What Information Must Lobbyists Disclose, and When?

Lobbying firms and lobbyists are required to file paperwork identifying themselves, their client, and the policy issues they are working on. The registrations are filed with the Secretary of the Senate and the Clerk of the House of Representatives. The rules about when firms (or organizations that employ their own lobbyists) have to register are complex, involving the amount of money spent in a quarter, the number of contacts with "covered officials" — executive branch employees, lawmakers and their staff — and the amount of time workers spend on non-lobbying activities. Because of this, some companies that might seem to be lobbying by an ordinary definition may not be included in this database.

Once a lobbying relationship has been registered, the lobbyists are required to file updates four times a year. Those updates aren't currently included in this database… yet.

Source: Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives and Secretary of the Senate