NCSL - National Conference of State Legislatures

02/06/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 02/06/2026 13:55

Using Campaign Funds for Candidate Security

Related Topic: Elections

Key Takeaways

  • Five states have statutes allowing candidates to use campaign funds to pay for security services, and even more are actively introducing legislation on the topic.

  • States without laws specifically authorizing the use of campaign funds for candidate security may still allow the practice through regulations or other rules.

From political advertising to office space to staff salaries, campaign funds fuel countless day-to-day aspects of running for office. Increasingly, these necessities might also include candidate security.

As with many aspects of campaigning, candidates may not be able to pay for personal, home or office security out of their own pockets. Five states have statutes authorizing candidates for public office to use campaign funds to pay for security services. These laws are reflected in Table 1 below. Even more states are actively introducing legislation on this subject. Table 2 reflects bills introduced in the 2026 legislative session. Statutory excerpts have been lightly edited for length and clarity.

States are exploring a variety of campaign security funding rules. Approaches differ regarding who can be covered by campaign-funded security services, what types of services are included, whether there are limits to security spending and more. Many of these laws and bills allow candidates to spend campaign funds on "security services" generally and list approved security expenses. These lists may not be comprehensive, and candidates can consult their counsel or state campaign finance regulators to determine if security expenses not specifically mentioned in their laws are permissible.

  • Security for Candidate's Family: Almost every state with a law or bill on campaign security spending authorizes funds to be spent on security for a candidate's family or home.
  • Security for Campaign Staff: Laws in California and Louisiana and bills in New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Utah specifically include security for campaign employees in allowable campaign expenses.
  • Cybersecurity: Louisiana and New Hampshire authorize cybersecurity expenses. Minnesota includes identity theft and credit monitoring services.
  • Security Monitoring Systems: California, Minnesota, Iowa, Tennessee and Utah allow candidates to use campaign money for home security monitoring systems. Most of the other states below allow the purchase of various security hardware and software, including monitoring services, without specifying whether their use is limited to the home, office or both.

Colorado and Wisconsin are included in Table 1, though their laws take a slightly different approach to candidate safety. Rather than focusing on the use of campaign funds, Colorado law makes an exemption to prohibitions on spending public funds on campaigns, allowing government entities to pay for security services for candidates and their families in some circumstances. Wisconsin similarly makes an exemption to its ban on the use of government vehicles in campaigns if their use is required for security purposes.

States without laws specifically authorizing the use of campaign funds for candidate security may still allow the practice. Many state laws prohibit the use of campaign funds for "personal use." Personal use is commonly defined as an expense that would exist even if the candidate were not campaigning. In other words, campaign money can be used for many expenses connected to the campaign that would not have arisen if the candidate weren't running for office. Under that criteria, candidate security might qualify as an approved campaign expense in some states. State agencies that oversee campaign finance might also have advisory opinions or regulations governing the use of campaign funds for security. Candidates can seek guidance from these agencies or from their counsel to determine how they can spend their campaign funds.

NCSL provides these resources for informational purposes only. The information on this webpage does not constitute legal advice.

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Table 1: State Statutes on Use of Campaign Funds for Security

State

Citation

Text

California

Cal. Gov. Code § 89517.5

For purposes of this section, "security expenses" include all of the following:

  • The reasonable costs of installing and monitoring a home or office electronic security for a candidate, elected officer, or the immediate family or staff of a candidate or elected officer.
  • The reasonable costs of providing personal security to a candidate, elected officer, or the immediate family or staff of a candidate or elected officer.
  • Any other tangible item related to security for a candidate, elected officer, or the immediate family or staff of a candidate or elected officer.

"Security expenses" do not include either of the following:

  • Payments to the candidate's or elected officer's spouse, child, parent, grandparent, grandchild, brother, sister, parent-in-law, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, nephew, niece, aunt, uncle, or first cousin or the spouse of any such person.
  • Payments for a firearm.

Campaign funds may be used to pay, or reimburse the state, for security expenses to protect a candidate, an elected officer, or the immediate family or staff of a candidate or elected officer, provided that the threat or potential threat to safety arises from the candidate's or elected officer's activities, duties, or status as a candidate or elected officer or from staff's position as staff of the candidate or elected officer.

A candidate or elected officer may expend campaign funds pursuant to this section without any monetary cap until Jan. 1, 2029. Beginning Jan. 1, 2029, a candidate or elected officer may spend up to $10,000 of campaign funds pursuant to this section per calendar year. This limit applies regardless of the number of offices the candidate or elected officer seeks or holds.

If a committee uses campaign funds to pay, or reimburse the state, for the costs of installing a home or office electronic security system or for any other tangible item related to security, either the security system or other item shall be returned to the committee or reimbursement for the security system or other item shall be made to the campaign fund account of the committee that paid for the security system or other item, pursuant to the following requirements:

  • Return or reimbursement is due within one year of when the elected officer leaves the office for which the security system or other tangible item related to security was purchased or when the candidate is no longer a candidate for the office for which the security system or other item was purchased, or, if applicable, upon sale of the property on which the security system is installed, whichever occurs sooner.
  • If there is a continuing threat to the physical safety of the candidate or elected officer, the threat arises from the candidate's or elected officer's activities, duties, or status as a candidate or elected officer, and the threat has been reported to and verified by an appropriate law enforcement agency, return or reimbursement is due within one year of when the threat verified by the law enforcement agency ceases, or, if applicable, upon sale of the property on which the security system is installed, whichever occurs sooner.
  • The amount of the reimbursement shall be the fair market value of the security system or other tangible item related to security at the time that reimbursement is paid or due pursuant to paragraph (2), whichever occurs sooner. For a security system installed at the home or office of, or for an item purchased for, a candidate or elected officer, the candidate or elected officer shall pay the reimbursement. For a security system installed at the home or office of, or for an item purchased for, immediate family or staff, either the candidate or elected officer, or the immediate family or staff, shall pay the reimbursement.

The immediate family or staff of the candidate or elected officer shall not be personally liable for reimbursement for expenditures for security expenses pursuant to this section.

The candidate or elected officer shall report security expenditures and reimbursements on the candidate's or elected officer's campaign report. With each report, the candidate or elected officer shall also submit a form to the commission that describes and verifies the threat or potential threat to the candidate or elected officer, or to their immediate family or staff, that arose from the candidate's or elected officer's activities, duties, or status as a candidate or elected officer and that necessitated the expenditure or reimbursement.

The candidate or elected officer shall maintain detailed accounts, records, bills, and receipts relating to security expenditures or reimbursements, including records providing evidence of the threat or potential threat to safety that gave rise to the need for the expenditure.

Colorado

Colo. Rev. Stat. § 1-45-117

Prohibitions on government entities contributing to campaigns or independent expenditure groups do not apply to:

  • Security officers who are required to accompany a candidate or the candidate's family.
  • Publicly owned aircraft provided for the use of the chief executive of the state or of a political subdivision or the executive's family for security purposes; except that, if such use is, in whole or in part, for campaign purposes, the expenses relating to the campaign shall be reported and reimbursed.

Louisiana

La. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 18:1505.2

The following expenditures shall not be considered to be personal use by the candidate or his principal campaign committee or a subsidiary committee thereof, or by an elected official or his leadership committee:

Reasonable costs of security measures for a candidate, elected official, member of their family, or campaign employees, including but not limited to:

  • Nonstructural security devices, such as security hardware, locks, alarm systems, motion detectors, and security camera systems.
  • Structural security devices, such as wiring, lighting, gates, doors, and fencing, so long as such devices are intended solely to provide security and not to improve property or increase its value.
  • Security personnel and services that are bona fide, legitimate, and professional.
  • Cybersecurity software, devices, and services.

Minnesota

Minn. Stat. § 10A.01.26

"Noncampaign disbursement" means a purchase or payment of money or anything of value made, or an advance of credit incurred, or a donation in kind received, by a principal campaign committee for any of the following purposes:

  • Payment for accounting and legal services related to operating the candidate's campaign committee, serving in office, or security for the candidate or the candidate's immediate family, including but not limited to seeking and obtaining a harassment restraining order.
  • During a period starting January 1 in the year following a general election and ending on Dec. 31 of the year of general election, total payments of up to $3,000 for detection-related security monitoring expenses for a candidate, including home security hardware, maintenance of home security monitoring hardware, identity theft monitoring services, and credit monitoring services.

The Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board must determine whether an activity involves a noncampaign disbursement within the meaning of this subdivision. A noncampaign disbursement is considered to be made in the year in which the candidate made the purchase of goods or services or incurred an obligation to pay for goods or services.

Wisconsin

Wis. Stat. § 11.1206

No person may use any vehicle or aircraft owned by the state or by any local governmental unit for any trip which is exclusively for the purposes of campaigning to support or oppose any candidate for national, state, or local office, unless use of the vehicle or aircraft is required for purposes of security protection provided by the state or local governmental unit.

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NCSL - National Conference of State Legislatures published this content on February 06, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on February 06, 2026 at 19:55 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]