California · Government Code

GOV §8310: The inclusion of any question relative to an applicant’s race, sex, marital status, or religion in any application blank or form required to be filled in and submitted by an applicant to any departmen

Misdemeanor

What this law says, in plain English

State agencies are prohibited from asking applicants about race, sex, marital status, or religion on application forms. Violating this prohibition is a misdemeanor offense.

Read the full statutory text

The inclusion of any question relative to an applicant’s race, sex, marital status, or religion in any application blank or form required to be filled in and submitted by an applicant to any department, board, commission, officer, agent, or employee of this state is prohibited. Any person who violates this section is guilty of a misdemeanor. Notwithstanding the provisions of this section, subsequent to employment, gender and marital status data may be obtained and maintained for research and statistical purposes when safeguards preventing misuse of the information exist, as approved by the State Fair Employment Practice Commission, except that in no event shall any notation, entry, or record of such data be made on papers or records relating to such employment application.

Verify at the official source: California legislative text

Facing this? Know exactly what happens next.

MOFRD turns this code section into your situation: the deadlines that apply to you, the forms your county uses, and the resolution paths people in your position actually take. Free for 3 days — no card required.

Start your matter free Ask Law Link about this code

This page is legal information, not legal advice. Code text is sourced from official publications and may lag amendments — always confirm at the official source linked above. Plain-English summaries and relationship data are AI-derived and reviewed on an ongoing basis; verify with a licensed attorney before acting.