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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.

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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.

2024 Annual Registration and Fees

Annual registration

For calendar year 2024, you must register by December 15, 2023 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, 2024, 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.

 

Learn more about fee waivers

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.

2024 Statement Report Filing Deadlines
  • January 20, 2024
  • April 20, 2024
  • July 20, 2024
  • October 20, 2024

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.

Due to the IT issues today, the deadline to submit reports has been extended to Tuesday, July 23, 2024.  Thank you for your patience!

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

To view lobbyist, entity, and client statements, check out the municipal dataset.

2024 Key dates

All lobbyists, lobbying entities, and clients must submit quarterly statement reports four times each year:

'Reporting Period' for statements due on Saturday, January 20, 2024

  • October 1, 2023, or date of registration through December 31, 2023
  • No reports to be filed before Wednesday, January 10, 2024
  • Statement reports due on or before Saturday, January 20, 2024

'Reporting Period' for statements due on Saturday, April 20, 2024

  • January 1, 2024, or date of registration through March 31, 2024
  • No reports to be filed before Wednesday, April 10, 2024
  • Statement reports due on or before Saturday, April 20, 2024

'Reporting Period' for Statements due on Saturday, July 20, 2024

  • April 1, 2024 or date of registration through June 30, 2024
  • No reports to be filed before Wednesday, July 10, 2024
  • Statement reports due on or before Saturday, July 20, 2024

'Reporting Period' for statements due on Sunday, October 20, 2024

  • July 1, 2024, or date of registration through September 30, 2024
  • No reports to be filed before Thursday, October 10, 2024
  • Statement reports due on or before Sunday, October 20, 2024

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

Commission members include:
  • Sammy Nabulsi
  • Vivien Li
  • Vivian Leonard

City Council President Ruthzee Louijeune and City Clerk Alex Geourntas, or their designees, also serve as ex-officio members. Sammy Nabulsi is the Commission Chairperson.

About the commission

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

Related information

Related
City Ordinance (Chapter 2-15.1)
File a lobbying complaint
Lobbyist registration and regulation requirements
Municipal lobbying dataset
Online lobbying registration portal
Request a not-for-profit lobbying fee waiver

Who's Involved:

City Clerk
617-635-4601
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