For regulation of genes, see regulation of gene expression

A regulation is a legal restriction promulgated by government administrative agencies through rulemaking supported by a threat of sanction or a fine. This administrative law or regulatory law is in contrast to statutory or case law.

Regulation mandated by the government or state attempts to produce outcomes which might not otherwise occur, produce or prevent outcomes in different places to what might otherwise occur, or produce or prevent outcomes in different timescales than would otherwise occur. Regulations rarely produce complete outcomes or prevent outcomes completely but they generally do modify what would otherwise take place. Common examples of regulation include attempts to control market entries, prices, wages, pollution effects, employment for certain people in certain industries, standards of production for certain goods and services.

The economics of imposing or removing regulations relating to markets is analysed in regulatory economics.

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