Participating in Rulemaking
How to Read Current Rules
The Utah State Bulletin is published twice a month and contains notices of all filings that are required by law to be published.
You can find public comment start and end dates, contact information, fiscal impacts and rule text for each filing in the bulletin (see the current bulletin, here.)
The primary difference between the Utah State Bulletin and the Digest is that the Digest does not contain the text of administrative rules or other documents. It only contains the narrative, fiscal analysis and other required information. (see the current digest, here.)
About the Administrative Code
Generally
The Utah Administrative Code is an official publication of the Division of Administrative Rules, mandated by Section 63G-3-402. It is Utah's equivalent to the Code of Federal Regulations. The Utah Administrative Code is "evidence of the administrative law of the state of Utah" and an "authorized compilation of the administrative law of Utah" (Section 63G-3-701). The Division of Administrative Rules codifies changes to the Utah Administrative Code on a monthly basis. The Utah Administrative Code is an electronic publication, although a paper version is available from a private publisher.
Format Notes
Generally
The administrative rules that comprise the current Utah Administrative Code are available online in three formats--as individual HTML documents, as individual Rich Text Format (RTF) documents, and as compressed archives of RTF documents. The compressed files may be viewed using Windows XP/Vista/7, or with a utility like PKUnZip, 7-Zip, or a similar program. These zip files must be decompressed before they may be edited.
Files containing all rules or changed rules, as of the first of a given month are available from the Administrative Code Updates page.
Authentication
The Division of Administrative Rules has generated an MD5 hash for the Rich Text Format files (files saved with an ".rtf" extension) and compressed RTF files (files saved with a ".zip" extension) that can be downloaded from this web site. An MD5 hash is, in essence, a signature for a file. You can confirm the integrity of the files you download by comparing the MD5 hash the Division generated with one that you generate. Various software packages are available that permit you to generate an MD5 hash such as MD5Summer (graphical user interface), winMD5Sum (graphical user interface), MD5SUMS (no graphical user interface), or File Checksum Integrity Verifier (no graphical user interface). If the hashes do not match exactly, then the integrity of the file is in question. Please contact the Division of Administrative Rules immediately if the hash numbers do not match.
Links: MD5 hashes for compressed RTF files, and MD5 hashes for RTF files.
The Utah Administrative Code is an electronic publication, although a paper version is available from a private publisher.
To authenticate the digital copy of a rule, the Office of Administrative Rules has generated an MD5 hash for the Rich Text Format files, (files saved with an ".rtf" extension). To learn more about authenticating a rule download, click here.
Researching a Rule's History
To research an administrative rule, as much information as possible is better, like: name of the regulating agency; date the rule was filed; file number (a five-digit number assigned by the Office of Administrative Rules); date the rule was published in the Utah State Bulletin; date the rule was made effective; code reference (begins with an "R"). For more research info, click here.
The Utah State Bulletin is published twice a month and contains notices of all filings that are required by law to be published.
You can find public comment start and end dates, contact information, fiscal impacts and rule text for each filing in the bulletin (see the current bulletin, here.)
Subsection 63G-3-402(1) requires the Office of Administrative Rules to "record in a register the receipt of all agency rules, rule analysis forms, and notices of effective dates" and to "make the register . . . available for public inspection. . . ." The Register is a docket of rule filings arranged chronologically. For more research info, click here.
Whom To Contact
It can sometimes be confusing to know which agency to contact for a particular rule. Read our guide to finding the right agency for the right rule.
For an alphabetical listing of agencies in the state of Utah, see the utah.gov alphabetical agency listing by clicking here.
For contact information for state agencies and their rule writer(s), click here
The Committee meets regularly to address specific concerns raised by legislators and the public regarding existing and proposed state agency administrative rules. See the calendar here.
Making Public Comment
For tips on effective public comment, see our guide here.
You can find the Utah Department of Environmental Quality has an informative guide on making public comments count, here.
For a calendar of public meetings, where you can make public comment in person, click here.
Rulemaking Timeframes
Utah's Rulemaking Process - Simplifed
Types of Administrative Rulefilings in Utah
