Resume rules in the United States

Q: Should you put a photo on your CV in the United States?

In practice: Avoid strongly; most major US employers reject resumes with photos What the law says: Title VII of Civil Rights Act 1964 and EEOC guidelines discourage photos; employer liability under disparate impact theory if photo leads to discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin

Q: Should you include your date of birth in the United States?

In practice: Avoid completely What the law says: Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) 1967 and EEOC guidelines prohibit age-based discrimination; date of birth is prohibited to prevent age discrimination

Q: Should you state your marital status in the United States?

In practice: Avoid What the law says: Title VII and EEOC guidelines prohibit sex-based discrimination; marital status not relevant to job performance

Q: Should you state your sex or gender in the United States?

In practice: Avoid unless relevant to role What the law says: Title VII prohibits sex-based discrimination; some states recognize gender identity protections

Q: Should you state your nationality in the United States?

In practice: Avoid What the law says: Title VII prohibits national origin discrimination; FCRA governs employment background checks

Q: Should you include a national ID number in the United States?

In practice: Avoid completely What the law says: Social Security Number (SSN) protected under Privacy Act 1974; not to be included on resume

What employers in the United States expect on a Resume (preferred); Curriculum Vitae (CV), what the law lets them ask for, and where the two disagree.

Call it a CV for the United States or a resume for the United States: it's the same document. Employers there usually want it written in English.

This is research, not legal advice. Employment and data protection law changes, state and provincial rules matter in federal countries, and practice varies by industry and seniority. Each entry shows when it was looked up and how confident we are. Where nothing reliable was published it says Not found rather than a guess.

Law and practice, side by side

The label on the right is what local hiring expects. The two lines under it are the law and the habit, which often disagree.

Photo: Avoid

Avoid strongly; most major US employers reject resumes with photos

What the law says: Title VII of Civil Rights Act 1964 and EEOC guidelines discourage photos; employer liability under disparate impact theory if photo leads to discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin

Date of birth: Avoid

Avoid completely

What the law says: Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) 1967 and EEOC guidelines prohibit age-based discrimination; date of birth is prohibited to prevent age discrimination

Marital status: Avoid

Avoid

What the law says: Title VII and EEOC guidelines prohibit sex-based discrimination; marital status not relevant to job performance

Sex or gender: Avoid

Avoid unless relevant to role

What the law says: Title VII prohibits sex-based discrimination; some states recognize gender identity protections

Nationality: Avoid

Avoid

What the law says: Title VII prohibits national origin discrimination; FCRA governs employment background checks

National ID number: Avoid

Avoid completely

What the law says: Social Security Number (SSN) protected under Privacy Act 1974; not to be included on resume

The rest of the entry

Local name of the document: Resume (preferred); Curriculum Vitae (CV)
Language to submit in: English
Typical length: 1 page typical; 2 pages acceptable for extensive experience
Address detail expected: Full address becoming less common; city and state acceptable; many applicants omit address entirely due to privacy and safety concerns
Signature and date: Not required or expected; typed/digital signature common in electronic submissions
Officially prescribed form: None officially; however, ATS (Applicant Tracking System) compatibility important for automated screening
Religion, ethnicity or caste: Title VII prohibits discrimination based on religion and race; protected characteristics not to be disclosed on resume
Health, disability or pregnancy: Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) 1990 prohibits disability discrimination; however, applicant may voluntarily disclose disability if requesting reasonable accommodations
Other customary attachments: Nothing legally mandatory; references, certifications, work samples may be requested separately
Employer may not ask for: Age, date of birth, religion, race, color, national origin, sex, gender identity, disability status, marital status, family status, sexual orientation, medical history, genetic information (per Title VII, ADEA, ADA, GINA 2008)
Named statutes: Title VII of Civil Rights Act of 1964; Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) 1967; Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) 1990; Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) 2008; Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA)
Data protection regime: No federal GDPR equivalent; state-level privacy laws vary (California CCPA 2018, Virginia VCDPA 2021, etc.); FCRA governs employment records; HIPAA governs health information
Anti-discrimination statutes: Title VII of Civil Rights Act 1964; Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) 1967; Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) 1990; Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) 2008; Equal Pay Act 1963
Local language source: English only

Where this came from

Looked up 2026-08-15. Independently checked 2026-08-15. High confidence. Result of that check: Confirmed.

Notes: Extensive government and statutory guidance available. Clear legal basis for excluding personal identifiers. Stark contrast between law (prohibit personal data that could enable discrimination) and some international practice.

Researched with AI assistants working from a written checklist, then independently checked. How we researched this