Filing with the California Civil Rights Department (CRD): what the intake form asks and what to have ready

A workplace complaint to the California Civil Rights Department (CRD) starts with an intake form, submitted online through the California Civil Rights System (CCRS) or by email or mail. A CRD representative then interviews you and decides whether a formal complaint can be accepted for investigation. In employment cases, you generally must submit the intake form within three years of the date you were last harmed. This guide covers California only; other states have their own agencies and deadlines.

CRD or EEOC? What is different in California

CRD enforces California's Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA). Its rules differ from federal law in ways that matter for your notes:

• Employer size: the ban on employment discrimination applies to employers with five or more employees, but harassment is prohibited in every workplace, even one with a single employee. The federal government is not covered as an employer under FEHA.
• Who can file about harassment: employees, applicants, unpaid interns, volunteers, and contractors.
• Dual filing: CRD says a complaint filed with the EEOC is automatically filed with CRD too, and the reverse applies when the facts would also violate a law the EEOC enforces; usually only one agency investigates. For the federal route, see how to prepare an EEOC complaint.

Before the intake: the dates, people, and documents to line up

CRD's employment intake form asks for:

• your contact details, and the name, title, and contact details of the person or business you're filing against, with its number of employees and type of employer;
• the first date of harm and the last date of harm;
• whether you experienced discrimination, harassment, or retaliation, and the protected characteristic or activity involved (checkboxes);
• what happened as a result, such as being demoted, reprimanded, denied an accommodation, or terminated;
• a brief description of what happened.

For the intake interview, CRD says you'll need specific dates, and suggests bringing witness names and contact details, W-2 or 1099 forms, and documents such as written reprimands, transfer notices, termination letters, emails, text messages, screenshots, and grievances. In CCRS, an unfiled complaint stays available for 30 days, so you can start before everything is gathered and add to it.

A fictional intake summary in eight lines

This example is made up. Each line maps to something the form or the interview asks:

1. When: first incident June 3, 2026; most recent September 9, 2026.
2. Where: warehouse floor and the shift team's group chat.
3. Who: my shift supervisor (name and title in my notes).
4. What: repeated comments about my religious head covering; on August 5 told to “take that off or work the back dock.”
5. Who I told: emailed HR on August 12, 2026.
6. Response: HR meeting on August 19; no written outcome so far.
7. Effect: moved from day shift to nights on September 9; reason given: “coverage.”
8. What I have: my sent email to HR, the schedule notice, three chat screenshots, my dated notes, and two coworkers who heard the August 5 comment.

Lines 1 and 7 give you the first and last dates of harm for the form. Keep approximate dates marked as approximate.

The interview and after: what to note down

If CRD accepts your case, it prepares a complaint for your signature, and once you return it, the complaint is sent to the employer. CRD stresses that accepting a complaint does not mean it has decided any law was violated. If your case is not accepted, CRD says that is not because it does not believe you, but because the facts may fall outside the laws it enforces. In general, CRD has up to one year from filing to complete an investigation. Keep a short log: the date you submitted the intake form, your interview date, your CRD case number, the staff member's name, what you were asked, and what you uploaded. If CRD later closes an investigated case, an appeal request is due within 10 calendar days of the date on the closure letter.

Right-to-Sue is a decision, not a record

You don't have to use CRD's investigation. In employment cases, you can file your own lawsuit instead, but you must first get an immediate Right-to-Sue notice from CRD. That choice has its own deadlines, and CRD suggests contacting an attorney with questions about court deadlines. Your notes can help that conversation; they can't make the decision for you.

Whichever route you take, a dated record started early is easier to use than one rebuilt from memory; see how to document workplace incidents, and, if you're unsure whether rude treatment is covered at all, bullying vs. harassment. Kirokune keeps notes, photos such as screenshots of emails, and recordings in one case on your iPhone, in date order, so you can review them before the intake. Kirokune doesn't sync or keep its own cloud copy; if iPhone backup (iCloud or a computer) is on, your records are included in it. PDF export is part of Kirokune Plus (paid). Kirokune does not decide whether CRD will accept a case, or give legal advice.

Frequently asked questions

How long do I have to file a workplace harassment complaint with the California CRD?

In employment cases, CRD says you must submit an intake form within three years of the date you were last harmed. Work out your first and last dates of harm early, and do not wait for a complete file before starting.

Does my employer need five employees for me to file with CRD?

For employment discrimination, FEHA applies to employers with five or more employees. Harassment is prohibited in all workplaces, even those with only one employee or contractor, according to CRD.

If I already filed with the EEOC, do I also need to file with CRD?

CRD says a complaint filed with the EEOC is automatically filed with CRD as well, although the EEOC will usually investigate it.

Kirokune helps you keep a record. It does not diagnose, decide what happened, or give legal advice.