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Georgia Campaign Finance Filing: 2026 Step-by-Step Guide

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How to file a campaign finance report in Georgia

Georgia moved every filer onto one quarterly schedule from January 1, 2026, and replaced its filing system at the same time. If you are a candidate, committee or treasurer filing in Georgia in 2026, here is the schedule, the limits, and what to collect on every donor.

Last reviewed August 29, 2026 against the Georgia Government Transparency and Campaign Finance Commission. Campaign finance rules change, so confirm current requirements with the agency before you file. This page is general information, not legal advice.

2026 Filing Deadlines

  • Campaign Contribution Disclosure Report (January 1 – January 31, 2026): January 31, 2026 (grace to February 9)
  • CCDR (February 1 – April 30, 2026): April 30, 2026 (grace to May 7)
  • Primary runoff CCDR (only if on the runoff ballot) (May 1 – June 10, 2026): June 10, 2026 (grace to June 12)
  • CCDR (May 1 – July 31, 2026): July 31, 2026 (grace to August 7)
  • CCDR (August 1 – October 20, 2026): October 20, 2026 (grace to October 27)

SB 199 put every filer on the same schedule from January 1, 2026, including unsuccessful and former candidates. Election-year and non-election-year schedules are now identical, and the old semiannual off-year pattern is gone. A five-business-day grace period applies to CCDRs. Statute also requires a report six days before any runoff you are on the ballot for. Personal financial disclosure is due April 1 for statewide, state, county and local board of education candidates, and September 1 for municipal candidates — with no grace period. Georgia also replaced its e-filing system: PeachFile went live for the reports due January 31, 2026, superseding the legacy system.

Authoritative dates: Georgia Government Transparency and Campaign Finance Commission filing schedule. Deadlines that fall on a weekend or holiday move under state rules.

Contribution Limits

Georgia limits apply per contributor per election, and identically to individuals, corporations, political committees and parties. A primary, primary runoff, general and general runoff each carry their own limit. A candidate’s own funds and family funds are exempt.

  • Statewide office — primary: $8,400 (per contributor)
  • Statewide office — primary runoff: $4,800 (per contributor)
  • Statewide office — general: $8,400 (per contributor)
  • Statewide office — general runoff: $4,800 (per contributor)
  • All other offices — primary or general: $3,300 (per contributor, each)
  • All other offices — either runoff: $1,800 (per contributor, each)

What to Collect on Every Donor

Itemize above $100, whether a single contribution or a calendar-year aggregate from one person. Contributions of $100 or less are shown as a lump-sum total. Georgia does require both occupation and employer, unlike several neighboring states.

  • Contributor name and mailing address
  • Amount, date, and the election the contribution is allocated to
  • Occupation for individuals
  • Employer name for individuals

Reports That Run on a Clock

  • The two-business-day rule
    Between the last regularly scheduled report before an election and election day, a contribution of $1,000 or more designated for that election must be reported within two business days of receipt, and again on the next regular CCDR.

Registering Your Committee

The form: Declaration of Intention to Accept Campaign Contributions (DOI).

File a Declaration of Intention to Accept Campaign Contributions before accepting anything. There is no dollar trigger — a non-officeholder candidate may not lawfully accept any campaign contribution until the DOI is filed. The $500 figure that appears in some guides belongs to ballot-question committees, not candidates. If anyone other than the candidate will collect or spend funds, register the campaign committee on form RC first. A candidate not intending to exceed $2,500 raised and spent per cycle may file an affidavit and is exempt from CCDR filing; between $2,500 and $5,000, only the July and October reports are due.

Who Files Where

File and amend reports in PeachFile. State and statewide candidates file with the Commission through PeachFile. County candidates currently file with the county election superintendent and municipal candidates with the municipal clerk, who transmit copies to the Commission — but only through December 31, 2026. From January 1, 2027 all local filers file directly with the state.

If You Miss a Deadline

Late fees are tiered per report: $125 at the due date, a further $250 at fifteen days late, and a further $1,000 at forty-five days late. They are not daily. A technical defect such as a missing occupation or employer carries a thirty-day cure period. The Commission may waive or suspend a penalty for undue hardship; state filers request this through the e-filing dashboard.

Keeping Georgia Records Ready to File

Whoever files your reports, the work is the same: capture every contributor field at the point of donation, keep running totals against the itemization threshold, and reconcile before each deadline. Campaign Deputy does that for campaigns in the states it supports.

See where Campaign Deputy files campaign finance reports

Sources

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