California Code of Regulations Help

About the California Code of Regulations Site

This California Code of Regulations (CCR) site contains the text of the regulations that have been formally adopted by state agencies, reviewed and approved by the Office of Administrative Law, and filed with the Secretary of State. The CCR consists of 28 titles and contains the regulations of approximately 200 regulatory agencies. Note that Title 6 (Governor's Regulations) presently contains no regulations, and Title 24 (California Building Standards) is published separately and not part of this CCR website (see FAQs for further information). This website is updated weekly.

The Internet CCR is maintained and updated weekly by OAL through a contract with Thomson Reuters / Barclays.

The contract requires that "[t]he Contractor shall ensure that the CCR made available on the Internet is consistent with the most recent updated version of the Official CCR published in hard copy, accurately reflects what is filed with the Secretary of State; and that it is complete and contains all the material defined as part of the official CCR."

For more information on how to use this site, please click on the Help link located in the upper right corner of each page.

The Official California Code of Regulations is available in looseleaf printed format from Thomson Reuters / Barclays (1-888-728-7677).

A certified copy of a regulation filing may be obtained from the Secretary of State Archives (916-653-7715).

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CCR FAQ

About the regulations

  • What is a regulation?
    A regulation is a rule adopted by a state regulatory agency to implement, interpret, or make specific the law enforced or administered by it, or to govern its procedure.
  • Do regulations have the same effect as laws?
    Yes. Legally adopted regulations filed with the Secretary of State have the force of law.
  • What would happen if I did not comply with regulations that apply to me?
    You could be cited, fined or suffer other adverse consequences (such as losing a license) if you fail to comply with regulations that apply to you.
  • What is the difference between a regulation and a statute?
    A regulation is adopted by a state regulatory agency, approved by OAL, and filed with the Secretary of State.  A statute is passed by the Legislature and signed by the Governor (or is approved by the voters as a ballot measure).
  • By what authority can an agency adopt regulations?
    A regulatory agency receives its power to adopt laws from statutes. This authority is cited at the end of each regulation.
  • Where can I find a hard copy of the regulations?
    The CCR is available at the offices of County Clerks or County Law Libraries and 100 state depository libraries. It is available in looseleaf form from the official publisher, Thomson Reuters / Barclays. For information about obtaining the official CCR in print, contact Barclays at 1-800-888-3600 or visit them online at https://oal.ca.gov/publications/ccr.

    Certified copies of regulations are available at the State Archives in the Office of the Secretary of State (916) 653-7715.
  • Why is Title 24 (the California Building Standards) not included as part of this CCR Website?
    Title 24 of the California Code of Regulations, known as California Building Standards, contains copyrighted materials under the ownership of several model code publishers and cannot be provided here. The eleven parts of Title 24 that comprise California's Building Standards are available for review at depository libraries, or for purchase in paper format from the copyright holders and selected vendors.

    Please contact the California Building Standards Commission's home page, https://www.dgs.ca.gov/BSC, for information on the availability of Title 24.

About the Rulemaking Process

  • Do agencies have to adhere to guidelines when adopting regulations?
    Yes, agencies are to follow the procedures set forth in the Administrative Procedure Act.
  • What is the Administrative Procedure Act (APA)?
    The APA sets forth the procedures that state agencies must follow when adopting regulations. See Government Code section 11340-11359. Among other requirements, it requires state agencies to give public notice, to receive and consider public comments, to submit regulations and rulemaking files to the Office of Administrative Law for review to ensure compliance with the requirements of the APA, and to have the regulations published in the California Code of Regulations.
  • Must all agencies comply with the APA?
    The majority of agencies must comply with the APA. However, an agency may be exempt by statute from complying with the procedures in the APA.
  • If an agency is to comply with the APA but does not, what is the status of those regulations?
    Such regulations are invalid. They are commonly referred to as "underground regulations."

About the Office of Administrative Law (OAL)

  • What is the Office of Administrative Law?
    In 1979, the Legislature created the Office of Administrative Law (OAL) to ensure that state agency regulations are authorized by statute, consistent with other law, and written in a comprehensible manner, as provided in the rulemaking part of California’s Administrative Procedure Act (Sections 11340 through 11359 of the Government Code). Each year, state agencies propose thousands of regulations which, when adopted, affect almost all economic activities and every segment of the California public. In part, the enactment of new statutes and the amendment of laws on the books drive the volume of this regulatory activity. OAL reviews each proposed regulation and approves a regulation only when the rulemaking agency has adequately considered public comments and if the regulation is easily understood, necessary, authorized, and consistent with law. When approved and filed with the Secretary of State, a regulation has the force of law.

    In addition to its regulatory review program, OAL responds to requests for determination regarding whether a state agency rule meets the statutory definition of a "regulation," and if so, whether the rule should have been, but was not, adopted pursuant to the requirements of the Administrative Procedure Act.

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Contact Us

Contact the official publisher with regards to the CCR in print:
Toll free 1-800-888-3600

Via Mail:
Thomson Reuters / Barclays
P.O. Box 2006
San Francisco, CA 94126

Online:
https://oal.ca.gov/publications/ccr

Technical Support for this website:
1-800-WESTLAW (1-800-937-8529)
Email [email protected]

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California Products

Barclay's Official California Code of Regulations can be purchased by calling 1-800-888-3600 or by visiting https://oal.ca.gov/publications/ccr. Information on other California legal products is available from West Online Store.

Searching California Code of Regulations

Search for Words
With this search option, you can find all regulations that match your search terms. Complete the following steps to search for words:

  1. Click the Search for Words link. The Search for Words template is displayed.
  2. Type your search term(s) in the Enter your search terms text box.

    Note: For Terms and Connectors searching, add connectors (e.g., and, or, not) to your search terms to conduct multiple-word searches. Search terms and connectors must be separated by spaces. Refer to the following table for examples of using connectors.

    Connectors Examples Results
    and juvenile and felony
    Finds documents containing both terms, e.g., juvenile and felony
    or
    (default)
    juvenile or felony Finds documents containing one or both of the terms, e.g., juvenile or felony or both
    but not juvenile but not felony Finds documents containing the first term but not the second term, e.g., juvenile but not felony
  3. Click Search. The search result page is displayed, which includes links to all regulations that match your search.
  4. To view the text of a regulation, click the appropriate link.

Search within Specific Title(s)
With this search option, you can confine your search to specific California regulation titles. Complete the following steps to search within specific title(s):

  1. Click the Search within Specific Title(s) link. The Search within Specific Title(s) template is displayed.
  2. Select the title(s) you want to restrict your search to.
  3. Type your search term(s) in the Enter your search terms text box.

    Note: For Terms and Connectors searching, add connectors (e.g., and, or, not) to your search terms to conduct multiple-word searches. Search terms and connectors must be separated by spaces. Refer to the following table for examples of using connectors.

    Connectors Examples Results
    and juvenile and felony
    Finds documents containing both terms, e.g., juvenile and felony
    or
    (default)
    juvenile or felony Finds documents containing one or both of the terms, e.g., juvenile or felony or both
    but not juvenile but not felony Finds documents containing the first term but not the second term, e.g., juvenile but not felony
  4. Click Search. The search result page is displayed, which includes links to all regulations that match your search.
  5. To view the text of a regulation, click the appropriate link.

Search for a Specific Section
With this search option, you can find California regulations by citation. Complete the following steps to search for a specific regulation section:

  1. Click the Search for a Specific Section link. The Search for a Specific Section template is displayed.
  2. Enter a citation. Type the regulation title number in the first text box and type the section number in the last text box.
  3. Click Search. The search result page is displayed, which includes links to all regulations that match your search.
  4. To view the text of a regulation, click the appropriate link.

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Browsing Documents

Citations List
When you are viewing a search result, the citations list is shown first. Click the number preceding a citation to view that document's full text.

To see the next 20 documents that match the concepts in your description, click the right arrow at the bottom of the citations list.

Browsing by Search Terms
In a search result, you can click the right or left Term arrow to move to the next or previous occurrence of your search terms in the displayed document.

Browsing by Document
In a search result, you can click the right or left Document arrow to move to the next or previous document in your search result.

Documents in Sequence
You can use Documents in Sequence to view consecutive documents even if they were not retrieved by your search.

For example, if you retrieve 18 CA ADC § 2610, click Docs in Sequence to view 18 CA ADC § 3000. Click the Prev and Next arrows located at the bottom of the document to view other consecutive documents. To cancel Documents in Sequence and return to the document you were viewing, click Cancel Docs in Sequence.

Currentness Information
A current-through line tells you how current the document is. For California Code of Regulations, the current-through line will appear at the end of the document. For all other documents, the current-through line will appear below the title of a document.

Some documents will also include a reference to Scope, which is a Thomson Reuters Westlaw feature that provides information about coverage. Scope is not available on this site; the current through line provides the coverage information.

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Technical FAQ

What do I do when a Pop-up Block message pops up?

You should follow the directions provided on the screen OR click on the Continue to Weblinks link at the top or at the bottom of the message to continue with your original request (Note: there are other browser settings, depending on the browser and browser level, that might impact the ability to log on or to do a search. For example, Privacy or Security level set within IE.

Verify that no download managers, ad blockers / pop-up managers, or monitoring software are enabled or running.

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    2. Choose Shut Down or Exit.
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    1. Press the Ctrl & Alt & Delete keys simultaneously.
    2. Click Task Manager (in Windows® 2000).
    3. Click the desired Application.
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    5. Repeat steps as necessary.
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What do I do if a blank screen appears after clicking a TOC link or attempting to run a search for the first time?

In most instances, hitting the "Refresh" button on your browser when a blank screen comes up after a search will refresh the session and allow you to see the results of the search. If not, you may need to enable Javascript on your browser.

Enable Javascript:

Microsoft® Internet Explorer® 5.0 or higher:

  1. Click the Tools pull-down menu.
  2. Choose Internet Options.
  3. Click the Security tab.
  4. Select Internet in the Choose a Web content zone to specify its security settings section.
  5. Verify the security level:
    • If the security level is set to Low, Medium-Low or Medium then Java scripts are enabled.
    • If the security level is set to High then Java scripts are NOT enabled and the security setting must be changed.
    • If the security level is set to Custom, click Custom Level and verify:
      • Java Permissions are set to High Safety or Medium Safety.
      • Active scripting is set to Enable.
      • Scripting of Java applets is set to Enable.

Netscape 6.x:

  1. Click the Edit pull-down menu.
  2. Choose Preferences.
  3. Choose Advanced from the Category field.
  4. Select Enable Java and Enable JavaScript for Navigator.
  5. Click OK.

Netscape 7.x:

  1. Click the Edit pull-down menu.
  2. Choose Preferences.
  3. Choose Advanced from the Category field.
  4. Select Enable Java.
  5. Choose Scripts & Plugins under Advanced from the Category field.
  6. Select Navigator under Enable Java Script for.
  7. Click OK.

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Agency List

Please click here to view the California State Regulatory Agency List.