The Lobbying Disclosure Act (LDA), Explained
Short answer: The Lobbying Disclosure Act (LDA) of 1995 requires lobbyists and firms that lobby the federal government to register and file public reports. Firms file a registration (LD-1) per client and quarterly activity reports (LD-2) showing issues lobbied and roughly how much was spent, plus semiannual contribution reports (LD-203). The filings are public and searchable — which lets anyone verify who is lobbying for whom.
The current thresholds (effective Jan 1, 2025; next adjustment 2029)
A lobbying firm must register for a client once its lobbying income for that client is expected to exceed $3,500 per quarter; an organization with in-house lobbyists must register once its lobbying expenses exceed $16,000 per quarter (U.S. Senate). A “lobbyist” is someone with more than one lobbying contact whose lobbying is 20%+ of their time for a client over any 3-month period (LDA Guidance). LD-2 reports are due within 20 days of each quarter’s end; LD-203 within 30 days of each half-year.
Why a buyer cares
These public filings are your free due-diligence tool — confirm a firm’s real client base and experience. For scale: organizations reported a record $4.44 billion in federal lobbying in 2024 (OpenSecrets).
Frequently asked questions
Is lobbying spending public? Yes, in broad ranges, by client and quarter.
Does registration mean a firm is good? No — it means compliant. Quality is separate; see How to Choose.
LobbyingFirm.com is an educational resource owned and operated by Lobbyit.com, a federal lobbying and government-relations firm.