Compliance Guides
Plain-language overviews of common compliance topics. These are educational summaries — not legal advice. Always confirm requirements with your election and ethics authorities.
Requirements vary by office, jurisdiction, and state. This is general information. Confirm exact wording, format, and deadlines with the applicable authority.
Federal campaigns (U.S. House, Senate, President) must follow the FEC disclaimer rules. Printed materials generally require 'Paid for by [Committee Name]' plus the committee's full address. Broadcast and some communications also require 'authorized by' statements.
Radio and TV ads require verbal disclaimers spoken by the candidate in certain cases (the 'Stand By Your Ad' requirement).
State and local rules vary widely. Some require the candidate's name, the committee name, a treasurer's name, an address, or a combination. Some specify minimum font sizes or placement.
Digital and social media ads may require disclaimers too — both federal (FEC) rules and platform-specific policies (Meta, Google) apply.
Missing, incorrect, or improperly sized disclaimers are a common compliance complaint. Always confirm the exact wording and format required by your jurisdiction.
Practical Tips
- • Build disclaimer text into your design templates before you print.
- • Keep disclaimers on every piece — yard signs, palm cards, mailers, digital ads, and some website pages.
- • Save a copy of every printed piece for your records.
Official Sources
FEC — Disclaimer RequirementsState-by-State Guides
Each state has its own election authority, finance reporting rules, and ethics requirements. Use the State Directory to find your official sources.
Go to State Directory