Key facts
$3,500
Most an individual could give a federal candidate per election, 2025–2026 cycle
FEC
$200
Yearly total above which a contributor is named in committee reports
52 U.S.C. § 30104(b)(3)
45 days
Deadline to register after a first lobbying contact or hiring
2 U.S.C. § 1603(a)
Giving to a federal campaign
For the 2025–2026 election cycle, an individual could give up to $3,500 per election to a federal candidate. A primary and a General electionAn election that decides who will hold an office, unlike a primary, which picks or narrows the candidates. Federal general elections are held on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November in even-numbered years.Read more in the glossary count separately. The Federal Election Commission adjusts this limit for inflation in odd-numbered years. Some sources cannot give to candidates at all, including corporations and unions from their own treasuries, foreign nationals and federal government contractors.
Spending independently
People and groups can also pay for ads that call for electing or defeating a candidate, as long as they do not coordinate with the campaign. These independent expenditures have no dollar limit. Corporations and labor unions may make them too, following the Supreme Court’s 5–4 decision in Citizens United v. FEC (2010). Super PACs are committees that make only independent spending; they can raise unlimited amounts but must register with the FEC.
What gets disclosed
Campaigns, parties and political committees, including super PACs, file regular reports with the FEC. Each report must name anyone whose contributions to the CommitteeA smaller group of legislators that studies bills and issues in one subject area. Committees can hold hearings, change bills and recommend them to the full chamber.Read more in the glossary add up to more than $200 in a year, or in an election cycle for a candidate’s committee. Independent spending is reported too, within 24 hours for $1,000 or more spent in the last 20 days before an election. The FEC posts these reports online.
What counts as lobbying
Under the LobbyingTrying to persuade public officials to act a certain way on laws, rules or other decisions. Under federal law, many paid lobbyists must register with the Clerk of the House and the Secretary of the Senate.Read more in the glossary Disclosure Act, a lobbyist is someone paid to make more than one lobbying contact with covered federal officials. A person whose lobbying takes less than 20% of their time for a client over 3 months does not count. The lobbyist or their employer must register with the Secretary of the Senate and the Clerk of the House within 45 days. Since January 1, 2025, a firm need not register for a client that pays it $3,500 or less a quarter for lobbying. An organization lobbying for itself need not register if its lobbying costs are $16,000 or less a quarter.
Reports and the legal line
Registered lobbyists file quarterly reports listing each client, the issues and bills they worked on, the parts of government they contacted and the money involved. Twice a year, they also report certain political contributions. Bribery is a separate matter: corruptly offering an official anything of value to influence an official act, or an official corruptly accepting it, is a federal crime. Together with voting records, these reports show who gave, who lobbied and how officials voted. They do not record the reasons behind a vote.
responsible representative Government requires public awareness of the efforts of paid lobbyists to influence the public decisionmaking process in both the legislative and executive branches of the Federal Government
Questions people ask
How much can I give to a federal candidate?
Is lobbying legal?
Where can I see who gave to a campaign?
Does a political action committee hold government office?
Sources
Checked November 4, 2026. Primary sources first, then official records, then nonpartisan research.
How these facts were checked: our promise. Every substantive fix is listed on the corrections page.
Keep going
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Power
How do people gain political power in the US?
People gain public power by winning elections, being appointed, succeeding to office or leading inside an institution. See each route and its limits.
Laws
How does a bill become a law?
Follow a federal bill from introduction through committee, both chambers of Congress and the president, including vetoes, overrides and pocket vetoes.