Office of Hearings and Appeals

The Office of Hearings and Appeals (OHA) exercises the delegated authority of the Secretary of the Interior to conduct hearings and decide appeals from decisions of the bureaus and offices of the Department of the Interior.

OHA provides an impartial forum for parties who are affected by the decisions of the Department's bureaus and offices to obtain independent review of those decisions.

OHA also handles the probating of Indian trust estates, ensuring that individual Indian interests in allotted lands, their proceeds, and other trust assets are conveyed to the decedents' rightful heirs and beneficiaries.

OHA is headed by a Director, who reports to the Assistant Secretary - Policy, Management and Budget through the Deputy Assistant Secretary - Administrative Services.

OHA is comprised of the Director’s office, the Departmental Cases and Hearings Division, the Probate Hearings Division, the Interior Board of Indian Appeals, and the Interior Board of Lands Appeals.