California Administrative Code

(a) General. A responsible agency complies with CEQA by considering the EIR or negative declaration prepared by the lead agency and by reaching its own conclusions on whether and how to approve the project involved. This section identifies the special duties a public agency will …

(a) This section applies when a public agency has made the findings required under paragraph (1) of subdivision (a) of Section 15091 relative to an EIR or adopted a mitigated negative declaration in conjunction with approving a project. In order to ensure that the mitigation meas…

Measurements taken for the purpose of determining employee exposure to benzene are best taken so that the representative average 8-hour exposure may be determined from a single 8-hour sample or two (2) 4-hour samples. Short-time interval samples (or grab samples) may also be used…

(a) A few statutes or ordinances require agencies to make decisions on permits within time limits that are so short that review of the project under CEQA would be difficult. To enable the lead agency to comply with both the permit statute and CEQA, the lead agency shall deem an a…

(a) CEQA provides unusually short statutes of limitations on filing court challenges to the approval of projects under the act. (b) The statute of limitations periods are not public review periods or waiting periods for the person whose project has been approved. The project spon…

An EIR shall be prepared using an interdisciplinary approach which will ensure the integrated use of the natural and social sciences and the consideration of qualitative as well as quantitative factors. The interdisciplinary analysis shall be conducted by competent individuals, b…

The EIR shall focus on the significant effects on the environment. The significant effects should be discussed with emphasis in proportion to their severity and probability of occurrence. Effects dismissed in an Initial Study as clearly insignificant and unlikely to occur need no…

(a) When a lead agency prepares an EIR for a project within the boundaries of a comprehensive airport land use plan or, if a comprehensive airport land use plan has not been adopted for a project within two nautical miles of a public airport or public use airport, the agency shal…

Every Purchaser of State Timber from State Forests shall execute an agreement with the Director that said State Timber will not be Substituted for timber exported from the Purchaser's private lands.

This article describes a number of examples of variations in EIRs as the documents are tailored to different situations and intended uses. These variations are not exclusive. Lead agencies may use other variations consistent with the guidelines to meet the needs of other circumst…

(a) The lead or responsible agency may choose to prepare a supplement to an EIR rather than a subsequent EIR if: (1) Any of the conditions described in Section 15162 would require the preparation of a subsequent EIR, and (2) Only minor additions or changes would be necessary to m…

Where individual projects are, or a phased project is, to be undertaken and where the total undertaking comprises a project with significant environmental effect, the lead agency shall prepare a single program EIR for the ultimate project as described in Section 15168. Where an i…

(a) Where a large capital project will require a number of discretionary approvals from government agencies and one of the approvals will occur more than two years before construction will begin, a staged EIR may be prepared covering the entire project in a general form. The stag…

(a) At the time of the adoption of a rule or regulation requiring the installation of pollution control equipment, establishing a performance standard, or establishing a treatment requirement, the California Air Resources Board, Department of Toxic Substances Control, Integrated …

This section applies to projects consisting solely of compliance with a performance standard or treatment requirement which was the subject of an environmental analysis as described in Section 15187. (a) If preparing a negative declaration, mitigated negative declaration or EIR o…

Purchaser shall preserve for a period of 3 years, after conclusion of removal of State Timber from the State Forest, all records pertaining to the use and disposition of the State Timber and, upon request of the Director, make said records available for inspection by the Director…

(a) The lead agency for a compliance project under either Section 15188 or Section 15189 shall determine whether an EIR or negative declaration should be prepared within 30 days of its determination that the application for the project is complete. (b) Where the EIR will be prepa…

(a) For purposes of this section, the following definitions are applicable. (1) “Low-level flight path” means any flight path for any aircraft owned, maintained, or that is under the jurisdiction of the United States Department of Defense that flies lower than 1,500 feet above gr…

For purposes of this Article 12.5 only, the following words shall have the following meanings: (a) “Agricultural employee” means a person engaged in agriculture, including: farming in all its branches, and, among other things, includes: (1) the cultivation and tillage of the soil…

CEQA does not apply to any development project that meets the following criteria: (a) The project meets the threshold criteria set forth in section 15192. (b) The project meets the following size criteria: the project site is not more than five acres in area. (c) The project meet…

(a) Except as set forth in subdivision (b), CEQA does not apply to any development project that meets the following criteria: (1) The project meets the threshold criteria set forth in section 15192; provided that with respect to the requirement in section 15192(b) regarding commu…

(a) Draft EIRs and negative declarations to be reviewed by state agencies shall be submitted to the State Clearinghouse, 1400 Tenth Street, Sacramento, California 95814. For U.S. Mail, submit to P.O. Box 3044, Sacramento, California 95812-3044. When submitting such documents to t…

(a) Projects meeting the criteria in this section shall be deemed to be of statewide, regional, or areawide significance. (1) A draft EIR or negative declaration prepared by any public agency on a project described in this section shall be submitted to the State Clearinghouse and…

Comments received through the consultation process shall be retained for a reasonable period and available for public inspection at an address given in the final EIR. Comments which may be received on a draft EIR or negative declaration under preparation shall also be considered …

In a writ of mandate proceeding challenging approval of a project under CEQA, the petitioner shall, within 90 days of filing the petition, request a hearing or otherwise be subject to dismissal on the court's own motion or on the motion of any party to the suit.

If a lawsuit is filed challenging an EIR or negative declaration for noncompliance with CEQA, responsible agencies shall act as if the EIR or negative declaration complies with CEQA and continue to process the application for the project according to the time limits for responsib…

(a) If a project being carried out by a public agency was approved prior to November 23, 1970, the project shall be exempt from CEQA unless either of the following conditions exists: (1) A substantial portion of public funds allocated for the project have not been spent, and it i…

A project involving only feasibility or planning studies for possible future actions which the agency, board, or commission has not approved, adopted, or funded does not require the preparation of an EIR or negative declaration but does require consideration of environmental fact…

CEQA shall not apply to the granting of an extension of time by the Office of Planning and Research to a city or county for the preparation and adoption of one or more elements of a city or county general plan.

(a) CEQA does not apply to actions undertaken by a public agency relating to any thermal power plant site or facility, including the expenditure, obligation, or encumbrance of funds by a public agency for planning, engineering, or design purposes, or for the conditional sale or p…

(a) CEQA does not apply to the establishment, modification, structuring, restructuring, or approval of rates, tolls, fares, and other charges by public agencies which the public agency finds are for the purpose of: (1) Meeting operating expenses, including employee wage rates and…

(a) CEQA does not apply to establishment or operation of a large family day care home, which provides in-home care for up to fourteen children, as defined in Section 1596.78 of the Health and Safety Code. (b) Under the Health and Safety Code, local agencies cannot require use per…

(a) CEQA does not apply to the development or adoption of a regional transportation improvement program or the state transportation improvement program. Individual projects developed pursuant to these programs shall remain subject to CEQA. (b) CEQA does not apply to preparation a…

Class 1 consists of the operation, repair, maintenance, permitting, leasing, licensing, or minor alteration of existing public or private structures, facilities, mechanical equipment, or topographical features, involving negligible or no expansion of existing or former use. The t…

Class 2 consists of replacement or reconstruction of existing structures and facilities where the new structure will be located on the same site as the structure replaced and will have substantially the same purpose and capacity as the structure replaced, including but not limite…

Class 5 consists of minor alterations in land use limitations in areas with an average slope of less than 20%, which do not result in any changes in land use or density, including but not limited to: (a) Minor lot line adjustments, side yard, and set back variances not resulting …

Class 15 consists of the division of property in urbanized areas zoned for residential, commercial, or industrial use into four or fewer parcels when the division is in conformance with the General Plan and zoning, no variances or exceptions are required, all services and access …

Class 16 consists of the acquisition, sale, or other transfer of land in order to establish a park where the land is in a natural condition or contains historical or archaeological resources and either: (a) The management plan for the park has not been prepared, or (b) The manage…

Class 18 consists of the designation wilderness areas under the California Wilderness System.

“Greenhouse gas” or “greenhouse gases” includes but is not limited to: carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons and sulfur hexafluoride.

Class 20 consists of changes in the organization or reorganization of local governmental agencies where the changes do not change the geographical area in which previously existing powers are exercised. Examples include but are not limited to: (a) Establishment of a subsidiary di…

Class 22 consists of the adoption, alteration, or termination of educational or training programs which involve no physical alteration in the area affected or which involve physical changes only in the interior of existing school or training structures. Examples include but are n…

If the Director finds that the decision to reject the application conforms to these procedures and the Act, the Director shall uphold the decision to reject the application. If the Director finds that the decision to reject the application does not conform to these procedures and…

(a) “Approval” means the decision by a public agency which commits the agency to a definite course of action in regard to a project intended to be carried out by any person. The exact date of approval of any project is a matter determined by each public agency according to its ru…

“CEQA” means the California Environmental Quality Act, California Public Resources Code Sections 21000 et seq.

“Cumulative impacts” refer to two or more individual effects which, when considered together, are considerable or which compound or increase other environmental impacts. (a) The individual effects may be changes resulting from a single project or a number of separate projects. (b…

“Decision-making body” means any person or group of people within a public agency permitted by law to approve or disapprove the project at issue.

“Lead agency” means the public agency which has the principal responsibility for carrying out or approving a project. The lead agency will decide whether an EIR or negative declaration will be required for the project and will cause the document to be prepared. Criteria for deter…

“Local agency” means any public agency other than a state agency, board, or commission. Local agency includes but is not limited to cities, counties, charter cities and counties, districts, school districts, special districts, redevelopment agencies, local agency formation commis…

§ 450.16. Change of Business or Corporate Name. [Renumbered] This database is current through 5/1/26 Register 2026, No. 18. Source: https://govt.westlaw.com/calregs/Document/I67CA42735A1E11EC8227000D3A7C4BC3?viewType=FullText&originationContext=documenttoc&transitionType=Category…