​Title VI Program

Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits discrimination based on race, color, and national origin. It states that no person in the United States can be excluded from participation in, denied benefits of, or discriminated against under any program or activity receiving federal financial assistance.

The word "person" is key because these protections apply to everyone — regardless of citizenship or legal status. Along with Title VI, several other laws provide similar protections, including:

• Title II of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (race, color, religious creed, national origin)
• Section 162(a) of the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1973 (sex)
• Age Discrimination Act of 1975 (age)
• Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (disability)

Together, these laws form PennDOT’s Title VI/Nondiscrimination Program. As a recipient of federal funding, PennDOT must follow these requirements for all its programs — whether or not those programs directly receive federal financial assistance.

Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (Department) hereby gives notice that it is the policy of the Department to assure full compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Civil Rights Restoration Act of 1987, and related statutes and regulations in all programs and activities. Title VI requires that no person in the United States shall, on the grounds of race, color, or national origin be excluded from the participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be otherwise subjected to discrimination under any program or activity administered by the Department.

Any person who believes they have been aggrieved by a discriminatory practice under Title VI has a right to file a formal complaint with the Department. Any such complaint must be in writing and filed with the Department's Title VI Coordinator within one hundred eighty (180) days following the date of the alleged discriminatory occurrence. A Title VI Discrimination Complaint Form can be obtained from the Title VI Team by dialing 717-787-5891 or by visiting the Title VI Discrimination Complaint Form page.

If you speak another language, language assistance is available by calling 717-787-5891.

Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits discrimination based on race, color, or national origin. In addition, PennDOT’s Title VI Program incorporates other federal and Commonwealth nondiscrimination mandates that extend protections to individuals based on age, sex, religious creed, disability, limited English proficiency, and low-income status.

PennDOT prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in admission to, access to, or operations of its programs, services, or activities and has established a grievance procedure to meet the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act. 28 CFR 35.149 Discrimination prohibited. “Except as otherwise provided in 35.150, no qualified individual with a disability shall, because a public entity’s facilities are inaccessible to or unusable by individuals with disabilities, be excluded from participation in, or be denied the benefits of the services, programs or activities of a public entity, or be subjected to discrimination by any public entity.”

The prohibition against discrimination applies not only to all PennDOT programs and activities, but also to those carried out by our municipal partners and any organizations receiving funding through PennDOT. As a recipient of federal funding, all PennDOT programs must meet Title VI requirements.

For further information on Title VI Programs or to make a complaint, please visit the Title VI Discrimination Complaint page.

Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission (PHRC)
Harrisburg Regional Office
333 Market Street, 8th Floor
Harrisburg, PA 17101
Phone: 717-787-9780
or 717-787-7279 (TTY)

Federal Highway Administration
U.S. Department of Transportation
Pennsylvania Division Office
30 North Third Street, Suite 700
Harrisburg, PA 17101
Phone: 717-221-3461

Federal Transit Administration
Office of Civil Rights
U.S. Department of Transportation
ATTN: Title VI Program Coordinator
East Building, 5th Floor - TCR
1200 New Jersey Ave., SE
Washington, DC 20590

U.S. Department of Justice
Civil Rights Division
950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20530
Phone: 202-514-3847
or 202-514-0716 (TDD)