California Oil and Gas Permits
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CalGEM permits any activity involving the drilling, well re-entry, and plugging and abandonment.
Oil and gas operators seeking approval for new wells must first obtain approval from local authorities, where applicable. Then, a company must submit an application to CalGEM before commencing any new operations. CalGEM is mandated to respond to a Notice of Intent (NOI) application within 10 working days of submittal.
CalGEM thoroughly reviews each permit application for adherence to health and safety rules, environmental rules (California Environmental Quality Act), and other state laws and guidelines. If the application does not demonstrate compliance with CalGEM requirements, the operator is notified in CalGEM's response that more information is needed. If the application meets the requirements, CalGEM issues the permit.
Application and Permit Reports
Applications (or Notices of Intention) and permits are reported here weekly, usually published by Wednesday. [NOTE: The number of permits issued does not directly correlate to an increased number of oil wells, because not all permits are for drilling new wells.]
- Week 1: January 1-3, 2026 (PDF) (Excel)
- Week 2: January 4-10, 2026 (PDF) (Excel)
- Week 3: January 11-17, 2026 (PDF) (Excel)
2026 Year to Date Permit Report (Excel)
Updated: 1/29/2026
Weekly data prior to January 1, 2026 is available through file request.
Permit Review Process
All permit requests undergo the following review process:
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Initial completeness review by CalGEM District staff
- In-depth technical review by CalGEM District staff
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California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) assessment
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Final Determination
