Notice of Regulatory Change Regarding Processing Times
The Permit Reform Act of 1981 required state agencies, including the Board, to adopt regulations regarding their procedures for considering and issuing permits. The Permit Reform Act of 1981 was repealed by the legislature per Assembly Bill (AB) 1757 (Committee on Budget, Chapter 229, Statutes of 2003). As a result, specifying processing times in regulation is no longer required and no longer necessary.
The reality is that processing times are dynamic and not always consistent throughout the year. The timeframe for processing applications varies due to factors outside the Board's control. For example, the Board generally processes applications in the date order received, but the Board is statutorily required to expediate the processing of applications for applicants who qualify under Business and Professions Code (BPC) sections 115.4, 115.5, 115.6, and 135.4. This can result in expedited applications being processed much faster than the processing times identified in regulation and in delays for the non–expedited applications.
Although processing times throughout the year may be affected by factors outside the Board's control, the Board utilizes technology to track processing times and provide application information. The Board believes it does not serve the public to provide outdated and inaccurate processing times in regulation, and, instead, consistent with BPC section 139.5, provides processing times on the Board's website, which is a more appropriate location for current information about processing times. From the Board's website, interested parties can find the Board's processing times by clicking the Applicant/Registrant tab or the Contact Us link at the top of the Board's website. The webpages contain a table detailing the date through which applications are reviewed/processed, current processing times, and average processing times over the past month. In addition, the table provides dates for different stages of the review process and dates for forms and approvals. Moreover, despite the requirements of BPC section 139.5 to provide information on at least a quarterly basis, the Board's internal policy is to update application processing timeframes more frequently than a quarterly basis, subject to actual workload.
The Board works hard to meet the 30–day goal set by the Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA) for processing applications and has been under that benchmark since February 2024. The Board's online application platform processes all applications online and requires each applicant to submit all necessary supporting documents (except college transcripts) before the application is submitted to the Board for staff review and approval. Since the modernization of the application process, the Board has seen significant reductions in processing times and an increase in the number of applications processed annually. The Board does not anticipate delays to the application process aside from those caused by seasonal increases in application submissions and incomplete applications where the applicant has failed to provide the correct supporting documentation, such as college transcripts.
This regulatory change removed processing times related to hearing aid dispensers in Title 16 of the California Code of Regulations (CCR) section 1399.113 and related to speech–language pathology and audiology in Title 16 CCR section 1399.151.1, deleted any references to Title 16 CCR sections 1399.113 or 1399.151.1, and removed any other processing times specified in regulations.
For additional information, the regulatory documents can be found below.
Processing Times
Effective Date of Regulation: January 1, 2026
This approved regulation amends sections 1399.113 of Division 13.3, of Title 16 of the CCR and section 1399.151.1 of Division 13.4, of Title 16 of the CCR.
