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Maryland Commission on Civil Rights

Timeliness

Time Limits for Filing a Charge of Discrimination

Maryland's anti-discrimination laws give you a limited amount of time to file a complaint with MCCR. Regardless of how much time you have to file, it is best to file as soon as you have decided that is what you would like to do.​​  

  • Employment discrimination complaints must be filed within 300 days of the day the alleged discrimination took place.
  • Employment complaints alleging harassment must be filed within 2 years of the day the alleged harassment occurred.
  • Housing complaints must be filed within one year of ​the day the discrimination took place.​
  • Public accommodations, state contracts, health services, and commercial leasing discrimination complaints must be filed within six (6) months of the alleged unlawful incident

Because the time limits for filing a charge with MCCR are identified in Maryland law, they generally cannot be extended while you attempt to resolve a dispute through another forum, such as an internal grievance procedure, a union grievance, arbitration, or mediation,​ before filing a charge with MCCR. Other forums for resolution may be pursued at the same time as the processing of the MCCR charge.

Holidays and weekends are included in the calculation, although if the deadline falls on a weekend or holiday, you will have until the next business day. Figuring out how much time you have to file a charge is complicated. If you aren't sure how much time is left, you should contact our office as soon as possible so we can assess whether you still have time.

Multiple Discriminatory Events

If more than one discriminatory event took place, the deadline usually applies to each event. For example, let's say you were demoted and then fired from your job a year later. You believe the employer based its decision to demote and fire you on your race, and you file a charge the day after your discharge. In this case, only your claim of discriminatory discharge is timely. In other words, you must have filed a charge challenging the demotion within 300 days from the day you were demoted. If you don't, MCCR would only investigate your discharge. There is one exception to this general rule and that is if you are alleging ongoing harassment.

Ongoing Harassment

In employment harassment cases, you must file your charge within 2 years of the last incident of harassment. MCCR may still be able to look at all incidents of harassment when investigating your charge, even if the earlier incidents happened more than 2 years earlier.