Illinois Civil Rights Laws

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| Last reviewed June 20, 2016

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Civil rights refer collectively to the rights of individuals to receive fair and equal treatment under the law. Most civil rights laws come from the federal government, particularly those pertaining to the Civil Rights Act of 1964. In addition to race, gender, and other classes of individuals also protected by federal law, Illinois civil rights laws also prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and order of protection status.

The following table highlights the manner in which Illinois civil rights laws are handled. See FindLaw’s Civil Rights section to learn more.

Code Section	775 ILCS 5/1-101 and 102; 5/7A-102 and 104
Agency	Human Rights Commission and Dept. of Human Rights
Administrative Preemption	Yes
Private Action Permitted?	Yes, for temporary relief
Attorney Fees Recoverable by Plaintiff?	Yes
Statute of Limitations	180 days

Note: State laws are constantly changing — contact an Illinois civil rights attorney or conduct your own legal research to verify the state law(s) you are researching.

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