Overview of Federal Political Contribution Limits
Contributor
Aggregate
Limits
Recipient
House or
Senate
Candidate
Committee
Presidential
Campaign
(incl. VP)
National
Party
Committee1
State,
District &
Local Party
Committee2
Political
Action
Committee
(PAC)3
Individual4
$2,400* per
election5
$2,400* per
election5 (but only
$2,400 for entire
election cycle if
eligible for
Presidential Election
Campaign Fund
payments)6
$30,400*
per year
$10,000 per
year limit
(combined)
$5,000 per
year
$115,500*
biennial limit
($45,600 to all
federal candidates
and $69,9007 to all
PACs and parties)
Corporation,
Incorporated
Trade Assoc.,
or Other
Incorporated
Entity
Prohibited
Prohibited
Prohibited
(hard and soft
money)
Prohibited
Prohibited
N/A
NonMulticandidate
PAC8
$2,400* per
election5
$2,400* per
election5 (but only
$2,400 for entire
election cycle if
eligible for
Presidential Election
Campaign Fund
payments)6
$30,400*
per year
$10,000 per
year limit
(combined)
$5,000 per
year
N/A
Multicandidate
PAC8
$5,000 per
election5
$5,000 per
election5 (but only
$5,000 for entire
election cycle if
eligible for
Presidential Election
Campaign Fund
payments)6
$15,000 per
year
$5,000 per
year limit
(combined)
$5,000 per
year
N/A
See Notes to Chart on the reverse side of this document
Notes to Chart:
1
A party’s national committee, Senate campaign committee and House campaign committee are each considered national
party committees, and each have separate limits.
2
A state party committee shares its limits with district and local party committees in that state unless a district or local
committee’s independence can be demonstrated.
3
These limits apply to both separate segregated funds (SSFs) (e.g., PACs connected to a corporation, incorporated trade
association or other incorporated entity), non-connected political action committees (e.g., PACs affiliated with a partnership or
other unincorporated entity), and other unauthorized PACs such as Leadership PACs. Affiliated PACs share the same set of
limits on contributions made and received.
4
Each spouse has a separate limit. A “green card” holder may make political contributions, but a foreign national may not
do so. Minors (17 years or younger) may make political contributions, provided that they knowingly and voluntarily make the
decision to contribute, that they own the assets contributed, and that the contribution was not made from proceeds of a gift
given for the purpose of making a contribution.
5
Each of the following is considered a separate election with a separate limit: primary election, caucus or convention with
the authority to nominate, general election, runoff election and special election.
6
Presidential campaigns (which include both the Presidential and Vice Presidential candidate) that become eligible to receive
Presidential Election Campaign Fund payments for the general election may not receive any contributions for the general
election. Consequently, contributions to such campaigns are limited to $2,400 ($5,000 in the case of a multicandidate
PAC) for the primary (note contributions to an “exploratory committee” are considered contributions to the primary). This
effectively means that an individual or non-multicandidate PAC may only contribute $2,400 per election cycle to a
Presidential campaign eligible to receive such funds and that a multicandidate PAC may only contribute $5,000 per election
cycle to such a campaign. On the other hand, if a Presidential campaign becomes eligible to receive Presidential Primary
matching payments for the primary election, it may still receive $2,400 ($5,000 in the case of a mulitcandidate PAC) for the
primary election. In addition, regardless of whether a Presidential campaign is eligible for such primary election or general
election public funds, it may accept $2,400 ($5,000 in the case of a multicandidate PAC) for its “general election legal and
accounting compliance” or GELAC fund, if it has established a fund. However, contributions to such a fund may only be
used for legal and accounting expenses incurred in complying with the election laws, not also for election purposes.
7
Of this total, no more than $45,600 may be contributed to state and local parties and PACs.
8
A PAC automatically becomes a multicandidate committee once it has been registered for at least six months, has received
contributions from more than 50 contributors and has made contributions to at least five federal candidates. Within 10 days
of meeting these criteria, a non-multicandidate PAC must file a Form IM with the FEC. Failure to so file is a reporting violation
subject to fine.