To preserve your rights, discrimination complaints typically need to be submitted to the California Civil Rights Department within 3 years of the discriminatory event. Once you start the complaint process, the California Civil Rights Department may also enforce more stringent filing deadlines.
If your complaint involves federal law violations, the Department will automatically jointly file your case with the EEOC as well to maintain those federal claims. Under federal law, you must submit claims to the EEOC within 180-300 days of an alleged violation.