Registration
Who is a lobbyist? How soon must I register?
Who is a lobbyist? How soon must I register?
Persons, including individuals and entities who lobby or are employed as lobbyists - either full or part-time - must register and report their income and expenditures unless exempt under one or more of the provisions listed below.
A lobbyist may be:
All of these types of lobbyists must register unless they meet one of the statutory exemptions discussed below.
Persons who attempt to influence the passage or defeat of legislation and/or the adoption or rejection of administrative rules are exempt from registering as lobbyists if they meet one or more of the following criteria:
Individuals who only monitor legislation and/or observe committee hearings and legislative floor debate do not need to register or report their activities.
Citizens who - on their own time and without payment or other consideration - write letters make phone calls, send e-mails, or have personal visits with officials in order to express their views on issues have no registration or reporting obligations so long as they do not spend money on whomever they are lobbying for such things as meals, drinks, or other entertainment, gifts, travel, or contributions.
A lobbyist must register within 30 days of being employed to lobby or before lobbying, whichever comes first. A lobbyist is required to file a separate registration for each employer. If any of the information on the registration changes once it is filed, it needs to be amended within one week of the change occurring.
The registration is good for up to two years and must be filed electronically. Lobbyists also submit a short biography and photo when they initially register and then when they reregister in odd-numbered years.
Lobbyists must certify that they have taken the latest version of the Legislature's Code of Conduct training, released September 20, 2024. Lobbyists can find the training at either of the following locations:
Washington State House of Representatives training
Washington State Senate training
You can certify completion of the updated training in the “edit lobbyist information” screen of the PDC lobbyist reporting system.