A letter issued by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to complainants who have filed charges alleging employment discrimination, harassment, or retaliation that authorizes the complainant to proceed with a lawsuit in court.

Right-to-sue letters may be issued regardless of whether the EEOC finds reasonable cause to believe the violation occurred. Claimants have 90 days from receipt of the right-to-sue letter to file a claim in court. Claimants who want to proceed to court before the EEOC has completed its investigation may request a right-to-sue letter after the EEOC has had at least 180 days to investigate the allegations.

For more information, see Practice Notes, Responding to Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Charges and Exhaustion of Administrative Remedies and Statutes of Limitations Under Employment Discrimination Laws.