We strongly encourage you to submit a complaint using the online complaint form. Although we review all of the complaints submitted through the online form, we will not be able to respond to every request for assistance we receive. Thank you for your understanding and for contacting the ACLU of Pennsylvania. 
 

We only accept complaints regarding civil liberties violations that occurred in Pennsylvania.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania is a private, non-profit membership organization. Our mission is to preserve and protect the civil liberties and civil rights guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution, especially the principles contained in the Bill of Rights and the Pennsylvania Constitution.

Our Legal Department receives several hundred complaints each month. Most of the complaints we receive do not fall within our mission either because they do not involve constitutional issues or do not involve system-wide reform issues.

Some of the issues we work on include:

  • Immigrants’ rights

  • LGBQ & transgender rights

  • Voting rights

  • Reproductive freedom

  • Bail reform

  • Inability to pay fines, costs, and restitution

  • Freedom of speech

  • Access to government information

  • Freedom of religion

  • Students’ rights

We generally DO NOT take the following types of cases unless they involve an illegal policy, pattern, or practice in one of our priority areas:

  • Individual criminal defense cases

  • Deportation defense

  • Housing disputes (e.g., landlord-tenant)

  • Employment disputes (e.g., over wages and hours)

  • Family law (e.g., divorce and custody)

  • Wills, estate planning, and probate

  • Cases involving incidents that occurred outside of Pennsylvania (click here for a national directory of ACLU offices)

The ACLU of Pennsylvania is neither a government agency nor a general legal service organization, and we normally do not provide emergency services. We have limited resources and staff and are unable to pursue every case that comes to our attention.

Instructions for Filing a Complaint

We DO NOT accept walk-ins or complaints via email.

To file a complaint for a civil liberties violation that occurred in Pennsylvania, please complete our electronic complaint form here:

File a complaint online

To file a complaint by mail:

  1. Please download and print this form: Print and mail the complaint form | En Español
  2. Then mail it to: P.O. Box 60173, Philadelphia, PA 19102

Please attach copies of relevant paperwork, but DO NOT SEND ORIGINALS. We cannot guarantee that your information will be returned.

If you cannot file a complaint online or mail us the complaint form or a letter, then you may call and leave a message and someone will return you call. However, this option exists to only to accommodate those who cannot access the Internet or use the mail system. If you are unable to file an electronic complaint or mail or us a complaint form, then you may call and leave a message at 1-877-PHL-ACLU (1-877-745-2258).

Although we try to respond to each request as quickly as possible, it may take several weeks for a response due to our limited staff. To get help more quickly, we suggest you call the United Way Helpline at 2-1-1 or visit their website https://www.pa211.org/. They offer a 24-hour hotline that will connect you to appropriate referrals in your area.

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