Most Missouri local candidates do not have to form a campaign committee if they keep their campaign small. A candidate for municipal office in a city of 100,000 or fewer, or for a special purpose district office such as a school board or fire district, needs no committee and no exemption statement as long as total contributions or expenditures do not exceed $1,000 and no single contributor gives more than $325 (RSMo 130.016.6). Once you go past either limit, you must form a committee no later than 30 days before the election (RSMo 130.016.7).
In cities of more than 100,000 people, the line is lower and comes with paperwork. A municipal candidate there can skip the committee only if contributions and expenditures stay at $500 or less, no contributor gives more than $325, and the candidate files a sworn exemption statement with the Missouri Ethics Commission (MEC) (RSMo 130.016.1).
This explainer covers when you become a candidate under the law, the thresholds, how to form a committee, where it files, and what changed in 2026. For the rest of the process, see our guide to running for local office in Missouri.
When you become a "candidate" under Missouri campaign finance law
Chapter 130 of the Missouri statutes applies once you become a candidate. Under RSMo 130.011(3), that happens when any of these first occurs:
- You receive contributions, make expenditures, or reserve space or facilities to promote your candidacy.
- You know that others are doing so for you, unless you disavow it within five days.
- You announce, or file a declaration of candidacy.
Write-in candidates are included. Spending your own money on yard signs or reserving a hall for a kickoff can make you a candidate before you ever file at the city clerk's office.
The thresholds, side by side
| Your race | No committee needed if | Extra paperwork |
|---|---|---|
| Municipal office in a city of 100,000 or fewer | Total contributions or expenditures $1,000 or less, and no contributor over $325 | None (RSMo 130.016.6) |
| Special purpose district office (school board, fire district, ambulance district and similar) | Same: $1,000 total, $325 per contributor | None (RSMo 130.016.6) |
| Municipal office in a city over 100,000 | Total contributions and expenditures $500 or less, and no contributor over $325 | Sworn exemption statement on an MEC form, plus a statement of limited activity each reporting period (RSMo 130.016.1) |
If you exceed the $1,000 limit
A candidate who goes over the $1,000 or $325 limit must form a committee no later than 30 days before the election (RSMo 130.016.7). Do not wait until the last day. Your statement of organization has its own deadline, explained below.
The exemption statement in cities over 100,000
The exemption statement is due no later than the date your first disclosure report would otherwise be due. You then file a statement of limited activity for each reporting period. If you later decide you want to raise or spend more than the limits, you file a notice of rejection of the exemption, together with a statement of organization, no later than 30 days before the election (RSMo 130.016.3).
How to form a committee
If you are not exempt, Missouri law sets out the basic structure (RSMo 130.021):
- Form a candidate committee.
- Appoint a treasurer. You may serve as your own treasurer.
- Open one official depository account at a bank, savings and loan, or credit union located in Missouri. All campaign money goes through that single account.
- File a statement of organization within 20 days after becoming a committee, and no later than the date your first report is due (RSMo 130.021.5).
Most campaigns also obtain an EIN (the committee's federal tax ID number from the IRS) when they open the bank account. You will need it again if you plan to text voters, as the Campaign Verify section below explains.
Where your committee files
The filing officer depends on the office. Under RSMo 130.026.2 and 130.026.3:
- The Missouri Ethics Commission is the filing officer for candidates for municipal office in cities of more than 100,000, and, under the statute's catch-all, for "all other offices" not listed elsewhere in the section.
- Candidate committee reports go to the same place as the candidate's reports.
- Ballot measure committees for local measures file with the local election authority.
Reports filed with the MEC must be filed electronically (RSMo 130.026.7). If you are unsure where your committee belongs, ask the MEC before you file your statement of organization. Getting this right also matters for Campaign Verify, which looks for your filing online.
Reports and deadlines for April 6, 2027
Under RSMo 130.046.1 and 130.046.3, committees file:
- An 8-day-before report covering the period that closes on the 12th day before the election. For April 6, 2027, we compute this as due March 29, 2027.
- A 30-day-after report covering the period that closes on the 25th day after the election. For this cycle, we compute this as due May 6, 2027.
- Quarterly reports by the 15th of January, April, July and October. A quarterly report is not required for a quarter with $500 or less in activity.
- A 40-day-before report if your last quarterly report was filed before the 40th day before the election.
These dates are computed from the statute. Confirm them against the MEC's published 2027 calendar, which we have not been able to review.
Late fees
Late reports cost money. A candidate who misses the 8-day-before report is assessed $100 per day until the day after the election, with a cap of $6,000 per report after escalation. Other late committee reports start at $10 per day and rise to $100 per day after 30 days' notice, capped at $3,000 (RSMo 105.963).
The prior reports rule
No one may file for any office until all required campaign disclosure reports for all prior elections have been filed. A winner who has not filed required reports may not take office until they are filed (RSMo 130.071).
If you ran before, even years ago, check that every report from that race was filed. An unfiled report from a past campaign can stop you at the filing desk on December 15. Our post on mistakes that can disqualify a Missouri local candidate covers this and the personal financial disclosure deadlines in more detail.
What changed in 2026
Several changes took effect August 28, 2026, according to the MEC's 2026 Legislative Update:
- Solicitation disclaimers. Every request for contributions must carry a disclaimer naming the committee or committees that benefit and the percentage split (RSMo 130.031.13). As written, it applies to every solicitation, so it covers fundraising emails and fundraising texts.
- Recurring contributions. Recurring contributions require the contributor's affirmative consent, receipts, and must end after the election (RSMo 130.031.14).
- New allowable uses. Campaign funds may now pay for the officeholder's personal security and for childcare caused by campaigning (RSMo 130.034).
- Lobbyists. A registered lobbyist may keep a candidate committee for county, municipal or school board office if they never lobby that political subdivision while running (RSMo 105.465.2).
- Public funds. The ban on using public funds to advocate for or against a candidate or ballot measure now covers special districts (RSMo 115.646). Officers and employees may still make public appearances and issue press releases.
Why a committee matters if you plan to text
Texting voters as a campaign requires Campaign Verify, a check that confirms to the carriers (the mobile phone companies) that you are a real campaign. Campaign Verify is for 527 committees (527 is the tax status of a political committee) with an EIN and a filing published online by an election authority. Candidates with no committee are not eligible.
That creates a practical question for Missouri candidates under the $1,000 threshold. If you have not formed a committee, you cannot be verified as a candidate. If texting is part of your plan, talk with the MEC about whether forming a committee fits your race, and allow time for your filing to appear online. Our guide to political texting explains the full registration process.
Set up your texting account while the committee is formed
Once your committee is on file, open a CampaignCNX+ account and enter the committee details exactly as they appear on your statement of organization. We guide you through the Campaign Verify request and file your carrier registration for you, including 10DLC (the carrier registration for texting from a local-style number). While you wait, import your supporters who gave written permission to receive texts, and tag them into groups such as donors, volunteers and sign hosts. When you send a fundraising text, include the disclaimer required by 130.031.13 in the message itself.
A short summary
- Most local candidates need no committee if they stay at $1,000 or less in total and $325 or less per contributor.
- In cities over 100,000, the limit is $500, and you must file a sworn exemption statement.
- Go over the limit and you must form a committee no later than 30 days before the election.
- File the statement of organization within 20 days of becoming a committee.
- File every prior report before you file for office.
- Fundraising requests, including texts, now need a disclaimer naming the benefiting committee.
Get your account ready
Open your account, set up your supporter groups, and choose your number when your committee is ready. 100 free SMS included. Your number is $5 a month.