In California, you typically have three years from the date of the last act of sexual harassment to file a claim against any responsible parties. Start the claims process by filing an administrative complaint with the state’s Civil Rights Department (CRD). If the CRD gives you a right-to-sue notice, you may have up to one year to file a civil lawsuit in state court.
Deadlines for Filing a Sexual Harassment Claim in California
The deadline for most sexual harassment claims in California is three years. Follow the CRD’s complaint process for submitting your claim. The CRD will examine your claim and decide whether to investigate.
Depending on the results of an investigation, the CRD may attempt to resolve your complaint through conciliation or refer your case to its Dispute Resolution Division. If the CRD finds a reasonable cause, it may notify you and other parties involved in your case that a lawsuit may be filed in court. Before your lawsuit is filed, all parties may have to go to mediation.
If you receive a right-to-sue notice from the CRD, you may have one year from the date of this notification to sue. At this point, you may file your lawsuit in state court.
You may file a sexual harassment claim with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). If you do, you may have up to 300 calendar days from the last incident of sexual harassment to submit your claim.
Filing a sexual harassment complaint with the EEOC will launch an investigation. Your employer may be notified about your complaint. The EEOC may offer voluntary mediation to you and your employer. If your case remains unresolved, the EEOC may gather evidence, conduct an investigation, and take other measures to assess your claim’s validity.
If the EEOC determines that there’s a reasonable cause of discrimination, the commission may offer conciliation. Alternatively, if no violation is found or if the EEOC can’t take your case, it may issue a “Dismissal and Notice of Rights.” Once you receive this, you may have a maximum of 90 days to sue your employer for sexual harassment.
Factors to Consider Before You File a California Sexual Harassment Claim
The three-year window for submitting a claim begins from the date of the last act of harassment, not the first. If you have been subjected to repeated sexual harassment, you may have three years from the most recent act against you to file your claim rather than the date that such issues began.
If you were under 18 at the time someone sexually harassed you, the statute of limitations for you to file a claim may be paused until you turn 18. Based on this, a minor who faced sexual harassment may be able to file a claim until they turn 21.
On October 13, 2025, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed AB 250, the Sexual Assault Statute of Limitations Extension Act, into law. This act provides a two-year revival window for adult survivors of sexual assault to file lawsuits against individuals or private entities, even if the statute of limitations for doing so had closed.
With AB 250, you may be eligible to file a lawsuit if an individual or private entity covered up or tried to cover up sexual harassment or other sexually abusive acts against you. In this situation, you may be able to sue until December 31, 2027. This deadline applies to California adults who may have faced sexual harassment in conjunction with sexual assault.