# 20 CFR § 404.900: Introduction

> Federal · Regulations · In force

URL: https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/ecfr-20-404.900

## Section

- **Citation:** 20 CFR § 404.900
- **Heading:** Introduction
- **Jurisdiction:** Federal
- **Kind:** Regulations
- **Status:** In force
- **Text as of:** September 22, 2026
- **Source:** Publisher's official text
- **Location:** Title 20—Employees' Benefits > CHAPTER III—SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION > PART 404—FEDERAL OLD-AGE, SURVIVORS AND DISABILITY INSURANCE (1950- ) > Subpart J—Determinations, Administrative Review Process, and Reopening of Determinations and Decisions > Introduction, Definitions, and Initial Determinations

## Text

(a) Explanation of the administrative review process. This subpart explains the procedures we follow in determining your rights under title II of the Social Security Act. The regulations describe the process of administrative review and explain your right to judicial review after you have taken all the necessary administrative steps. These procedures apply also to persons claiming certain benefits under title XVIII of the Act (Medicare); see 42 CFR 405.904(a)(1). The administrative review process consists of several steps, which usually must be requested within certain time periods and in the following order:
(1) Initial determination. This is a determination we make about your entitlement or your continuing entitlement to benefits or about any other matter, as discussed in § 404.902, that gives you a right to further review.
(2) Reconsideration. If you are dissatisfied with an initial determination, you may ask us to reconsider it.
(3) Hearing before an administrative law judge. If you are dissatisfied with the reconsideration determination, you may request a hearing before an administrative law judge.
(4) Appeals Council review. If you are dissatisfied with the decision of the administrative law judge, you may request that the Appeals Council review the decision.
(5) Federal court review. When you have completed the steps of the administrative review process listed in paragraphs (a)(1) through (a)(4) of this section, we will have made our final decision. If you are dissatisfied with our final decision, you may request judicial review by filing an action in a Federal district court.
(6) Expedited appeals process. At some time after your initial determination has been reviewed, if you have no dispute with our findings of fact and our application and interpretation of the controlling laws, but you believe that a part of the law is unconstitutional, you may use the expedited appeals process. This process permits you to go directly to a Federal district court so that the constitutional issue may be resolved.
(b) Nature of the administrative review process. In making a determination or decision in your case, we conduct the administrative review process in an informal, non-adversarial manner. Subject to certain timeframes at the hearing level (see § 404.935) and the limitations on Appeals Council consideration of additional evidence (see § 404.970), we will consider at each step of the review process any information you present as well as all the information in our records. If you are dissatisfied with our decision in the review process, but do not take the next step within the stated time period, you will lose your right to further administrative review and your right to judicial review, unless you can show us that there was good cause for your failure to make a timely request for review.
[45 FR 52081, Aug. 5, 1980, as amended at 51 FR 300, Jan. 3, 1986; 51 FR 8808, Mar. 14, 1986; 52 FR 4004, Feb. 9, 1987; 78 FR 57259, Sept. 18, 2013; 80 FR 14835, Mar. 20, 2015; 81 FR 90992, Dec. 16, 2016]

## Nearby sections

- [20 CFR § 404.900 § 404.900 Introduction.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/ecfr-20-404.900.md)
- [20 CFR § 404.901 § 404.901 Definitions.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/ecfr-20-404.901.md)
- [20 CFR § 404.902 § 404.902 Administrative actions that are initial determinations.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/ecfr-20-404.902.md)
- [20 CFR § 404.903 § 404.903 Administrative actions that are not initial determinations.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/ecfr-20-404.903.md)
- [20 CFR § 404.904 § 404.904 Notice of the initial determination.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/ecfr-20-404.904.md)
- [20 CFR § 404.905 § 404.905 Effect of an initial determination.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/ecfr-20-404.905.md)
- [20 CFR § 404.906 § 404.906 Testing modifications to the disability determination procedures.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/ecfr-20-404.906.md)
- [20 CFR § 404.907 § 404.907 Reconsideration—general.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/ecfr-20-404.907.md)
- [20 CFR § 404.908 § 404.908 Parties to a reconsideration.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/ecfr-20-404.908.md)
- [20 CFR § 404.909 § 404.909 How to request reconsideration.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/ecfr-20-404.909.md)
- [20 CFR § 404.911 § 404.911 Good cause for missing the deadline to request review.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/ecfr-20-404.911.md)
- [20 CFR § 404.913 § 404.913 Reconsideration procedures.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/ecfr-20-404.913.md)
- [20 CFR § 404.914 § 404.914 Disability hearing—general.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/ecfr-20-404.914.md)
- [20 CFR § 404.915 § 404.915 Disability hearing—disability hearing officers.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/ecfr-20-404.915.md)

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Source: Frix Law Library, https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/ecfr-20-404.900. Check the current official text before relying on it. Not legal advice.