What is the EEOC charge filing deadline in Illinois?

300 days from the most recent discriminatory act under 42 U.S.C. §2000e-5(e)(1). Illinois has a designated Fair Employment Practices Agency (Illinois Department of Human Rights (IDHR)) enforcing a same-basis state anti-discrimination law, which triggers the 300-day extension under 29 CFR §1601.13.

Which federal circuit does Illinois sit in?

Illinois is in the 7th Circuit. Federal appeals from district courts in Illinois go to that Circuit. Continuing-violation doctrine treatment under Morgan (2002) varies by circuit; consult an employment-law attorney before relying on circuit-specific applications.

IL · 7th Circuit

Illinois EEOC filing deadline

Q: Does Illinois have a state-level discrimination agency?

Yes — Illinois Department of Human Rights (IDHR) (https://dhr.illinois.gov/). Operating statute: Illinois Human Rights Act, 775 ILCS 5/. Covered protected bases include race, color, religion, sex, national_origin, ancestry, age, disability, marital_status, military_status, sexual_orientation, gender_identity, pregnancy, arrest_record, order_of_protection_status, citizenship_status, work_authorization_status, language.

Illinois is a 300-day federal jurisdiction for Title VII bases. The 300-day extension under 42 U.S.C. §2000e-5(e)(1) rule applies, with dual-filing mechanics under 29 CFR §1601.13.

Federal window

300

days from the act

FEPA enforces same-basis law

Filing window

300federal days

Day 060120180240300

State window

730state days

State law extends 430 days past the federal window.

Find your EEOC filing deadline

Six questions. Outputs are estimates. Informational only — not legal advice. Your incident date is never sent to a server; the decoder runs in your browser.

Federal statute

State of employment

Date of most recent discriminatory actPer Morgan (2002), use the most recent act, not the first.Employer type

Employer size

Also filing with state agency?

Series of acts over time — continuing-violation doctrine per Morgan, 536 U.S. 101 (2002)

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Details

State FEPA

Illinois Department of Human Rights (IDHR)

https://dhr.illinois.gov/

Statute: Illinois Human Rights Act, 775 ILCS 5/

Covers: race, color, religion, sex, national_origin, ancestry, age, disability, marital_status, military_status, sexual_orientation, gender_identity, pregnancy, arrest_record, order_of_protection_status, citizenship_status, work_authorization_status, language.

State filing window

730days from the act

Runs independently of the federal 180/300 clock. Some states impose a tighter internal deadline; others (CA 3-year, IL/OH 730-day post-amendment) extend well past the federal window.

Worksharing posture

Worksharing agreement in effect. Filing with either the EEOC or the state agency typically constitutes filing with both.

Mechanics: 29 CFR § 1601.13 / 29 CFR § 1601.74.

Federal circuit

Illinois is in the 7th Circuit. Federal appellate treatment of Morgan (2002) continuing-violation doctrine and constructive-discharge doctrine varies by circuit and is reviewed quarterly.

Protected classes

Where Illinois state law goes beyond federal

Title VII covers race, color, religion, sex, and national origin. ADA adds disability; ADEA adds age 40+; GINA adds genetic information. Many state FEPAs cover additional bases that federal law does not — those gaps are real grounds even when the federal claim is closed.

Shared with federal · 7

RaceTitle VII
ColorTitle VII
ReligionTitle VII
SexTitle VII
National originTitle VII
Age (40+)ADEA
DisabilityADA

State-only bases · 11

Ancestry
Marital status
Military / veteran status
Sexual orientation
Gender identity
Pregnancy
arrest_record
order_of_protection_status
citizenship_status
work_authorization_status
language

These bases are covered only by state law in this jurisdiction. Federal Title VII / ADA / ADEA / GINA do not reach them — but state-court remedies under the state FEPA statute may still be available.

State-specific notes

IDHR state-filing deadline extended to 2 YEARS (730 days) per the Illinois Human Rights Act amendment effective 2024-01-01 (per IDHR website verification 2026-05-07). Prior law was 300 days; before SB 1829 (2019) it was 180 days. Housing discrimination remains 1 year.

FAQ

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This page was last reviewed by a licensed employment-law attorney on 2026-05-08. Quarterly review cycle.

Pending attorney review. This site has not been verified by a licensed employment-law attorney yet. Outputs are informational only and should not be relied on for a real filing deadline without consulting counsel. The reviewer's bar number, state of admission, and signoff date will be filed at .ops/credentials/reviewer-attribution.md and rendered here when Gate 7 closes.

Last verified 2026-05-07. Primary sources: https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/29/1601.74 · https://dhr.illinois.gov/