The Lobbying Compliance Division operates under Chapter 120C, Articles 2, 4, 6, and 8 of the North Carolina General Statutes to administer and to enforce the Lobbying Act.

Since 1933, the Department of the Secretary of State has regulated lobbying. The Department provides registrants the ability to register and to file reports electronically. This Division publishes a real time Directory of lobbyists, lobbyist principals, state agency liaisons, and local government liaisons. It also provides online access to all registrations and reports. The Division also examines reports to assure the complete and timely disclosure of reportable lobbying expenditures. It also provides a searchable database so that legislators, appointed officials, public, and the media can search to determine who is lobbying and the magnitude of the filers lobbying.

On Oct.3. 2023, Session Law 2023-134 became law which requires lobbyists and lobbyist principals to pay a $500 fee at the time of each registration. The principal only pays the fee once regardless of the number of lobbyists representing the principal. The Secretary of State is required to collect this fee and deposit the amount into the state’s General Fund. There is a $3.00 nonrefundable electronic fee.