U.S. Equal Employment
Opportunity Commission
Note: Federal employees and job applicants have a different complaint process.
A charge must be filed with one of EEOC's 53 field offices. Where you should file your charge depends on where the discrimination took place. For example, if you live in New Jersey, but the discrimination took place at your job site in New York, you should file your charge with our office in New York.
If it is not clear where you should file your charge, you can file where the employer’s corporate headquarters is located. If you are a U.S. citizen working for an American company overseas, you should file your charge with the EEOC field office closest to your employer’s corporate headquarters.
Where the discrimination took place can determine how long you have to file a charge. If the discrimination took place in a state or locality that has a fair employment practices law, you have 300 days to file a complaint with EEOC (although only a state law will extend the deadline for an age discrimination charge). Otherwise the deadline is 180 days.
Many states and local jurisdictions have their own anti-discrimination laws, and agencies responsible for enforcing those laws (Fair Employment Practices Agencies, or FEPAs). If you file a charge with a FEPA, it will automatically be "dual-filed" with EEOC if federal laws apply. You do not need to file with both agencies.
EEOC does not accept charges online. However, we do have an online assessment tool that can help you decide if EEOC is the correct agency to assist you. You can then complete an Intake Questionnaire that you may print and either bring or mail to the appropriate EEOC field office to begin the process of filing a charge.
Each field office has its own procedures for appointments or walk-ins. Please check our field office list for your office's procedures.
It is always helpful if you bring with you to the meeting any information or papers that will help us understand your case. For example, if you were fired because of your performance, you might bring with you the letter or notice telling you that you were fired and your performance evaluations. You might also bring with you the names of people who know about what happened and information about how to contact them.
You can bring anyone you want to your meeting, especially if you need language assistance and know someone who can help. You can also bring your lawyer, although you don’t have to hire a lawyer to file a charge. If you need special assistance during the meeting, like a sign language or foreign language interpreter, let us know ahead of time so we can arrange for someone to be there for you.
Although we do not take charges over the phone, you can get the process started over the phone. You can call 1-800-669-4000 to submit basic information about a possible charge, and we will forward the information to the EEOC field office in your area. Once the field office receives your information, they will contact you to talk to you about your situation.
You can file a charge by sending us a letter that includes the following information:
Don’t forget to sign your letter. If you don’t sign it, we cannot investigate it.
Your letter will be reviewed and if more information is needed, we will contact you to gather that information or you may be sent a follow up questionnaire. At a later date, we will contact you and may put all of the information you sent us on an official EEOC charge form and ask you to sign it.