Administrative Hearings, Division of

State Of Florida Division of Administrative Hearings

DOAH is a state agency that employs full-time Administrative Law Judges to conduct hearings in most cases in which the substantial interests of a person are determined by an agency and which involve a disputed issue of material fact. When a state agency proposes to take some action that is adverse to a person, the affected person is normally entitled to request an administrative hearing to determine the matter. Requests for hearings are initially made to the appropriate state agency. If the case does not involve disputed facts, the agency itself will conduct a proceeding and subsequently render a decision. If the request for hearing indicates that the affected person disputes facts upon which the proposed action is based, the agency ordinarily refers the case to DOAH for a hearing. DOAH provides a hearing conducted by an independent and neutral Administrative Law Judge who thereafter writes a decision, either a Recommended or Final Order, which is provided to the state agency and the parties in the case. In the case of a Recommended Order, the agency reviews the Order and issues a final decision which usually adopts the Judge's factual findings, but may under certain circumstances reject or modify certain legal conclusions of the Judge or the recommended penalty, if any. If the final decision is adverse to the non-agency party, an appeal may be taken within a limited time to a District Court of Appeal.

Related topics:

• Laws, Florida - View a digest of general laws from the Florida Legislature.