Welcome to the Office of Administrative Law Website

The Office of Administrative Law (OAL) ensures that agency regulations are clear, necessary, legally valid, and available to the public. OAL is responsible for reviewing administrative regulations proposed by over 200 state agencies for compliance with the standards set forth in California's Administrative Procedure Act (APA), for transmitting these regulations to the Secretary of State and for publishing regulations in the California Code of Regulations.

OAL assists state regulatory agencies through a formal training program, as well as through other less formal methods, to understand and comply with the Administrative Procedure Act.

OAL also accepts petitions challenging alleged underground regulations--those rules issued by state agencies which meet the Administrative Procedure Act's definition of a "regulation" but were not adopted pursuant to the APA process and are not expressly exempt.

OAL oversees the publication and distribution, in print and on the Internet, of the California Code of Regulations and the California Regulatory Notice Register.

News/Information

NEW! -- The Office of Administrative Law and the Department of Finance submitted a joint report to the Senate and Assembly Committees on Governmental Organization concerning Standardized Regulatory Impact Analyses submitted on proposed major regulations.   Click here for a copy of the report.

For information regarding "Major Regulations" and preparing Standardized Regulatory Impact Assessments ("SRIA"), please visit Department of Finance's website.

NEW! -- Instructions for completing the 2016 Rulemaking Calendar have been sent to Chief Counsels and Regulation Coordinators.      Click here for a copy of the memo and schedules.

NEW! -- OAL published a Notice of Intention to Amend its Conflict of Interest Code in the October 2, 2015 Notice Register.   Please click here for copies of the Notice and other related documents.

The 2015 California Rulemaking Law Handbook is now available!   A handy resource, this booklet contains the statutes and regulations governing the rulemaking process in California.   To order copies, please visit our APA Booklet Page.

The 2015 Notice Register Publication Schedule is now available.

The on-line CCR has been redesigned.    There is also a new URL link to the site.    See "California Code of Regulations" under our "Sponsored Links" on this page.    Please update your bookmarks.

As part of the Governor's Reorganization Plan No. 2 of 2012, effective July 1, 2013, the Office of Administrative Law will be within the Government Operations Agency.

Important information concerning SB 1099 (Stats. 2012, c. 295; effective 1/1/2013) -- Posting of Regulations on Agency Websites, Change in Effective Dates of Regulations, and Revised Std. Form 400.    Please click here.

RULEMAKING TRAINING CLASSES -- OAL offers a comprehensive 3-day course on the rulemaking process for state agencies.   Please visit the Training Page for more information.

Past News/Information.