5 U.S.C. § 554 governs specified federal agency adjudications that a statute requires to be decided on the record after an opportunity for an agency hearing. It does not make every agency disagreement a formal trial. [1]
When the section applies
Start with the statute governing the agency’s decision. Section 554 contains exceptions, and the availability of a hearing alone does not establish that the full formal-adjudication framework applies. The notice ordinarily identifies the hearing’s time, place, legal authority, and matters of fact and law asserted. [1]
The section gives interested parties an opportunity to submit facts and arguments and addresses settlement and hearing procedures. It also separates certain investigative or prosecutorial functions from decision-making, subject to the statute’s exceptions. [1]
Prepare for the actual agency process
Read the agency’s procedural rules for appearances, evidence, and motions. Section 556 supplies the formal-hearing framework, including the presiding official’s powers and treatment of evidence; the agency’s own rules supply the filing mechanics. A federal civil complaint is not a substitute for the response required in the agency proceeding. [2]
- Read the charging or hearing notice.
- Identify disputed findings and the legal standard.
- Calendar agency-specific filing dates.
- Preserve objections and evidence in the administrative record.
Judicial review comes later
A reviewing court ordinarily evaluates the agency action through the relevant review statute and administrative record. Section 554 itself does not guarantee immediate district-court review of every intermediate ruling. Check finality, exhaustion, and the designated reviewing court before choosing a remedy. [1]
Practical application
For a professional-license dispute, the first useful document is the statute and notice authorizing the proceeding. A notice calling an event a hearing may describe an informal process rather than adjudication governed by Sections 554, 556, and 557. Once the applicable procedure is identified, focus on creating a record that addresses the agency’s asserted grounds and the legal standard it must apply. [1]
The hearing record matters
Sections 556 and 557 supply additional formal-hearing rules, including treatment of evidence and decisions. A submission should therefore address the issues that the agency is authorized to decide and preserve the evidence needed for later review. [2] [3]
Related questions
Related guidance: 5 U.S.C. 553: Federal Rulemaking Procedures and 5 U.S.C. 706 After Loper Bright.
Primary sources
- 5 U.S.C. § 554 — Office of Law Revision Counsel
- 5 U.S.C. § 556 — Office of Law Revision Counsel
- 5 U.S.C. § 557 — Office of Law Revision Counsel
Sources checked: October 31, 2026.