Signing a settlement you do not understand. Ask a clinic or lawyer to read it first.

Questions people ask

Do I need a lawyer? No, not to file with the department. You can file on your own. A lawyer helps most if you want to go to court. See Do I need a lawyer for a case against my employer?

I still work there. Can I file? Yes. You do not have to quit or be fired to file.

Can I file in Spanish? Yes. The intake forms come in Spanish and several other languages.

I signed an arbitration agreement at work. Can I still file? Ask a clinic. See What it means if your job asks you to sign an arbitration agreement.

Who can help?

These are public offices and nonprofit clinics. Contact them to confirm hours, languages and openings. Being listed here is not a referral or a promise of service.

• California Civil Rights Department: 800-884-1684. Email contact.center@calcivilrights.ca.gov. How to file a complaint
• Legal Aid at Work, Workers' Rights Clinic: free and confidential for people within its income limits, or age 60 and over. East Palo Alto line (415) 404-9093. Workers' Rights Clinic
• Legal Aid at Work, Language Rights Helpline: language or accent based treatment. 1-800-864-1664. Language Rights Helpline
• U.S. Department of Justice, IER: papers and citizenship status discrimination. 1-800-255-7688. IER
• More places: Free help with a work problem in the Bay Area

Filing is a way of saying: this happened, and it was wrong. You can do this one step at a time.

Is there a checklist I can print?