The State Office of Administrative Hearings, also called SOAH, is an independent and neutral agency for hearing and mediating administrative disputes and appeals in Texas. While judicial in form, SOAH operates in the executive branch of state government, overseeing thousands of disputes between Texas agencies, private citizens, and other governmental entities. SOAH employs more than 50 Administrative Law Judges, referred to as ALJs or judges, across eight offices statewide who conduct contested case hearings for more than 50 referring agencies. Approximately 28,000 contested case hearings are conducted by ALJs at SOAH each year, with each case resolving legal disputes over administrative actions taken by the state or other governmental bodies.

SOAH was created to:

• Conduct fair and objective administrative hearings.
• Provide fair, timely and efficient decisions and proposals for decision.
• Offer the opportunity for parties to resolve their disputes through mediation (or alternative dispute resolution).