U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division
Report a Civil Rights Violation
The federal reporting gateway and its review process.
Civil-rights records
Name the setting before choosing where to report
GuideWeSpeakLaw EditorialUpdated August 27, 2026Sources reviewed
A workplace charge, housing complaint, voting problem and police-misconduct report may go to different agencies. Preserve the facts first, then use the official route for the setting.
Official record
Primary sources
U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
Filing a Charge of Discrimination
What an employment-discrimination charge is and how the process differs.
U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
Time Limits For Filing A Charge
The EEOC’s current warning that timing depends on the claim and jurisdiction.
Start with what happened and where
The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division organizes reports across settings such as housing, education, voting, public places and law enforcement. The setting helps determine which team or agency may handle the issue.
Write down the event in ordinary language: who was involved, what happened, when and where it happened, and what records exist. Preserve messages, notices, photographs and confirmation numbers without altering them.
A report is not a finding
A DOJ civil-rights report is reviewed to determine whether the department has authority and what may happen next. Possible responses include seeking more information, directing the report elsewhere or declining to proceed.
The confirmation shows that information was submitted. It does not establish that a violation occurred or that an investigation, lawsuit or remedy will follow.
Workplace discrimination uses a separate route
The EEOC describes a Charge of Discrimination as a signed statement asking the agency to act on an allegation against an employer, union or employment agency. Federal employees and applicants use a different process.
EEOC warns that filing periods are limited and can depend on the law and jurisdiction. Do not borrow a deadline from a different claim; use the agency’s current instructions or contact the appropriate office promptly.
Corrections
Updated August 27, 2026. No corrections are recorded.