The 2012 Chivas USA season was the club's eighth year of existence.

Chivas USA competed in Major League Soccer's Western Conference.

The allocation ranking is the mechanism used to determine which MLS club has first priority to acquire a U.S. National Team player who signs with MLS after playing abroad, or a former MLS player who returns to the league after having gone to a club abroad for a transfer fee.

[1] Chivas USA has 9 MLS International Roster Slots for use in the 2012 season.

Each club in Major League Soccer is allocated 8 international roster spots and Chivas USA acquired a permanent additional spot from Real Salt Lake in 2004.