Rule 3.2205.Form and format of administrative record lodged in a CEQA proceeding
Division 22. Petitions Under the California Environmental Quality Act · Chapter 1. General Provisions · Adopted 2010 · no amendments on record · Last verified July 29, 2026
In one sentenceRule 3.2205 sets the default order and organization for the administrative record lodged in a CEQA proceeding, requires a detailed index at the front of the record, allows a different order by motion or stipulation, and lets the court require parties to lodge an appendix of excerpts cited in their briefs.
(1)Order of documents Except as permitted in (a)(3), the administrative record must be organized in the following order, as applicable:
(A)The Notice of Determination;
(B)The resolutions or ordinances adopted by the lead agency approving the project;
(C)The findings required by Public Resources Code section 21081, including any statement of overriding considerations;
(D)The final environmental impact report, including the draft environmental impact report or a revision of the draft, all other matters included in the final environmental impact report, and other types of environmental impact documents prepared under the California Environmental Quality Act, such as a negative declaration, mitigated negative declaration, or addenda;
(E)The initial study;
(F)Staff reports prepared for the administrative bodies providing subordinate approvals or recommendations to the lead agency, in chronological order;
(G)Transcripts and minutes of hearings, in chronological order; and
(H)The remainder of the administrative record, in chronological order.
(2)List not limiting The list of documents in (1) is not intended to limit the content of the administrative record, which is prescribed in Public Resources Code section 21167.6(e).
(3)Different order permissible The documents may be organized in a different order from that set out in (1) if the court so orders on:
(A)A party’s motion;
(B)The parties’ stipulation; or
(C)The court’s own motion.
(4)Oversized documents Oversized documents included in the record must be presented in a manner that allows them to be easily unfolded and viewed.
(5)Use of tabs or electronic bookmarks The administrative record must be separated by tabs or marked with electronic bookmarks that identify each part of the record listed above.
(b)Index A detailed index must be placed at the beginning of the administrative record. The index must list each document in the administrative record in the order presented, or in chronological order if ordered by the court, including title, date of the document, brief description, and the volume and page where it begins. The index must list any included exhibits or appendixes and must list each document contained in the exhibit or appendix (including environmental impact report appendixes) and the volume and page where each document begins. A copy of the index must be filed in the court at the time the administrative record is lodged with the court.
(c)Appendix of excerpts A court may require each party filing a brief to prepare and lodge an appendix of excerpts that contains the documents or pages of the record cited in that party’s brief.
Plain-English Summary
CEQA cases turn on a detailed administrative record, and Rule 3.2205 gives that record a standard shape so judges and parties can find their way through it. Absent a court order, the record runs in a set sequence: the Notice of Determination, the agency’s approving resolutions or ordinances, the required findings, the final environmental impact report and related environmental documents, the initial study, staff reports in chronological order, hearing transcripts and minutes in chronological order, and finally the remainder of the record in chronological order. Oversized documents have to be presented so they can be unfolded and read, and the whole record must carry tabs or electronic bookmarks marking each part.
Subdivision (b) requires a detailed index at the beginning of the record, listing every document by title, date, brief description, and volume and page number, including everything inside exhibits and appendixes. That index has to be filed with the court when the record is lodged, giving the court a roadmap before it ever opens the record itself.
The default order is not fixed. A party can move for a different organization, the parties can stipulate to one, or the court can order one on its own motion. And once briefing gets underway, the court may require each party to lodge an appendix pulling together just the record excerpts that party’s brief cites, sparing everyone from hunting through the full record for a handful of pages.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the default order for a CEQA administrative record under Rule 3.2205?
The Notice of Determination, approving resolutions or ordinances, required findings, the final environmental impact report and related documents, the initial study, staff reports, hearing transcripts and minutes, and then the rest of the record, generally in chronological order within each category.
Does the administrative record order in Rule 3.2205 limit what belongs in the record?
No. Rule 3.2205(a)(2) makes clear the listed order is not intended to limit the record’s content, which Public Resources Code section 21167.6(e) prescribes separately.
Can the parties change the order of the CEQA administrative record?
Yes. Rule 3.2205(a)(3) allows a different order on a party’s motion, the parties’ stipulation, or the court’s own motion.
What is an appendix of excerpts in a CEQA case?
A collection of the specific record documents or pages a party’s brief cites. Rule 3.2205(c) lets the court require each party filing a brief to prepare and lodge one.
Amendment History
Rule 3.2205 renumbered effective July 1, 2014; adopted as rule 3.1365 effective January 1, 2010.
Source & verification. Rule text is reproduced verbatim from
the Judicial Council of California. Adopted by the Judicial Council of California.
Last verified July 29, 2026.
· Official source
Also known as:CEQA administrative record organization rulehow to index a CEQA administrative recordappendix of excerpts CEQA briefing