A regulation is a binding rule issued by a government agency under authority granted by a statute.
Regulation is a binding rule issued by a government agency under authority delegated by a statute.
Regulations often supply the operational detail that a statute leaves open. They can define procedures, filing requirements, compliance standards, reporting duties, and technical terms that matter in real legal disputes.
This matters because many readers see an agency rule and call it a law without recognizing where its authority comes from. Understanding the statute-regulation relationship makes it easier to evaluate what the rule does and whether the agency stayed within its legal authority.
Regulations appear in administrative law, employment rules, environmental rules, securities rules, consumer-protection frameworks, and many licensing regimes. Lawyers and courts often ask whether the agency had statutory authority to issue the regulation and how the rule should be applied.
Congress passes a workplace-safety statute that authorizes an agency to issue detailed safety requirements. The statute sets the framework, while the agency regulation explains the specific compliance obligations.
A regulation is different from a statute because the legislature enacts the statute, while the agency issues the regulation. It is also different from precedent because precedent comes from court interpretation, not agency rulemaking.