Who has to register with OCPF?


Candidates for:
Statewide Offices
The Constitutional Offices: Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, State Secretary, State Treasurer or State Auditor.
The General Court
The State Legislature: Seats in the State Senate or State House.
The Governor's Council
One of the eight district seats of the Executive Council.
County and District Offices
County Clerks of Court, Commissioners, and Treasurers; Registers of Deeds and Probate; District Attorneys; Sheriffs and Suffolk County Clerks of the Superior and Supreme Judicial Courts
City Council Seats in Cities with Populations of 65,000 or More
This includes the communities of Boston, Brockton, Cambridge, Fall River, Framingham, Haverhill, Lawrence, Lowell, Lynn, Malden, New Bedford, Newton, Quincy, Somerville, Springfield, Waltham and Worcester.
Mayor
All candidates for mayor file campaign finance reports with OCPF.
Committees for:
State Political Parties
The state committees of political parties organized under M.G.L. chapter 52, section 1.
Local Political Parties
Ward, town and city committees of the state political parties.
State Ballot Question Committees
For questions appearing on the ballot of the next state election.
Political Action Committees
Federal or out-of-state PACs that wish to support or oppose Massachusetts candidates must organize a separate Massachusetts PAC with OCPF. Once organized, the Massachusetts PAC must ensure that all of its fundraising activities comply with the Massachusetts campaign finance law. Funds raised must be kept in a separate bank account established for the Massachusetts PAC. No transfers may be made from the Federal PAC or out-of-state PAC to the Massachusetts PAC.
Independent Expenditure Political Action Committees
A political action committee that receives contributions to make independent expenditures, and does not make contributions to candidates or political committees, other than to other independent expenditure PACs and ballot question committees.

Who does not have to register with OCPF?


  • Candidates for federal office
  • Candidates for municipal office (other than those listed above)
  • Municipal ballot question committees
  • Municipal political action committees

These candidates and committees must register with their local election officials.

Registered Filers Database

Visit the Filers - Main Page to access our online database of candidates and committees registered with our office (includes candidates, PACs, local party committees, ballot question committees and state party committees).

Recently Organized Committees

Visit the Recently Organized page to see candidates and committees that have recently organized with our office.

Candidate and PAC Lists

Visit the Data section of the OCPF Home Page to download a list of registered candidates or registered PACs.