Government operations and workforce · Agency succession orders

Executive Order 13481: Providing An Order of Succession Within the Department of Justice

President: George W. Bush

Set a succession order for officials who could act as Attorney General during a vacancy.

Status: Revoked.

Is Executive Order 13481 still in effect? No. Revoked and replaced by EO 13557.

What does Executive Order 13481 do?

EO 13557 expressly revoked EO 13481 and replaced the Justice Department succession order.

SignedDecember 4, 2008
Original directionSet a succession order for officials who could act as Attorney General during a vacancy.
Later evidenceEO 13557 expressly revoked EO 13481 and replaced the Justice Department succession order.
Review dateSeptember 26, 2026

Before and after

Before the order

The order designated Justice Department officers for acting service under the vacancies framework.

After the order

EO 13557 expressly revoked EO 13481 and replaced the Justice Department succession order.

This was a succession designation, not an appointment; later orders and the Federal Vacancies Reform Act govern current acting service.

Who had to do what

Source: Signed Federal Register text.
Agency / officeActionTiming / position
United States Attorney for the District of MarylandAct as Attorney General if eligible under the Federal Vacancies Reform Act; holding the listed post only in an acting capacity is insufficient.Position 1; after the Attorney General, Deputy, Associate, and statutory designees cannot serve, until one can resume.
United States Attorney for the Southern District of AlabamaAct as Attorney General if eligible under the Federal Vacancies Reform Act; holding the listed post only in an acting capacity is insufficient.Position 2; after the Attorney General, Deputy, Associate, and statutory designees cannot serve, until one can resume.
United States Attorney for the Northern District of GeorgiaAct as Attorney General if eligible under the Federal Vacancies Reform Act; holding the listed post only in an acting capacity is insufficient.Position 3; after the Attorney General, Deputy, Associate, and statutory designees cannot serve, until one can resume.
PresidentMay depart from the succession order to the extent permitted by law.When designating an acting Attorney General.
Later actionEO 13557 expressly revoked EO 13481 and replaced the Justice Department succession order.November 4, 2010

What happened next

EO 13481 signed.

EO 13557 expressly revoked EO 13481 and replaced the Justice Department succession order.