With respect to documents required to be filed under 11 CFR parts 101, 102, 104, 105, 107, 108, and 109, and any modifications or amendments thereto, the terms file, filed, and filing mean one of the actions set forth in paragraphs (a) through (f) of this section. For purposes of this section, document means any report, statement, notice, or designation required by the Act to be filed with the Commission.

(a) Where to deliver reports. Except for documents electronically filed under paragraph (c) of this section, a document is timely filed upon delivery to the Federal Election Commission, at the street address identified in the definition of “Commission” in §1.2, by the close of business on the prescribed filing date.

(b) Timely filed.

(1) A document, other than those addressed in paragraphs (c) through (f) of this section, is timely filed if:

(i) Deposited:

(A) As registered or certified mail in an established U.S. Post Office;

(B) As Priority Mail or Express Mail, with a delivery confirmation, in an established U.S. Post Office; or

(C) With an overnight delivery service and scheduled to be delivered the next business day after the date of deposit and recorded in the overnight delivery service's on-line tracking system; and

(ii) The postmark on the document must be dated no later than 11:59 p.m. Eastern Standard/Daylight Time on the filing date, except that pre-election reports must have a postmark dated no later than 11:59 p.m. Eastern Standard/Daylight Time on the fifteenth day before the date of the election.

(2) Documents, other than those addressed in paragraphs (c) through (f) of this section, sent by first class mail or by any means other than those listed in paragraph (b)(1)(i) of this section must be received by the close of business on the prescribed filing date to be timely filed.

(3) As used in this paragraph (b) of this section and in 11 CFR 104.5,

(i) Overnight delivery service means a private delivery service business of established reliability that offers an overnight (i.e., next business day) delivery option.

(ii) Postmark means a U.S. Postal Service postmark or the verifiable date of deposit with an overnight delivery service.

(c) Electronically filed reports. For electronic filing purposes, a document is timely filed when it is received and validated by the Federal Election Commission by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Standard/Daylight Time on the filing date.

(d) 48-hour and 24-hour reports of independent expenditures—(1) 48-hour reports of independent expenditures. A 48-hour report of independent expenditures under 11 CFR 104.4(b) or 109.10(c) is timely filed when it is received by the Commission by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Standard/Daylight Time on the second day following the date on which independent expenditures aggregate $10,000 or more in accordance with 11 CFR 104.4(f), any time during the calendar year up to and including the 20th day before an election.

(2) 24-hour reports of independent expenditures. A 24-hour report of independent expenditures under 11 CFR 104.4(c) or 109.10(d) is timely filed when it is received by the Commission by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Standard/Daylight Time on the day following the date on which independent expenditures aggregate $1,000 or more, in accordance with 11 CFR 104.4(f), during the period less than 20 days but more than 24 hours before an election.

(3) Permissible means of filing. In addition to other permissible means of filing, a 24-hour report or 48-hour report of independent expenditures may be filed using a facsimile machine or by electronic mail if the reporting entity is not required to file electronically in accordance with 11 CFR 104.18. Political committees, regardless of whether they are required to file electronically under 11 CFR 104.18, may file 24-hour reports using the Commission's website's on-line program.

(e) 48-hour statements of last-minute contributions. In addition to other permissible means of filing, authorized committees that are not required to file electronically may file 48-hour notices of contributions using facsimile machines. All authorized committees, including electronic reporting entities, may use the Commission's website's on-line program to file 48-hour notifications of contributions. See 11 CFR 104.5(f).

(f) 24-hour statements of electioneering communications. A 24-hour statement of electioneering communications under 11 CFR 104.20 is timely filed when it is received by the Commission by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Standard/Daylight Time on the day following the disclosure date. (See 11 CFR 104.20(a)(1) and (b)). In addition to other permissible means of filing, a 24-hour statement of electioneering communications may be filed using a facsimile machine or by electronic mail if the reporting entity is not required to file electronically in accordance with 11 CFR 104.18.

[67 FR 12839, Mar. 20, 2002, as amended at 68 FR 416, Jan. 3, 2003; 68 FR 3995, Jan. 27, 2003; 70 FR 13091, Mar. 18, 2005; 73 FR 79601, Dec. 30, 2008; 82 FR 60853, Dec. 26, 2017; 84 FR 18698, May 2, 2019]