To file a complaint against a police department, submit a written account of the incident to the department’s internal affairs or professional standards unit, and, depending on what happened, to a civilian oversight board, your state attorney general, or the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division. The mechanics are simple. The details are what determine whether your report leads to a real investigation: how carefully you document the incident, where you direct the complaint, and how quickly you move. Administrative deadlines can be as short as 90 days in some jurisdictions, so file promptly even if you’re still collecting evidence.
Where to Send Your Complaint
Almost every police department has an internal affairs division or professional standards unit that takes misconduct allegations from the public. This is the most direct route and the one most likely to trigger a formal investigation of the specific officer involved. Contact information is usually on the department’s website, or you can call the non-emergency line and ask for internal affairs. Many departments will also let you walk into any precinct and file with a desk supervisor.
Many jurisdictions have a civilian oversight board or independent review agency staffed by community members instead of officers. Their authority varies. Some can run their own investigations and issue subpoenas; others only review the department’s internal investigation after the fact and recommend changes. Where they exist, they offer an external check that some complainants find more credible than asking a department to investigate itself.
If what happened involved a potential civil rights violation, such as racial profiling, excessive force, or an unlawful arrest, you can file a federal complaint with the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division. The portal at civilrights.justice.gov walks you through describing the incident and gives you a confirmation number; the report goes to a specialized team for review, which may lead to a follow-up investigation, mediation, or a referral. The DOJ also advises contacting the FBI directly for law enforcement misconduct or hate crimes.1United States Department of Justice. Contact the Civil Rights Division The Civil Rights Division also takes reports by phone at 1-855-856-1247 and by mail to its Washington, D.C., office.2United States Department of Justice. Contact the Department of Justice to Report a Civil Rights Violation
Some departments also offer mediation as an alternative to a formal investigation, where you and the officer sit down with a neutral mediator to discuss what happened. It tends to work for complaints about rudeness or poor communication, not for excessive force or corruption; a successful mediation is removed from the officer’s personnel file, and if it fails the complaint returns to the standard investigation process.3U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services. Mediating Citizen Complaints Against Police Officers – A Guide for Police and Community Leaders
What to Put in the Complaint
Most agencies accept complaints by mail, online, or in person. If you mail a paper form, use certified mail with a return receipt so you have proof of delivery. If you file in person, you’ll usually be sent to a supervisor or the professional standards unit. Keep copies of everything you submit, along with any confirmation number.
Write factually and specifically. Stick to what happened, what the officer did, and how it affected you. Skip speculation about motives and legal conclusions about whether conduct was “unconstitutional.” Investigators are trained to draw those conclusions from facts; your job is to hand them the clearest facts you can.
Filing Anonymously
Many departments accept anonymous complaints, but not all. Among large-city forces, Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston, and Philadelphia accept anonymous reports, while Chicago does not. Anonymous complaints are harder to investigate because the investigator can’t circle back with you for details. Some states also require complaints to be signed and made under oath, which effectively rules out anonymous filing there. Otherwise, complaints generally don’t need to be sworn or notarized.4U.S. Department of Justice Office of Community Oriented Policing Services. Standards and Guidelines for Internal Affairs – Recommendations from a Community of Practice
Evidence That Makes a Complaint Stick
The quality of your evidence shapes how seriously the complaint is treated. Write down everything you remember as soon as you can: the date, time, and exact location; officer names or badge numbers, or physical descriptions if you didn’t catch those; and the sequence of events in plain chronological order. Specifics beat length. “The officer grabbed my left arm and pushed me against the vehicle” is worth more than a paragraph of general impressions.
Get contact information for anyone who saw what happened. Witness accounts that independently match yours carry real weight. If you were injured, see a doctor and make sure the visit is documented. Emergency room records and discharge summaries are especially useful because they capture the type and severity of injuries close to when they were inflicted. Ask the doctor to note whether your injuries are consistent with the type of force you described.
Your Right to Record
Every federal circuit to address the question has held that the First Amendment protects your right to record police officers performing their duties in public. The right has practical limits: you can’t physically interfere with an officer’s work, and some states have wiretapping or eavesdropping laws that can affect audio recording in certain situations. If you have video or audio of the incident, preserve the original files, don’t edit them, and make backup copies right away.
Body Camera Footage
If officers wore body cameras during your encounter, that footage can be powerful evidence. The rules for obtaining it vary widely. In many places you can submit a public records request (called a FOIA request at the federal level or an open records request at the state level), though footage may be redacted to protect bystanders. Some jurisdictions exempt body camera footage from public records laws entirely, in which case your only route is a formal legal request through court proceedings. Check with the local department or a community legal aid office to learn the rules where you live.
Deadlines You Can’t Miss
Deadlines exist at multiple levels, and missing one can permanently forfeit your rights. Administrative windows for filing with the department or oversight board vary widely. Some agencies give you as little as 90 days; others allow a year or more. The department’s complaint procedures should specify the deadline, and it’s worth checking before assuming you have unlimited time.
If you’re considering a civil rights lawsuit in federal court under 42 U.S.C. § 1983, the statute of limitations is borrowed from your state’s personal injury law. In most states that means two years from the date of the incident, though a few allow three years or more.5United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Section 1983 Outline The clock starts when you knew or should have known about the injury. Filing an administrative complaint does not pause it, so if there’s any chance you’ll sue, speak with an attorney sooner rather than later.
Many states also require a formal notice of claim to the government entity before you sue. Those notices have their own short deadlines, sometimes as little as 90 days, and must contain specific information to be valid. Courts will dismiss a lawsuit if you skip this step, no matter how strong the underlying case is.
After You File
Once the agency has your complaint, you should get a written acknowledgment that it has been accepted. The complaint is assigned to an investigator, who reviews the allegations and gathers evidence, typically by interviewing you, the officer, and any witnesses, and by reviewing physical evidence like video, radio logs, and use-of-force reports.
Timelines vary. A simple discourtesy complaint might wrap up in a few weeks. Allegations involving excessive force, dishonesty, or criminal conduct can take months. Some jurisdictions impose deadlines on internal affairs investigations; many don’t. You’re entitled to call for a status update.
Possible Findings
When the investigation ends, the result falls into one of four standard categories:4U.S. Department of Justice Office of Community Oriented Policing Services. Standards and Guidelines for Internal Affairs – Recommendations from a Community of Practice
- Sustained. The evidence supports your allegations, and the officer’s conduct violated department policy or the law.
- Not sustained. There wasn’t enough evidence either way. It’s the most frustrating outcome, but it doesn’t mean the department disbelieved you.
- Exonerated. The incident happened as described, but the officer’s actions were found to be lawful and within policy.
- Unfounded. The investigation determined the alleged conduct did not occur.
You should receive written notice of the outcome. Disciplinary details are often kept confidential; roughly half of states treat officer disciplinary records as confidential, and even in states where records are nominally public, active investigations and unsubstantiated complaints are frequently exempt.
When a complaint is sustained, discipline runs along a spectrum. On the lighter end, an officer might receive verbal counseling or a written reprimand in their personnel file. More serious consequences include suspension without pay, mandatory retraining, demotion, or termination. In the most egregious cases, an officer can be decertified by the state, which revokes their license to work in law enforcement anywhere in that state. The specific discipline depends on department policy, any collective bargaining agreement, and the seriousness of the violation.4U.S. Department of Justice Office of Community Oriented Policing Services. Standards and Guidelines for Internal Affairs – Recommendations from a Community of Practice
If You Disagree With the Outcome
A finding of “not sustained” or “exonerated” doesn’t mean you’re out of options. If your jurisdiction has a civilian oversight board, you can often ask that board to review the internal investigation for thoroughness and fairness. Some boards can recommend reopening an investigation they find deficient.
You can also escalate. Filing with the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division creates a separate federal record, and the DOJ may investigate independently. If the officer’s behavior may have been criminal, contacting the FBI or the U.S. Attorney’s Office in your district is another route, since the FBI investigates allegations of criminal civil rights violations by law enforcement.6U.S. Department of Justice. Addressing Police Misconduct Laws Enforced by the Department of Justice
A Civil Rights Lawsuit
A formal complaint and a lawsuit are separate tracks. You don’t need to file a complaint before suing, and the complaint’s outcome doesn’t decide whether the lawsuit succeeds. Under 42 U.S.C. § 1983, you can bring a federal civil rights claim against any state or local officer who violated your constitutional rights while acting under color of law. Damages can include compensation for injuries and, in many cases, attorney’s fees. Most civil rights attorneys offer free initial consultations, and the earlier you speak with one the better your chances of preserving evidence and hitting filing deadlines. If the officer involved was a federal agent rather than a state or local officer, § 1983 doesn’t apply; that path runs through the Supreme Court’s decision in Bivens v. Six Unknown Named Agents, and Bivens claims have become significantly harder to bring in recent years.7Justia U.S. Supreme Court. Bivens v Six Unknown Fed Narcotics Agents, 403 US 388 (1971)
If the Officer Retaliates
Fear of retaliation keeps many people from filing, and that fear isn’t unreasonable. Federal law specifically criminalizes retaliation against anyone who provides truthful information to law enforcement about a possible federal offense. Under 18 U.S.C. § 1513, knowingly retaliating against a person by taking harmful action, including interfering with their employment, carries up to 10 years in prison.8Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 1513 – Retaliating Against a Witness, Victim, or Informant
If an officer retaliates against you for filing, through harassment, threats, unjustified traffic stops, or any other harmful action, report it immediately. You can file another complaint with internal affairs, contact the FBI, or report the retaliation directly through the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division portal.6U.S. Department of Justice. Addressing Police Misconduct Laws Enforced by the Department of Justice Document retaliatory behavior the same way you documented the original incident: dates, times, locations, witnesses, and any evidence. A clear record strengthens both your original complaint and any separate action you take in response.