Internal prototype — noindexed, not linked from public navigation yet.

Cal. PUC § 491

This is the official text of Cal. PUC § 491, part of California’s Public Utilities Code — regulates utilities such as electricity, gas, water, and transportation carriers.

Not legal advice. This page reproduces the official text of a government statute for reference only. Laws change, and how a statute applies depends on your specific facts. For advice about your situation, consult a licensed attorney in your state.

Official statutory text

Unless the commission otherwise orders, no change shall be made by any public utility in any rate or classification, or in any rule or contract relating to or affecting any rate, classification, or service, or in any privilege or facility, except after 30 days’ notice to the commission and to the public. Notice shall be given by filing with the commission and keeping open for public inspection new schedules stating plainly the changes to be made in the schedule or schedules then in force, and the time when the changes will go into effect. The commission, for good cause shown, may allow changes without requiring the 30 days’ notice, by an order specifying the changes that may be made on less than 30 days’ notice, the time when they shall take effect, and the manner in which they shall be filed and published. When any change is proposed in any rate or classification, or in any form of contract or agreement or in any rule or contract relating to or affecting any rate, classification, or service, or in any privilege or facility, attention shall be directed to such change on the schedule filed with the commission, by some character to be designated by the commission, immediately preceding or following the item.

Status: in_force · Read it on the official government site

Need a lawyer in California?

Find a California lawyer
About this page: Statute text is reproduced from official government publishers via the Open US Law dataset (Vaquill AI, snapshot v2026.08, CC BY 4.0). Primary legislative text like this is public domain under the government-edicts doctrine (Georgia v. Public.Resource.Org, 2020). We link every section back to its official source so you can verify it independently.