Illinois Department of Human Rights

The Illinois Department of Human Rights (IDHR) is a state agency based in Chicago, Illinois. It is responsible for administering and enforcing the Illinois Human Rights Act. The department employs 65 people. IDHR's primary function is to ensure equal opportunity and freedom from discrimination for all individuals within the state of Illinois. They achieve this by enforcing the Illinois Human Rights Act, which prohibits discrimination in various areas including employment, financial credit, public accommodations, and real estate transactions. The Act covers a wide range of protected characteristics, such as race, color, religion, sex, national origin, ancestry, military status, age, order of protection status, marital status, sexual orientation, unfavorable military discharge, and physical and mental disability. The Illinois Department of Human Rights offers a process for individuals to file discrimination charges. These charges can be initiated by contacting the department's Chicago or Springfield office within 180 days of the alleged discrimination, with the exception of housing discrimination cases which have a one-year filing deadline. For more information about the Illinois Department of Human Rights and its services, please visit their website at illinois.gov/dhr.