EEOC charge (Title VII): 300 days in a deferral state such as California

300 days after date the alleged unlawful employment practice occurred, under 42 U.S.C. 2000e-5(e)(1).

Rule text

(1) A charge under this section shall be filed within one hundred and eighty days after the alleged unlawful employment practice occurred ... except that in a case of an unlawful employment practice with respect to which the person aggrieved has initially instituted proceedings with a State or local agency with authority to grant or seek relief from such practice ..., such charge shall be filed by or on behalf of the person aggrieved within three hundred days after the alleged unlawful employment practice occurred, or within thirty days after receiving notice that the State or local agency has terminated the proceedings under the State or local law, whichever is earlier, and a copy of such charge shall be filed by the Commission with the State or local agency.

42 U.S.C. 2000e-5(e)(1), official source

Calculate this deadline

Deadline
Thursday, September 2, 2027
  1. Trigger (Date the alleged unlawful employment practice occurred): Friday, November 6, 2026.
  2. Exclude the trigger day and count 300 calendar days: Thursday, September 2, 2027.
Rules applied
42 U.S.C. 2000e-5(e)(1)
(1) A charge under this section shall be filed within one hundred and eighty days after the alleged unlawful employment practice occurred ... except that in a case of an unlawful employment practice with respect to which the person aggrieved has initially instituted proceedings with a State or local agency with authority to grant or seek relief from such practice ..., such charge shall be filed by or on behalf of the person aggrieved within three hundred days after the alleged unlawful employment practice occurred, or within thirty days after receiving notice that the State or local agency has terminated the proceedings under the State or local law, whichever is earlier, and a copy of such charge shall be filed by the Commission with the State or local agency.
Official source
Cal. Code Civ. Proc. 12, 12a, 12b; Cal. Gov. Code 6800, 6707 (state agency filings); Fed. R. Civ. P. 6(a) (federal statutes and federal court filings)
CCP 12: "The time in which any act provided by law is to be done is computed by excluding the first day, and including the last, unless the last day is a holiday, and then it is also excluded." CCP 12a(a): "If the last day for the performance of any act provided or required by law to be performed within a specified period of time is a holiday, then that period is hereby extended to and including the next day that is not a holiday. For purposes of this section, “holiday” means all day on Saturdays, all holidays specified in Section 135 and, to the extent provided in Section 12b, all days that by terms of Section 12b are required to be considered as holidays." Gov. Code 6707: "When the last day for filing any instrument or other document with a state agency falls upon a Saturday or holiday, such act may be performed upon the next business day with the same effect as if it had been performed upon the day appointed." FRCP 6(a): "The following rules apply in computing any time period specified in these rules, in any local rule or court order, or in any statute that does not specify a method of computing time. (1) ... (A) exclude the day of the event that triggers the period; (B) count every day, including intermediate Saturdays, Sundays, and legal holidays; and (C) include the last day of the period, but if the last day is a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday, the period continues to run until the end of the next day that is not a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday."
Official source
  • California is a deferral state (CRD); under the EEOC-CRD worksharing agreement a charge dual-filed with either agency is treated as instituting state proceedings (worksharing not verified from an official source here). The text says the 300-day period applies where state proceedings were 'initially instituted'; this rule assumes that condition is met. The alternative 30-days-after-state-termination limit is a separate rule (eeoc_charge_30_days_after_state_termination); the statute says 'whichever is earlier'. Each discrete act starts its own period; pay discrimination accrues per paycheck (2000e-5(e)(3)). COMPUTATION AMBIGUITY: FRCP 6(a) does not by its own terms govern administrative charge filing; do not rely on a weekend roll. Calendar the unrolled 300th day.
  • If the clerk's office is closed or inaccessible on the last day (weather, emergency or local closure orders), the deadline may be extended. Check local orders.

This calculator applies the cited rules to the dates you enter. It is not legal advice. Court orders, local rules, and case-specific facts can change a deadline; verify before relying on it. Rule set pending attorney review.

Worked example

Date the alleged unlawful employment practice occurred on Monday, March 15, 2027, personal service: due Sunday, January 9, 2028.

  1. Trigger (Date the alleged unlawful employment practice occurred): Monday, March 15, 2027.
  2. Exclude the trigger day and count 300 calendar days: Sunday, January 9, 2028.
  3. That day is a Sunday, but this date is fixed by the rule and does not move: Sunday, January 9, 2028.

Notes

California is a deferral state (CRD); under the EEOC-CRD worksharing agreement a charge dual-filed with either agency is treated as instituting state proceedings (worksharing not verified from an official source here). The text says the 300-day period applies where state proceedings were 'initially instituted'; this rule assumes that condition is met. The alternative 30-days-after-state-termination limit is a separate rule (eeoc_charge_30_days_after_state_termination); the statute says 'whichever is earlier'. Each discrete act starts its own period; pay discrimination accrues per paycheck (2000e-5(e)(3)). COMPUTATION AMBIGUITY: FRCP 6(a) does not by its own terms govern administrative charge filing; do not rely on a weekend roll. Calendar the unrolled 300th day.

Related deadlines

All California pre-suit, housing and employment deadlines

Rules current as of 2026-10-27. Confirm against the official source and any local rule or court order before relying on a date. Rules changelog.