About the
Business and Consumer Services Agency
What We Do
On July 1, 2026, California finalized a plan to reorganize state agencies to better address emerging challenges faced by families and businesses. The new Business & Consumer Services Agency will oversee dozens of boards, bureaus, and departments charged by the Legislature with administering and enforcing laws that protect families and businesses, while also promoting a fair and dynamic economy for all Californians.
The Agency’s work touches a broad range of sectors of California’s economy, including financial services, health care, real estate, retail and hospitality, agriculture, professional services, higher education, and more.
Meet Secretary Rohit Chopra
Rohit Chopra serves as California’s inaugural Secretary of Business & Consumer Services.
In 2021, he was confirmed by the United States Senate to serve as the Director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the unit of the Federal Reserve System charged with overseeing mortgage, credit card, student loan, payments, and data companies. During Chopra’s tenure from 2021 to 2025, the CFPB recovered nearly $10 billion in refunds and penalties from companies that broke the law. Chopra also served on the Board of Directors of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, where he played a major role in the response to the bank failures in the spring of 2023.
In 2017, Chopra was nominated by President Trump and subsequently confirmed by the Senate unanimously to serve as a Commissioner on the Federal Trade Commission, where he served until 2021. Chopra led a number of efforts to reform the FTC, which was routinely failing to fairly enforce antitrust, privacy, and consumer protection laws enacted by Congress.
Chopra holds a BA from Harvard and an MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. He was also the recipient of a Fulbright Fellowship to the Republic of Korea.
Departments, Boards, and Bureaus
The Business & Consumer Services Agency is comprised of dozens of entities established by the Legislature.
The Department of Consumer Affairs has a broad mandate to safeguard the interests of California’s consumers. Through its many boards and bureaus, it is also responsible for licensing and overseeing a wide range of businesses and individuals.
The Department of Financial Protection and Innovation regulates banks, credit unions, financial advisers, and other financial companies. It has also a range of responsibilities affecting small businesses, entrepreneurs, and franchisees.
The Agency also includes state entities that regulate specific industries, including the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control, the Department of Cannabis Control, the Department of Real Estate, and the California Horse Racing Board. The Agency also oversees two appellate bodies: the Alcoholic Beverage Control Appeals Board and the Cannabis Control Appeals Panel.