Lobbyist Information and Financial Disclosures

Any person who lobbies City and County of Denver officials must register with the city. Please review the lobbyist code and the information below:

Registration Requirements and Information

Who must Register

Exceptions

A person does not have to register as a lobbyist if their activity is limited to one of the exceptions below. (D.R.M.C. 2-301(5) and 305)

• Any person who submits a written request to a covered official for a revocable permit pursuant to DRMC 3.2.7 or a written request for vacation, easement, or dedication of a public right-of-way.
• Any person who appears to give testimony or provide information to city council or at a public hearing, or to give testimony or provide information at the request of a public official or employee. Any person in this category must clearly identify themselves and the interest for whom they are testifying or providing information.
• A newspaper or other regularly published periodical, radio or television station which, in the ordinary course of business, publishes news items, editorials or other comments or paid advertisements which directly or indirectly urge action upon municipal decisions. 
• Any individual communicating and/or appearing on their own behalf or without compensation or consideration on behalf of an ad hoc committee, with respect to a legislation decision pursuant to a procedure mandated by state or federal law or local ordinance or rule or regulation, for levying an assessment against real property, for any rezoning proposal, for any comprehensive plan or amendment or any proposal for a landmark designation.

When to Register 

Lobbyists must register with the City Clerk within five days after first engaging in lobbying. An individual lobbyist will be considered registered if their employer is registered and lists the individual as a lobbyist on the employer’s registration or amendment thereto. 

All lobbyists must renew their register annually with the City Clerk and pay the associated fee. The deadline for the annual registration statement is January 15 of the current calendar year.

How to Register and Registration Fees

To register as a lobbyist, the organization or individual must complete the lobbyist registration form and submit the registration fee listed below. Registration fees are not prorated. All amendments to registration must be reported within five days of the change, see “Change or Cancellation of Fees” below.

Fees (D.R.M.C. 2-311)

• $50- Individual: One person acting as a lobbyist and who does not employ other lobbyists or people who may act in a lobbyist capacity.

• $75- Organization: A person or organization that employs one or more lobbyists and/or persons who may act in a lobbyist capacity.
  Fees should be submitted through the Clerk and Recorder’s online payment portal or by check either in person or via mail to:

Denver Clerk and Recorder

201 West Colfax Ave., Dept. 101

Denver, CO 80202

Reporting Requirements and Registration Fees

All lobbyists registered with the City Clerk are required to submit a bi-monthly report by the 15th of each odd numbered month (January, March, May, etc.) listing all lobbying activities from the previous two (2) months. The report is an itemized list and estimated value of all gifts, entertainment, and direct or indirect expenditures to, on behalf of, or benefiting a covered official for lobbying purposes. The covered gifts include, but are not limited to: monies, tickets, gratuities, transfers, loans, advances, deposits, promises, expressed or implied agreements, or any tangible or intangible thing of value. If a due date falls on a weekend or holiday, reports are due the next business day. (D.R.M.C. 2-303)

Fees

• Late reports are charged $15 per business day until the report is submitted.
• Late fee accrual is capped at $1,000.
• Late fees should be submitted through the Clerk and Recorder’s online payment portal or by check either in person or via mail to:

     Denver Clerk and Recorder,

     201 West Colfax Ave., Dept. 101

     Denver, CO 80202.

• No further bi-monthly reports, change forms, or other reports will be accepted until late fees are paid in full.

Change or Cancellation of Registration

Any currently registered lobbyist needing to amend their registration in one (or more) of the ways listed below should fill out a change form.

• Add or Remove a Lobbyist
• Add or Remove a Client
• Change the registered lobbyist organization name, address, contact information etc.
• Change the lobbyist status from individual to organization ($25 fee required)
• Terminate registration (no refund of fees)

Inspection of Public Records

All information submitted on lobbyist registration forms and bi-monthly reports are considered a public record and will be made available on the Denver Clerk and Recorder’s website. (D.R.M.C. 2-303(c)(3)).

Compliance and Penalties

All organizations or people lobbying in the City and County of Denver must comply with all requirements in the D.R.M.C. Article XIII – Regulation of Lobbyists. The City Clerk will investigate the activities of any person who is or has allegedly engaged in lobbying in violation of Article XIII. If an apparent violation is found, the City Clerk will issue a written warning or a cease and desist order. The City Clerk may also report the violation to the Denver City Attorney for consideration of criminal prosecution. (D.R.M.C. 2-309)

Contact Us

If you are using assistive technology and are unable to access the content of the reports, or for any other questions, please contact the Denver City Clerk.

Officer Forms:

Who Must File

The mayor, auditor, members of city council, manager of public works, manager of parks and recreation, manager of finance, manager of environmental health, manager of general services, manager of safety, city attorney, manager of human services, clerk and recorder, manager of aviation, manager of community planning and development, mayor's chief of staff, and any person appointed to a position and listed in section 9.1.1.E.(iii), (iv), (viii), (xiii), (xiv) and (xv) of the City Charter. Certified public accountants employed by the auditor shall not be considered officers.

Requirements for Previous Officers

If an officer leaves their position with the city at any time during the reporting period, they are still required to complete one or more of these disclosures as follows:

• If the officer leaves prior to June 30, they are required to file semi-annual disclosures covering the first half of that year by July 31 and a financial disclosure by January 31 of the following year. 

Example: An officer who resigns effective April 17, 2022 should file a semi-annual gift disclosure and semi-annual city items disclosure for the reporting period January 1 – June 30, 2022 (due July 31, 2022) and a financial disclosure for 2022 (due January 31, 2023).

• If the officer leaves after June 30, they should have already filed their semi-annual disclosures due July 31. They are required to file both the annual financial disclosure and semi-annual disclosures for the second half of the year by January 31.

Example: An officer who resigns effective September 9, 2022 should have already filed a semi-annual gift disclosure and semi-annual city items disclosure for the reporting period January 1 – June 30, 2022 (due July 31, 2022). They are required to file a semi-annual gift disclosure and semi-annual city items disclosure for the reporting period July 1 – December 31, 2022 and a financial disclosure for 2022 (due January 31, 2023).

Annual Officer Financial Disclosure Statement

Pursuant to D.R.M.C. 2-72(b), all elected and appointed city officers are required to submit a financial disclosure of the following:

• The name of each business in which the officer and/or their spouse owned financial interest in excess of one percent or $5,000 anytime during the reporting period.
• The names of any sources of income received by the officer exceeding $2,000, including capital gains.
• The names of all persons or employers, other than the city, for whom the officer performed compensated lobbying.
• The names of the creator, beneficiaries or ownership of any private trust for the benefit of the officer and a description of the assets held by the trust.
• A listing of all real property or interest therein owned by the officer at anytime during the reporting period. This does not include the officer’s home address.
• The transfer by the officer of any assets valued in excess of $5,000 to an immediate family member during the previous two  reporting periods.
• The name of each creditor owed an amount in excess of $5,000.
• The names of any current employer and any employer the officer worked for between July 1 of the previous year through December 31 of the reporting year (the prior 18 months).

Due Date: January 31

Reporting Period: January 1 – December 31 of the previous calendar year

Click here for an example form 

Semi-Annual Gift Disclosure 

Pursuant to D.R.M.C. 2-72(c), all elected and appointed city officers are required to disclosure gifts and the solicitation of charitable donations of any value received from persons with whom the city has an existing, ongoing, or pending contract, business or regulatory relationship AND over whom the officer may take direct action as defined in D.R.M.C 2-52(b).

Due Date: January 31; July 31

Reporting Period: July 1 – December 31 of the previous calendar year; January 1 – June 30 of the current calendar year

Click here for an example form

Semi-Annual Disclosure of City Items

Pursuant to D.R.M.C. 2-74, all elected and appointed city officers are required to disclose items received from city agencies valued in excess of $50.

Due Date – January 31; July 31

Reporting Period – July 1 – December 31 of the previous calendar year; January 1 – June 30 of the current calendar year

Click here for an example form

City employees are only required to file an employee gift report if they meet all three of these conditions:

• The employee accepted a gift from a person or entity (donor), other than the city, valued at more than $50, including meals, tickets, or reduced price admission to events, conference or travel expenses, items to commemorate a public event, or membership or passes to Denver's cultural facilities (like the Zoo or art museum).
• The person or entity giving the gift had an existing, ongoing, or pending contract, business or regulatory relationship with the city.
• The employee may take direct official action over the person or entity giving the gift.

Employees who do meet all three conditions should file an employee gift report before January 31 of the current calendar year. For questions regarding the requirements for forms, email the City Clerk.

Under Executive Order 134, all city agencies under the Mayor are required to submit an annual Agency Gift Report for gifts received during the previous calendar year. A gift is defined as money, property, service, or thing of value worth $2,500 or more that is given directly to the agency without adequate and lawful compensation. If the value of the gift is not easily discernable, agencies are required to value the gift by evaluating the fair market value of the gift at the time of donation. A gift does not include sponsorships, scholarships, or grants.

Agency gift reports should be submitted to the City Clerk via email, interoffice mail or in person at the Office of the Clerk and Recorder.

Lobbyists:

• Lobbyists Registrations
• Lobbyist Registration Changes
• Bi-monthly Activity Reports

City Officers:

• Financial Disclosures
• Gift Disclosures
• City Items Disclosures

Employees:

• Gift Reports