California Unruh Civil Rights Act (Discrimination)

California Unruh Civil Rights Act – Business Discrimination Notice

Promote equal access and nondiscrimination with the California Unruh Civil Rights Act – Business Discrimination Notice. The Unruh Civil Rights Act protects individuals from unlawful discrimination by California business establishments and requires businesses to provide full and equal accommodations, advantages, facilities, privileges, and services.

Poster Specifications

• Size: 8.5"W x 11"H
• Language: Available in English or Spanish
• Format: Full-color workplace and public-facing notice
• Finish: Completely laminated with high-quality laminate
• Topic: California Unruh Civil Rights Act and discrimination by business establishments

What Is the California Unruh Civil Rights Act?

The Unruh Civil Rights Act is a California civil rights law requiring business establishments to provide individuals with full and equal accommodations, advantages, facilities, privileges, and services without unlawful discrimination.

The law applies broadly to public and private business establishments throughout California.

What Businesses Are Covered by the Unruh Civil Rights Act?

The Unruh Civil Rights Act applies broadly to California business establishments. Depending on the circumstances, covered establishments can include:

• Retail stores
• Restaurants
• Bars and nightclubs
• Hotels and motels
• Barber shops and beauty salons
• Hospitals and doctors' offices
• Housing providers and property management companies
• Banks, lenders, and financing businesses
• Insurance providers
• Private schools
• Fitness clubs
• Theaters
• Convention centers
• Transportation services and depots
• Sports stadiums
• Funeral homes
• Public agencies
• Certain nonprofit organizations
• Other business establishments open to the public

What Characteristics Are Protected?

California law protects individuals from unlawful discrimination by business establishments based on protected characteristics that include:

• Race
• Color
• Ancestry
• National origin
• Religion or creed
• Sex
• Gender
• Gender identity
• Gender expression
• Sexual orientation
• Disability
• Medical condition
• Genetic information
• Marital status
• Citizenship
• Primary language
• Immigration status
• Other characteristics protected by applicable California law

What Does Full and Equal Access Mean?

The Unruh Civil Rights Act requires businesses to provide individuals with equal access to the accommodations, advantages, facilities, privileges, and services the business offers.

A business generally cannot provide inferior service, refuse service, impose different terms, or charge different prices because of a person's protected characteristic.

What Are Examples of Unruh Act Discrimination?

Potential violations can include discriminatory treatment involving access, service, pricing, or other business practices.

Examples can include:

• Refusing service because of a customer's race
• Charging customers different prices because of a protected characteristic
• Refusing to serve a same-sex couple because of sexual orientation
• Refusing medical treatment because of a protected characteristic
• Refusing access to an individual with a qualifying service animal
• Providing inferior services because of a person's protected characteristic
• Using discriminatory admission or customer policies

Does the Unruh Act Apply to People With Disabilities?

Yes. Disability is protected under California's Unruh Civil Rights Act.

Businesses may be required to provide reasonable accommodations so individuals with disabilities have equal access to goods, services, facilities, and other benefits offered by the business.

The Unruh Act also incorporates important accessibility protections associated with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Does the Unruh Act Apply to Service Animals?

Businesses generally must comply with applicable disability-access requirements involving trained service animals.

For example, a business with a general no-pets policy may still be required to permit an individual with a disability to enter with a qualifying service animal.

Does the Unruh Act Apply to Housing?

Yes. The Unruh Civil Rights Act can apply to California housing providers that qualify as business establishments, including landlords and property management companies.

Housing providers must also comply with other applicable California and federal fair housing requirements.

Does the Unruh Act Apply to Business Websites?

California courts have addressed website accessibility under the Unruh Civil Rights Act, particularly when a website is associated with a business that has a physical location.

Businesses should consider accessibility when providing goods, services, reservations, information, or other customer functions through websites and digital services.

Can a Business Have Rules for Customers?

Yes. The Unruh Civil Rights Act does not prevent businesses from establishing reasonable and nondiscriminatory policies that are rationally related to the services or facilities provided.

A business may also take appropriate action based on a person's disruptive or dangerous conduct rather than a protected personal characteristic.

Can California Businesses Offer Different Prices Based on Sex or Gender?

Businesses should be cautious about pricing, discounts, promotions, or admission policies that provide different treatment based on sex or another protected characteristic.

California civil rights requirements can prohibit discriminatory pricing for comparable goods or services and other discriminatory customer promotions.

What Remedies Are Available for Unruh Act Violations?

California law provides significant remedies for violations of the Unruh Civil Rights Act.

Depending on the case, available remedies can include:

• Actual damages
• Statutory damages
• Up to three times actual damages in applicable cases
• A minimum of $4,000 in statutory damages for applicable violations
• Attorney's fees and costs
• Other relief available under California law

How Can Someone Report Business Discrimination?

An individual who believes a California business has violated their civil rights may file a complaint with the California Civil Rights Department (CRD).

Depending on the circumstances, an individual may also have the right to bring a private legal action. Legal filing deadlines apply, so individuals should act promptly when they believe their rights have been violated.

Is the California Unruh Civil Rights Act Poster Required?

The Unruh Civil Rights Act establishes mandatory nondiscrimination requirements for California business establishments, but businesses should distinguish the underlying legal obligation from California's specific mandatory workplace poster requirements.

This California Unruh Civil Rights Act notice provides a convenient way to communicate customer and public civil rights protections. Businesses should separately maintain all California employment, workplace, accessibility, and other notices specifically required for their operations.

Where Can the Unruh Civil Rights Act Notice Be Displayed?

Businesses may display the notice in a conspicuous customer or public-facing location where individuals can readily see and read it.

Appropriate locations may include:

• Business entrances
• Reception areas
• Customer service areas
• Waiting rooms
• Retail checkout areas
• Hotel reception areas
• Restaurant customer areas
• Medical office waiting rooms
• Leasing offices
• Other public-facing locations

California Workplace and Business Compliance Resources

Labor Law Compliance Center provides California businesses with labor law posters, employee notices, civil rights notices, IWC Wage Orders, and specialty compliance products. Visit our California Labor Law Posters page or browse our California State Specialty Posters for additional California compliance products.