Administrative Rules

Record Types

The process of making administrative rules involves the production of a number of types of records which detail the steps of the process. The most useful series include the Administrative Code, the Utah State Bulletin, the Utah State Digest, and the Administrative Rules files.

The Administrative Code

The current Utah Administrative Code (Series 83623) is available from the Office of Administrative Rules and through most law libraries. The last volume in the print set has a subject and agency index to the rules. The Administrative Code also contains references to when each rule was passed and/or amended, and frequently contains the Rule file number.
The format of the Administrative Code has changed over time:

• 1973-1987: a binder format in which sections were updated as needed.
• 1987-1994: published annually in volumes.
• 1994-1999: a binder format in which sections were updated quarterly as needed.
• 2000-ongoing: published in volumes, updates published as needed.

The Utah State Archives has pieces of the Code up to 1982, nothing between 1982 and 1987, and a complete run of the Code from 1987 through 2020.
The compilations from 1987 and 1989 are now online.

Utah State Bulletin

The Bulletin (Series 83311) is a bi-monthly publication from the Office that includes recent Governor's proclamations and executive orders, Attorney General opinions, notices of public hearings, listings of new state publications, and other information, all usually printed in full text. The bulk of the Bulletin consists of proposed administrative rules, temporary "emergency" rules, rules being reviewed, and the effective dates of rules listed as proposed in earlier issues.

Utah State Digest

The Digest (Series 83622) is the abstracted version of the Bulletin, Series 83311. If you are just looking for effective dates, or other details about the Rule other than the text of the Rule itself, this is a quick way to find that data if you know approximately when the Rule came into being.

Administrative Rules files

These files (Series 7192) document the rule creation process for each Rule in the Code. File numbers are assigned chronologically by date of the filing of the request for a rule. Frequently these file numbers can be obtained from the Code. If not available through that route, if you know approximately when the rule came into being, you can check the Register, Digest or the Bulletin for the file number. Alternatively, the Office of Administrative Rules maintains a card file index to rules filed between 1973 and 1987, and researchers can get access to that index through the Office of Administrative Rules.

The Administrative Rules files include a printout of the Rules Analysis form; which records agency information, purpose, cost impact, comment period, effective date, status of action being taken (new, amended, repealed, repealed and enacted, 5 year review, or 120 day emergency rule); a copy of the final draft of the rule text; and a notice of effective date showing when, if ever, the rule was made effective. (Some proposed rules may never have passed the process.) Files may also contain correspondence, petitions, or notes made or received by the Office of Administrative Rules regarding the filing.