California Environmental Protection Agency — environmental complaint referral
Environmental protection function; provider and jurisdiction must be verified.[2]
Source checked October 26, 2026[1]Opens this office’s own website. CountyWiki does not process applications, take payments or provide personal records.
Contact details & office locations ↓Online services & information
Use the links below for official services and provider information. Check each service’s instructions and service area.
Start with CalEPA’s official complaint information, then choose the appropriate environmental issue on its linked form. Emergency and spill reports use separate channels.
Service area: Shared California environmental complaint information and routing for users statewide; the investigating state, regional or local authority depends on the issue and location. [2]
Before you start
- Availability · Issue- and location-specific agency routing
- Your complaint will be sent to the appropriate state or local agencies, depending on your location and the type of environmental problem you select. [8]
- Availability · Optional identification and status updates
- You may also submit a complaint anonymously. However, if you do not provide your email address, you will not receive updates on the status of your complaint. [9]
Choose air, water, toxic substances, pesticides or solid waste on the official public starting page. The responsible agencies depend on the location and issue.
Service area: Shared California environmental complaint information and routing for users statewide; the investigating state, regional or local authority depends on the issue and location. [2]
Before you start
- Languages · CalEPA public complaint form language choices
- The public form offers English and Spanish language choices. [6]
Check what belongs in this system, useful report details and how to contact the agency investigating the concern. Emergencies, spills, land-use and CEQA concerns have separate instructions.
Service area: Shared California environmental complaint information and routing for users statewide; the investigating state, regional or local authority depends on the issue and location. [2]
Before you start
- Availability · Emergency situations
- Emergencies: Please call 911. CalEPA’s system is not designed to address emergency situations. [10]
- Availability · Hazardous-material spills and sewer overflow notifications
- Spills: For hazardous material spills or sewer overflow notifications, call the state warning center at 1-800-852-7550. [11]
- Availability · Local land use, housing habitability and noise referrals
- Local Land Use Issues: Improper use of property such as industrial or commercial uses in a residential zone, habitability of rental housing, and noise complaints, should be reported to your local government code enforcement department. [12]
- Availability · Project environmental review; lead-agency referral
- CEQA: Concerns surrounding environmental review of projects under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) should be directed to the lead agency approving or implementing the project. CalEPA’s complaint system is not designed to handle CEQA concerns. [13]
- Information & documents · Useful complaint information; no information collected by CountyWiki
- Where did it happen? What is the street address or intersection? Can you describe the location to help investigators pinpoint where the violation occurred? What city is the complaint located in? [14]
- Availability · Status follow-up for an existing complaint
- You can email complaints@calepa.ca.gov at any time to check the status of your complaint. Please include the complaint number in your email. [15]
- Availability · A closed portal entry does not necessarily mean investigation ended
- Some agencies transfer the complaint outside of CalEPA’s complaint system into their own enforcement case management systems when a formal investigation is opened and continue to work on the complaint. [16]
Fees
Fees are quoted only when a source document supports the amount and conditions.
Check the official website for its current fee schedule. No fee should be assumed to be free.
Forms & documents
Official forms and document pages for this office’s services.
Sources & last checked4 source pages · 18 citations
Sources were checked by an AI-assisted research process. A checked website does not mean every service or fee on it has been reviewed.
- [1] California Environmental Protection Agency — calepa-profile (opens in a new tab)
California Environmental Protection Agency · Environmental Protection Agency (CALEPA) | CA.gov — calepa-identity
Source reviewed October 26, 2026View supporting excerpt
Environmental Protection Agency (CALEPA)
- [2] California Environmental Protection Agency — calepa-complaints (opens in a new tab)
California Environmental Protection Agency · About the Environmental Complaint System | CalEPA — calepa-role
Source reviewed October 26, 2026View supporting excerpt
This website allows Californians to easily report an environmental problem anywhere in the state, whether it affects the quality of our air or water, the handling of hazardous or solid waste, or the use of pesticides.
- [3] California Environmental Protection Agency — calepa-profile (opens in a new tab)
California Environmental Protection Agency · Environmental Protection Agency (CALEPA) | CA.gov — calepa-website
Source reviewed October 26, 2026View supporting excerpt
Department website
- [4] California Environmental Protection Agency — calepa-complaints (opens in a new tab)
California Environmental Protection Agency · About the Environmental Complaint System | CalEPA — service-calepa-complaints
Source reviewed October 26, 2026View supporting excerpt
Your complaint will be sent to the appropriate state or local agencies, depending on your location and the type of environmental problem you select.
- [5] California Environmental Protection Agency — calepa-form (opens in a new tab)
California Environmental Protection Agency · New Complaint — service-calepa-form
Source reviewed October 26, 2026View supporting excerpt
Environmental Complaint System Start Details Complete Confirmation
- [6] California Environmental Protection Agency — calepa-form (opens in a new tab)
California Environmental Protection Agency · New Complaint — rule-calepa-form-languages
Source reviewed October 26, 2026View supporting excerpt
Language Preference/Preferencia de Idioma EnglishSpanish
- [7] California Environmental Protection Agency — calepa-faqs (opens in a new tab)
California Environmental Protection Agency · CalEPA Environmental Complaint System FAQs | CalEPA — service-calepa-faq
Source reviewed October 26, 2026View supporting excerpt
CalEPA is interested in any known or suspected illegal pollution or environmental hazard.
- [8] California Environmental Protection Agency — calepa-complaints (opens in a new tab)
California Environmental Protection Agency · About the Environmental Complaint System | CalEPA — rule-calepa-routing
Source reviewed October 26, 2026View supporting excerpt
Your complaint will be sent to the appropriate state or local agencies, depending on your location and the type of environmental problem you select.
- [9] California Environmental Protection Agency — calepa-complaints (opens in a new tab)
California Environmental Protection Agency · About the Environmental Complaint System | CalEPA — rule-calepa-anonymous
Source reviewed October 26, 2026View supporting excerpt
You may also submit a complaint anonymously. However, if you do not provide your email address, you will not receive updates on the status of your complaint.
- [10] California Environmental Protection Agency — calepa-faqs (opens in a new tab)
California Environmental Protection Agency · CalEPA Environmental Complaint System FAQs | CalEPA — rule-calepa-emergency
Source reviewed October 26, 2026View supporting excerpt
Emergencies: Please call 911. CalEPA’s system is not designed to address emergency situations.
- [11] California Environmental Protection Agency — calepa-faqs (opens in a new tab)
California Environmental Protection Agency · CalEPA Environmental Complaint System FAQs | CalEPA — rule-calepa-spill
Source reviewed October 26, 2026View supporting excerpt
Spills: For hazardous material spills or sewer overflow notifications, call the state warning center at 1-800-852-7550.
- [12] California Environmental Protection Agency — calepa-faqs (opens in a new tab)
California Environmental Protection Agency · CalEPA Environmental Complaint System FAQs | CalEPA — rule-calepa-landuse
Source reviewed October 26, 2026View supporting excerpt
Local Land Use Issues: Improper use of property such as industrial or commercial uses in a residential zone, habitability of rental housing, and noise complaints, should be reported to your local government code enforcement department.
- [13] California Environmental Protection Agency — calepa-faqs (opens in a new tab)
California Environmental Protection Agency · CalEPA Environmental Complaint System FAQs | CalEPA — rule-calepa-ceqa
Source reviewed October 26, 2026View supporting excerpt
CEQA: Concerns surrounding environmental review of projects under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) should be directed to the lead agency approving or implementing the project. CalEPA’s complaint system is not designed to handle CEQA concerns.
- [14] California Environmental Protection Agency — calepa-faqs (opens in a new tab)
California Environmental Protection Agency · CalEPA Environmental Complaint System FAQs | CalEPA — rule-calepa-location
Source reviewed October 26, 2026View supporting excerpt
Where did it happen? What is the street address or intersection? Can you describe the location to help investigators pinpoint where the violation occurred? What city is the complaint located in?
- [15] California Environmental Protection Agency — calepa-faqs (opens in a new tab)
California Environmental Protection Agency · CalEPA Environmental Complaint System FAQs | CalEPA — rule-calepa-status
Source reviewed October 26, 2026View supporting excerpt
You can email complaints@calepa.ca.gov at any time to check the status of your complaint. Please include the complaint number in your email.
- [16] California Environmental Protection Agency — calepa-faqs (opens in a new tab)
California Environmental Protection Agency · CalEPA Environmental Complaint System FAQs | CalEPA — rule-calepa-closed
Source reviewed October 26, 2026View supporting excerpt
Some agencies transfer the complaint outside of CalEPA’s complaint system into their own enforcement case management systems when a formal investigation is opened and continue to work on the complaint.
- [17] California Environmental Protection Agency — calepa-complaints (opens in a new tab)
California Environmental Protection Agency · About the Environmental Complaint System | CalEPA — contact-calepa-system-email
Source reviewed October 26, 2026View supporting excerpt
If you have questions about CalEPA’s complaint system, please send them to complaints@calepa.ca.gov.
- [18] California Environmental Protection Agency — calepa-faqs (opens in a new tab)
California Environmental Protection Agency · CalEPA Environmental Complaint System FAQs | CalEPA — contact-calepa-spill-number
Source reviewed October 26, 2026View supporting excerpt
Spills: For hazardous material spills or sewer overflow notifications, call the state warning center at 1-800-852-7550.