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Federal Election Commission | United States of America

Supplemental filing information for presidential committees (2021)

Please note: The Commission provides reminders of upcoming filing dates as a courtesy to help committees comply with the filing deadlines set forth in the Act and Commission regulations. Committee treasurers must comply with all applicable filing deadlines established by law, and the lack of prior notice does not constitute an excuse for failing to comply with any filing deadline.

Who must file

All principal campaign committees of current and former presidential candidates [1] must file either quarterly or monthly reports in 2021. Before a committee can stop filing with the FEC, it must file a termination report with the Commission. Committees must continue to file reports until the Commission notifies them in writing that their termination report has been accepted.


Methods of filing reports

Electronic filing

Reports filed electronically must be received and validated by the Commission by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on the filing deadline.

Paper filing

For committees not required to file electronically, paper reports filed using registered, certified or overnight [2] mail must be postmarked by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on the filing deadline. Paper reports filed using first class mail must be received by the FEC by the close of business on the filing deadline.

Compliance

Treasurer responsibility

Committee treasurers are responsible for both the timeliness and the accuracy of all reports. They may be subject to monetary penalties if reports are inaccurate or are not filed on time.

Administrative Fine Program

Under the Administrative Fine Program, political committees and their treasurers who fail to file their reports, or who file late, may be subject to civil money penalties up to $23,944 (or more for repeat late- and non-filers). [3]

Disclosure of lobbyist bundling activity

Principal campaign committees must file Form 3L if they receive two or more bundled contributions from any lobbyist/registrant or lobbyist/registrant PACs that aggregate in excess of $19,300 during the applicable reporting periods. Learn more about the lobbyist bundling disclosure requirements.

Access the Form 3L PDF and instructions.

Change in filing frequency

Committees able to change their reporting schedule (for example, from monthly to quarterly) who wish to do so must notify the Commission in writing and may change their filing frequency no more than once per calendar year.



FOOTNOTES:

[1] Generally, an individual becomes a candidate for federal office (and thus triggers registration and reporting obligations) when his or her campaign exceeds $5,000 in either contributions received or expenditures made. If the campaign has not crossed the $5,000 threshold, it is not required to file reports.

[2] "Overnight mail" includes Priority or Priority Express Mail having a delivery confirmation, or an overnight service with which the report is scheduled for next business day delivery and is recorded in the service's online tracking system. Note that "Express Mail" as referred to in FEC regulations has been renamed "Priority Express Mail" by the USPS.

[3] Penalties for late- and non-filing of 48-Hour Notices are based on the amount of contributions received that are not timely disclosed. As a result, these penalties may exceed $23,944, even for first-time violations.

Need help?

Get help from the FEC by phone or email

Legal citations

Regulations

11 CFR 100.3(a)
Definition. Candidate

11 CFR 100.19
File, filed, or filing

11 CFR 102.3
Termination of registration

11 CFR 104.5(a), (b) and (e)
Filing dates

11 CFR 104.14(d)
Formal requirements regarding reports and statements

11 CFR 104.18
Electronic filing of reports

11 CFR 104.22(b)
Disclosure of bundling by Lobbyist/Registrants and Lobbyist/Registrants PACs

11 CFR 110.17(e)(2)
Price index increases

11 CFR 111.43
What are the schedule of penalties?

11 CFR 111 Subpart B
Administrative fines

11 CFR 111.44
What is the schedule of penalties for 48-hour notices that are not filed or filed late?

Federal Register notices

86 Fed. Reg. 7,867 (Feb. 2, 2021)
Price index adjustments for contribution and expenditure limitations and lobbyist bundling disclosure threshold

86 Fed. Reg. 1,737 (Jan. 11, 2021)
Civil monetary penalties annual inflation adjustments

70 Fed. Reg. 3 (January 3, 2005)
Statement of policy regarding treasurers subject to enforcement proceedings

This information is not intended to replace the law or to change its meaning, nor does this information create or confer any rights for or on any person or bind the Federal Election Commission or the public.

The reader is encouraged also to consult the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971, as amended (52 U.S.C. 30101 et seq.), Commission regulations (Title 11 of the Code of Federal Regulations), Commission advisory opinions and applicable court decisions.