Both laws prohibit discrimination based on the following seven characteristics:

• Race (including use of criminal history)
• Color (often used with race)
• National origin (country of one's birth)
• Religion
• Sex (physical differences between people who are male, female, or intersex; including sexual harassment; gender identity and sexual orientation are currently interpreted to fall within this category)*
• Disability (also known as handicap; includes mental and physical impairments)
• Familial status (families with children under the age of 18; pregnant women; senior housing exception).

FEHA adds the following 15 categories for California:

• Ancestry (country of one's parents' birth)
• Sexual orientation (regarding the gender one is attracted to; e.g., heterosexual, homosexual, pansexual, bisexual)
• Gender (sometimes used interchangeably with sex; social and legal status set by society about behavior, characteristics, and sexual identity; includes male, female, and non-binary genders)
• Gender identity (how one feels about their own gender; may or may not align with their assigned sex; e.g., transgender, cisgender, non-binary or genderqueer)
• Gender expression (how one outwardly expresses their gender)
• Marital status (e.g., married or unmarried persons living together)
• Source of income (including Section 8 voucher recipients)
• Veteran or military status
• Genetic information
• Medical condition
• Citizenship
• Primary language
• Immigration status
• Age (exception for senior housing)
• Arbitrary characteristics