CA FPPC

Reminder for anyone making independent expenditures in connection with California state elections:

A Form 496 must be filed within 24 hours when independent expenditures totaling $1,000 or more (in the aggregate) are made to support or oppose a single state candidate or state ballot measure during the 90 days before, or on the date of, the election.

The 24-hour reporting window comes quickly. Make sure you are tracking expenditures and filing timelines closely to stay compliant.

Learn more: https://www.fppc.ca.gov/learn/campaign-rules/candidate-toolkit/campaign-reports/

State candidates and their controlled committees listed on the June 2, 2026, ballot must meet the following reporting deadlines:

• May 21, 2026: 2nd Pre-Election

• July 31, 2026: Semi-Annual

For assistance: 1-866-ASK-FPPC

Download the Filing Schedule for State Candidates and their Controlled Committees Listed on the June 2, 2026 Ballot:https://www.fppc.ca.gov/siteassets/documents/tad/filing_schedules/2026/2026_state_jun_01_cand_final.pdf

Learn more: https://www.fppc.ca.gov/contact-us/advice/informal-advice/

📢 Filing Reminder: FPPC Form 496 (Independent Expenditure Report)

If your committee is making independent expenditures to support or oppose a candidate or ballot measure, it’s essential to know your filing deadlines for Form 496.

Key Deadlines to Remember:

24-Hour Filing: Required when independent expenditures for a single candidate or measure total $1,000 or more during the 90 days leading up to an election.

10-Business Day Filing: Required for certain recipient committees making expenditures of $5,000 or more to support or oppose the qualification of a ballot measure outside the 90-day window.

Transparency builds public trust. Stay compliant and help keep California voters informed.

Learn more here: https://www.fppc.ca.gov/learn/campaign-rules/candidate-toolkit/campaign-reports/

The Fair Political Practices Commission is hosting a free training on Completing Campaign Forms 460 & 497 - a must-attend for candidates, treasurers, and anyone involved in campaign reporting.

📅 May 6, 2026
🕐 1:00 – 2:30 PM
💻 Live webinar (registration required)

FPPC trainings are designed to give practical, real-world guidance and are free and open to the public.

🔗 Register here: https://www.fppc.ca.gov/learn/training-and-outreach/upcoming-training-opportunities/

We receive a high volume of questions about behested payments.

At the Fair Political Practices Commission, we’re breaking down key concepts to make political transparency easier to understand.

If you’re unsure about reporting requirements or how the rules apply, our team is here to help.

Learn more or contact us for guidance: 1-866-ASK-FPPC

Fact Sheet:https://www.fppc.ca.gov/siteassets/documents/tad/fact_sheets/behested_payments/BP_report_form_803_fact_sheet_final.pdf

State candidates and their controlled committees listed on the June 2, 2026, ballot must meet the following reporting deadlines:

• April 23, 2026: 1st Pre-Election
• May 21, 2026: 2nd Pre-Election
• July 31, 2026: Semi-Annual

For assistance: 1-866-ASK-FPPC
Learn more: https://www.fppc.ca.gov/contact-us/advice/informal-advice/

Reminder: April 23, 2026 is the 1st Pre-Election filing deadline.

To support filers during this important reporting period, the FPPC has extended its phone hours to provide additional assistance:

Extended Phone Hours
📅 Monday, April 20 – Thursday, April 23
🕘 9:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
🕜 1:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.

If you have questions or need help completing your filing, our team is available and ready to assist.
📞 1-866-ASK-FPPC

Stay on track and file on time.

Learn more: https://www.fppc.ca.gov/contact-us/advice/informal-advice/

The Fair Political Practices Commission, like other California state agencies, experienced service disruptions beginning April 10, 2026, due to an issue with its network provider.

While the FPPC website was restored on April 14, external email services remained unavailable until today. All systems, including email, are now fully operational.

If you attempted to contact us between April 10 and today and have not received a response, please resend your message so we can assist you promptly.

We appreciate your patience and understanding during this disruption and apologize for any inconvenience it may have caused.

Due to an ongoing network outage impacting our services, the FPPC is taking additional steps to ensure transparency and continued public access. We recognize the disruption this has caused and are working diligently to expedite full-service restoration as quickly as possible.

In the interest of preserving meaningful opportunities for public participation and comment, the April 16th Commission Hearing has been canceled. This decision is intended to ensure that all interested parties have adequate time and access to engage once services are fully restored. All items will be presented during the May Commission Meeting on May 14, 2026.

We will continue to provide updates as more information becomes available. We appreciate your patience and understanding.

For any questions or assistance, please contact 1-866-ASK-FPPC. Regular phone hours are 9 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. Monday - Thursday.

As we begin 2026, the Fair Political Practices Commission is offering a new slate of trainings this January.

January FPPC Trainings:
📌 Form 700 Filers
🗓 Wednesday, January 7, 2026 | 1:30–3:00 p.m.

📌 Candidate/Treasurer – Getting Started
🗓 Friday, January 9, 2026 | 12:00–1:00 p.m.

📌 Form 700 Filing Officers
🗓 Thursday, January 22, 2026 | 1:30–3:00 p.m.

View all upcoming FPPC training opportunities and register here:
👉 https://www.fppc.ca.gov/learn/training-and-outreach/upcoming-training-opportunities.html

We look forward to connecting with you in the new year.