Lobbying in the City of Boston
Lobbyists, lobbyist entities, and their clients must register with the City Clerk’s Office each year. They also need to file disclosure statements online four times each calendar year.
City Clerk online lobbying Portal
The goal of this program is to promote good governance and transparency at the City of Boston. We plan to create a fair environment, where the same rules apply to everyone engaged in lobbying. To keep the trust of our citizens, we need to be able to give them access to information about those attempting to influence the City’s decisions.
-
Have questions? Contact:
City Clerk -
Lobbying fact sheet
We created a lobbying fact sheet to help you better understand the details and deadlines of this program.
-
File a lobbying complaint
Do you suspect that a person, entity, or organization is engaged in unregistered lobbying activity? You may submit a complaint online.
2023 Annual Registration and Fees
Annual registration
For calendar year 2023, you must register by December 15, 2022 as a lobbyist, lobbying entity, or client. You then register by December 15 each year for the upcoming calendar year.
If you establish yourself as a lobbyist, lobbying entity, or client after January 1, 2023, you must register with the City Clerk’s Office within 10 days.
Annual Registration Fee
- Lobbyists: $150
- Lobbyist entities: $300
- Clients: $150
If you stop activities as a lobbyist, lobbying entity or client, please notify the City Clerk’s Office via email at lobbying@boston.gov.
CCL Numbers
All lobbyists, lobbying entities, and clients that register for the first time are assigned a “CCL Number”. The permanent ID number is assigned directly to you. As you submit your quarterly statement reports each year and during your annual registration, your assigned CCL Number will be used each time you access your account.
Fee waivers
Under the Lobbyist Registration and Regulation Ordinance, the City Clerk may waive the filing fees for:
- a not-for-profit client
- a lobbying entity that registers to only represent not-for-profit clients
- a client that employs fewer than 10 people and has been in business for fewer than five years, or
- a lobbyist that registers to only represent such a client.
For calendar year 2023, fee waiver requests must be submitted by November 1, 2022.
Program history and requirements
History
The City of Boston’s lobbyist requirements took effect on April 16, 2019. These came as a result of a City ordinance that was:
- passed by the Boston City Council on September 26, 2018, and
- signed into law by Mayor Walsh on October 15, 2018.
The City Ordinance (Chapter 2-15.1) requires you to register with the City Clerk’s Office each year if you are a:
- lobbyist
- lobbyist entity, or
- lobbying client.
You also must file disclosure statements four times each calendar year.
Requirements
All lobbyists, lobbying entities, and clients are required to complete an online annual registration and submit quarterly statement reports each year.
2023 Statement Report Filing Deadlines
- January 20, 2023
- April 20, 2023
- July 20, 2023
- October 20, 2023
Quarterly statement reporting
About the reports
All Quarterly Statement reports must be completed online. Through the online portal, you can submit your information to answer the five statements for Lobbyists and three statements for Entities and Clients. Online reporting is required under oath.
You must still submit an online report even if you have had “No Activity” during the reporting period. Each section of your statement report must be completed.
City Clerk lobbying online portal
Online reporting allows for a quicker turnaround in the quarterly filing process. We also hope users will find this new online filing option to be more effective and efficient.
Download pdf guides
- How to register for lobbying
- How to submit quarterly reporting
- How to update reports in non-compliance
To view lobbyist, entity, and client statements, check out the municipal dataset.
2023 Key dates
All lobbyists, lobbying entities, and clients must submit quarterly statement reports four times each year:
'Reporting Period' for statements due on Friday, January 20, 2023
- October 1, 2022, or date of registration through December 31, 2022
- No reports to be filed before Tuesday, January 10, 2023
- Statement reports due on or before Friday, January 20, 2023
'Reporting Period' for statements due on Thursday, April 20, 2023
- January 1, 2023, or date of registration through March 31, 2023
- No reports to be filed before Monday, April 10, 2023
- Statement reports due on or before Thursday, April 20, 2023
'Reporting Period' for Statements due on Thursday, July 20, 2023
- April 1, 2023 or date of registration through June 30, 2023
- No reports to be filed before Monday, July 10, 2023
- Statement reports due on or before Thursday, July 20, 2023
'Reporting Period' for statements due on Friday, October 20, 2023
- July 1, 2023, or date of registration through September 30, 2023
- No reports to be filed before Tuesday, October 10, 2023
- Statement reports due on or before Friday, October 20, 2023
ALL “due dates” for each reporting period are consistent with the city ordinance. The dates remain the same regardless if the “due date” falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or a holiday.
Municipal Lobbying Compliance Commission
- Sammy Nabulsi
- Vivien Li, and
- Linda Champion.
City Council President Ed Flynn and City Clerk Alex Geourntas, or their designees, also serve as ex-officio members. Sammy Nabulsi is the Commission Chairperson.
The Mayor appoints the three commissioners. They serve coterminous with the Mayor. The Mayor fills any vacancies for the unexpired term. The commission may create regulations for the administration of the lobbying ordinance. They can also investigate and make findings related to compliance with the lobbying ordinance.
Related documents
Documents- October 20, 2022: Approved minutes for Commission meeting
- September 29, 2022: Approved minutes for Commission meeting
- August 25, 2022: Approved minutes for Commission meeting
- June 16, 2022: Approved minutes for Commission meeting
- May 26, 2022: Approved minutes for Commission meeting
- April 21, 2022: Approved minutes for Commission meeting
- March 17, 2022: Approved minutes for Commission meeting
- February 17, 2022: Approved minutes for Commission meeting
- January 20, 2022: Approved minutes for Commission meeting
- December 02, 2021: Approved minutes for Commission meeting
- October 21, 2021: Approved minutes for Commission meeting
- September 16, 2021: Approved minutes for Commission meeting
- July 22, 2021L Approved minutes for Commission meeting
- June 17, 2021: Approved minutes for Commission meeting
- May 20, 2021: Approved minutes for Commission meeting
- April 22, 2021: Approved minutes for Commission meeting
- March 18, 2021: Approved minutes for Commission meeting
- February 25, 2021: Approved minutes for Commission meeting
- January 21, 2021: Approved minutes for Commission meeting
- February 19, 2020: Approved minutes for Commission meeting
- November 20, 2019: Approved minutes for Commission meeting
- October 17, 2019: Approved minutes for Commission meeting
- September 11, 2019: Approved minutes for Commission meeting
- July 31, 2019: Approved minutes for Commission meeting
- July 17, 2019: Approved minutes for Commission meeting
- July 1, 2019: Approved minutes for Commission meeting
- June 16, 2019: Approved minutes for Commission meeting
Who's Involved:
-
Have questions? Contact:
City Clerk -
Lobbying fact sheet
We created a lobbying fact sheet to help you better understand the details and deadlines of this program.
-
File a lobbying complaint
Do you suspect that a person, entity, or organization is engaged in unregistered lobbying activity? You may submit a complaint online.
