The NRC communicates information to its licensees and interested stakeholders through several types of documents. Some impose mandatory requirements or actions. Others suggest methods for meeting these requirements on which licensees may voluntarily act or communicate related technical or regulatory information. Generic communications transmit or request information and may require action or response.

Several types of generic communications are listed below:

Bulletins address significant issues of great urgency and usually require action or response.
Generic Letters transmit information and usually require action or response.
Regulatory Issue Summaries broadly transmit technical and regulatory information and may not require action or response.
Information Notices relate to safety, safeguards, or environmental issues on which licensees consider action as appropriate.
Circulars relate to safety, safeguards, or environmental issues and require no reply.
Administrative Letters transmit information of a non-technical nature or request administrative information on a voluntary basis.

Generic communications are the NRC's primary method of communicating a common need or resolution approach to an issue or providing guidance on issues pertaining to a matter of regulatory interest. Generic communications also allow the NRC to communicate and share industry experiences and send information to specific classes of licensees and interested stakeholders. The type of generic communication issued is determined during NRC evaluations of the operating nuclear industry and regulatory activities. Once issued, a generic communication is placed in the Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS) as an official NRC record. The generic communication is then electronically sent out to subscribers and posted to the NRC external Web site.