EEOC Charge Filing Deadline
180-day vs. 300-day EEOC discrimination charge deadline by state.
Written and maintained by Paul Clark, Redmoon Software · Rules last verified · Sources
These calculators are for informational purposes only and do not constitute legal, financial, or professional advice.
How the EEOC Charge Filing Deadline works
The EEOC Charge Filing Deadline calculator computes the two deadlines that govern employment discrimination charges: the standard 180-day federal deadline, and the extended 300-day deadline that applies when a state or local fair employment practices agency (FEPA) enforces an equivalent law. Which one actually governs your charge depends on your state and, sometimes, the specific type of claim — get it wrong and the charge can be dismissed as untimely with no way to revive it.
Because FEPA coverage varies by state and by claim type, and because sources disagree at the margins, this tool always shows both dates rather than silently picking one. Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia and Mississippi are the states most consistently identified as lacking a FEPA covering private-sector claims, meaning the shorter 180-day deadline is usually the real one there. In nearly every other state, a FEPA exists and the 300-day deadline typically applies — but always verify with the EEOC or a local employment attorney, because the cost of guessing wrong is losing the claim entirely.
The clock runs from the date of the discriminatory act itself — for an ongoing pattern like harassment, from the last incident, though the EEOC can consider the full pattern once a timely charge is filed.
Worked example
A worker in Ohio (a FEPA state) experiences a discriminatory termination on January 1. The 180-day deadline falls on June 30, but because Ohio has a state civil rights commission with authority over the same claim, the real deadline extends to the 300-day mark, October 28 — nearly four extra months to file. A worker with the identical timeline in Mississippi, which lacks a comparable state agency for most private-sector claims, would need to file by the 180-day date instead.
Frequently asked questions
Why does the tool show two different dates instead of just one?
Because FEPA coverage is state- and claim-specific, and authoritative sources do not fully agree on every state's current status. Showing both the conservative 180-day date and the extended 300-day date, with guidance on which is likely to apply, is safer than confidently stating a single date that could be wrong.
What is a FEPA and why does it matter?
A Fair Employment Practices Agency is a state or local government agency authorized to investigate and remedy the same kind of employment discrimination the EEOC handles. When one exists for your claim, federal law extends your EEOC filing deadline from 180 to 300 days to give that agency's process room to run first.
Is this legal advice?
No — this is general information, not legal advice, and the 180/300-day distinction has real exceptions by claim type and jurisdiction. Because a missed EEOC deadline cannot be extended after the fact, confirm your actual deadline directly with the EEOC (eeoc.gov) or a local employment attorney well before either date on this calculator.
How do I know whether I get 180 or 300 days?
The 300-day period applies where a state or local fair employment practices agency covers the type of discrimination alleged. It is not uniform across all claims within a state, so a state can be a deferral state for one claim type and not another. Where it is close, file on the 180-day assumption.
What this calculator does not do
A limitation you know about costs far less than one you find after the deadline. These are the specific things this tool cannot work out for you.
- The 300-day period depends on the state having a fair employment practices agency covering the type of discrimination alleged. It is not uniform across all claims within a state.
- The Equal Pay Act runs on a separate two-year (or three-year for wilful violations) clock and does not require a charge at all.
- For a continuing violation such as a hostile work environment, the period may run from the last act rather than the first.
Where these rules come from
The periods this calculator applies are taken from the primary sources below rather than from secondary summaries. Verify against them before relying on a date that matters.
- 42 U.S.C. § 2000e-5(e)(1)
The 180-day charge period, extended to 300 days in deferral states with a FEP agency.
- EEOC — Time limits for filing a charge