Workplace evidence · District of Columbia

Deadlines to file a workplace discrimination or harassment complaint in District of Columbia

The EEOC's Washington Field Office says charges against the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, the DC Courts, and foreign embassies or consulates must be filed within 180 days of the alleged harm. Rules change, so check each official source below, and ask a lawyer licensed in District of Columbia about your situation.

Educational only. Not legal advice. Sources checked November 2, 2026.

What the official sources say

• The EEOC's Washington Field Office says charges against the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, the DC Courts, and foreign embassies or consulates must be filed within 180 days of the alleged harm. U.S. EEOC, Washington Field Office: Timeliness. Checked November 2, 2026
• The EEOC's Washington Field Office says that, with some exceptions, a person in the District of Columbia has 300 days from the date of alleged harm to file a charge against an employer with 15 or more employees. U.S. EEOC, Washington Field Office: Timeliness. Checked November 2, 2026
• The DC Office of Human Rights says a complaint must be filed with it within one year of when the alleged act happened or was discovered. DC Office of Human Rights. Checked November 2, 2026
• The EEOC says the general deadline to file a charge is 180 calendar days from the day the discrimination took place, extended to 300 calendar days if a state or local agency enforces a law against employment discrimination on the same basis. U.S. EEOC, Time Limits for Filing a Charge. Checked November 2, 2026
• The EEOC says that in harassment cases, the charge must be filed within 180 or 300 days of the last incident of harassment, and it looks at all incidents when investigating. U.S. EEOC, Time Limits for Filing a Charge. Checked November 2, 2026
• The EEOC says that under worksharing agreements, a charge filed with either the EEOC or a state or local fair employment practices agency (FEPA) is also automatically filed with the other agency. U.S. EEOC, How to File a Charge of Employment Discrimination. Checked November 2, 2026

Official links

• DC Office of Human Rights
• EEOC Public Portal (file or check a charge)
• EEOC: time limits for filing a charge

How to keep these papers

Keep dated copies of the papers you already have in one place, and write the day something happened on the same day. KeepMyProof is a private phone app for that: folders with checklists, the day it happened next to the day you saved it, and one PDF of a folder when someone asks.

• Handbook and policies
• Pay stubs, schedules and hours
• Messages sent to you
• Dated notes of what happened
• Complaints you made and the replies
• Job reviews and warnings

Download the free printable checklist (PDF)

One page, no email needed.

Coming soon to Google Play.

More for District of Columbia

• Minimum wage, overtime and tipped pay in District of Columbia
• Overtime pay rules in District of Columbia
• Work hours, night limits and work permits for teens in District of Columbia
• Unpaid wages, paydays and your final paycheck in District of Columbia
• How to document problems at work: the full guide
• Deadlines to file a workplace discrimination or harassment complaint: all states

Neighbouring states

• Deadlines to file a workplace discrimination or harassment complaint in Maryland
• Deadlines to file a workplace discrimination or harassment complaint in Virginia
• Deadlines to file a workplace discrimination or harassment complaint in Delaware
• Deadlines to file a workplace discrimination or harassment complaint in Florida

Questions

Educational only. Not legal advice.