Search Advice Letters
Each year, Commission staff respond to numerous requests from candidates and public officials about their obligations under the Political Reform Act (Act) and Section 1090 through the formal advice letter process. Thousands of advice letters have been issued since the Commission was established in 1974.
You can search all the advice letters the Commission has issued since 1984 using the fields below. Advice Letters are issued pursuant to Government Code Sections 1097.1(c)(2) and 83114(b), and Regulation 18329. Advice applies only to the specific question and requesting party and is provided here for informational and archival purposes. While prior advice letters may provide guidance to other parties in similar circumstances for purposes of determining the requirements of the Act and Section 1090, advice letters do not have precedential value for any other party and should not be relied upon, except by the requestor.
For the requesting party, formal advice involving a specific question relating to the Act serves as a complete defense in an enforcement proceeding initiated by the Commission and evidence of good faith conduct in any other civil or criminal proceeding.
Advice concerning Government Code Section 1090, issued under Section 1097.1(c)(2), is not binding on any other local or state law enforcement agency, and is not admissible in a criminal proceeding against any individual other than the requester. It may be offered as evidence of good faith by the requester in an FPPC enforcement proceeding if all material facts were truthfully disclosed to the FPPC and the requester relied on the advice.
Advice provided and legal citations in past letters reflect the law at the time of the request. The applicable statutes and regulations are subject to change, which may change the advice provided in similar circumstances. Those with questions about their current obligations under the Act or Section 1090 are encouraged to request advice. See https://www.fppc.ca.gov/advice/formal-advice.html for information on requesting advice.
Search for an Advice Letter
You may also view the Advice Letter Reports by following the link below. The Commission started issuing monthly reports on advice letters in May 2020.