Division 22. Petitions Under the California Environmental Quality Act · Chapter 1. General Provisions · Last amended 2014 · Last verified July 29, 2026
In one sentenceRule 3.2207 requires an electronic CEQA administrative record to follow Rule 3.2205’s organization, use a widely available file format, be divided into bookmarked files, sit on unalterable media, and be full-text searchable, while allowing documents that cannot feasibly be digitized to stay in paper form.
(a)Requirements The electronic version of the administrative record lodged in the court in a proceeding brought under the California Environmental Quality Act must be:
(2)Created in portable document format (PDF) or other format for which the software for creating and reading documents is in the public domain or generally available at a reasonable cost;
(3)Divided into a series of electronic files and include electronic bookmarks that identify each part of the record and clearly state the volume and page numbers contained in each part of the record;
(4)Contained on a CD-ROM, DVD, or other medium in a manner that cannot be altered; and
(5)Capable of full text searching. The electronic version of the index required under rule 3.2205(b) may include hyperlinks to the indexed documents. (Subd (a) amended effective July 1, 2014.)
(b)Documents not included Unless otherwise required by law, any document that is part of the administrative record and for which it is not feasible to create an electronic version may be provided in paper format only. Not feasible means that it would be reduced in size or otherwise altered to such an extent that it would not be easily readable. (Subd (b) amended effective July 1, 2014.)
Plain-English Summary
Rule 3.2207 sets the technical bar for an administrative record lodged electronically in a CEQA case. It has to follow Rule 3.2205’s required organization, be created in PDF or another format built on software that is free or reasonably priced, and be broken into a series of files carrying electronic bookmarks that mark each part of the record along with its volume and page numbers. The files have to sit on a CD-ROM, DVD, or similar medium in a form that cannot be altered after the fact, and the whole record has to support full-text search — letting a judge or attorney locate a term across thousands of pages instead of paging through a printed index. The record’s index can carry hyperlinks straight to the documents it lists.
Not every document can be digitized without losing something. Rule 3.2207(b) allows any part of the record that cannot feasibly be converted to electronic form to stay in paper format instead, and defines "not feasible" as a document that would have to be shrunk or altered enough that it stops being easily readable — an oversized map or a document that will not scan legibly, for instance.
Frequently Asked Questions
What file format does a CEQA administrative record have to use electronically?
Portable document format (PDF) or another format built on software that is in the public domain or generally available at a reasonable cost, under Rule 3.2207(a)(2).
Does an electronic CEQA record have to be searchable?
Yes. Rule 3.2207(a)(5) requires the electronic record to be capable of full text searching.
Can part of a CEQA administrative record stay in paper form even if the rest is electronic?
Yes. Rule 3.2207(b) allows any document that is not feasible to convert to electronic form — meaning it would become hard to read if reduced or altered — to be provided in paper format only.
What medium must an electronic CEQA record be stored on?
A CD-ROM, DVD, or other medium in a form that cannot be altered, as required by Rule 3.2207(a)(4).
Amendment History
Rule 3.2207 renumbered and amended effective July 1, 2014; adopted as rule 3.1367 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:electronic CEQA record format requirementsPDF administrative record CEQA rulessearchable CEQA record requirement California