Contact OAL:

Office of Administrative Law
300 Capitol Mall, Suite 1250
Sacramento, CA 95814-4339

Phone (916) 323-6225
CALNET 473-6225
Fax: (916) 323-6826
e-mail: staff@oal.ca.gov

Reference Attorney phone message line: (916) 323-6815

Reference Attorney e-mail: staff@oal.ca.gov

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.

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

Governor's Proclamation for a Statewide Water Shortage State of Emergency (pdf)

The 2009 Rulemaking Calendar is now published and available through various means. Click on the link for further details.

OAL's STD. 400 Form (Rev. 1/09) Has Been Revised
OAL has revised the Notice Publication/Regulations Submission form, known as the STD. 400 (REV. 01-09) . The change made to the Form 400 is editorial and nonsubstantive in nature. The new STD. 400 form is available online or by contacting OAL directly. OAL will continue to accept the prior version of the Form 400 with notice and regulation filings.

The 2009 California Regulatory Notice Register Publication Schedule is now available.

California Rulemaking Law Book
The California Rulemaking Law book is a convenient resource for the government and private sectors, attorneys, clients, advocates, and the general public to find the primary statutes and regulations governing rulemaking under the California Administrative Procedure Act (APA). The publication contains excerpts from the statutes and regulations and is an informational tool only. Please refer to the publications of the official statutes and regulations for the complete text. The cost is $8.00 per book plus shipping.