All consultant lobbyists and senior officers are required by the Lobbyists Registration Act, 1998 to update their registration within 30 days of any change to the information in the registration occurring.

What do we mean by changes? The changes fall into three categories: 

1. Changes to the content of a registration
2. Changes to account profile
3. Change to the name of the senior officer (in-house lobbyists only)

In this issue, we are focusing on the first category - changes to the content of a registration. Some examples:

• A new lobbying goal or activity (Read more about lobbying activity here)
• New targets of lobbying - e.g. ministers' office, MPP, ministry or agency
• A Bill receives Royal Assent and becomes a law
• The government is beginning work on the regulations of a new law
• A change in the structure of the lobbying organization, such as a merger, requires an amendment to the description of the organization
• An employee, including the senior officer if applicable, begins lobbying for your organization, or stops lobbying for your organization
• An update to the business address of your client (for consultant lobbyists only; note that new clients require new registrations)

This is not an exhaustive list! It’s best to review your registration(s) monthly and update the information that has changed.

How do I make a change to the content of my registration?

1. Login to your lobbying account.
2. Select Change an existing registration (not a renewal) from the menu page.
3. Select the registration you wish to change.
4. When the registration is displayed, review each section and click the “Edit” button found below the section or sections you want to update.
5. Make the needed changes to all sections and then click “Save”.
6. When the registration is displayed, scroll to the bottom of the page, type in your name to certify the change and click “Submit”. Note: the change will not be immediate. You will receive an email confirmation when the change has been reviewed and published.

Remember: Submitting a Change is not an Annual or Semi-Annual Renewal. Even if you recently made a change to your registration, you will still need to submit a renewal when you receive an email reminder.

Top Six Things a New Registrant Should Know

1. Your registration will be carefully reviewed by an Inquiries Officer. If any deficiencies are identified, your registration will be refused. You will be notified by email.
2. Any typos in your registration are your responsibility.
3. Once your registration is published, you will receive an email with a link to the public registry, where you can search for your registration. Review the registration to be sure that it is correct.
4. You must continue to make sure that the registration reflects your actual lobbying activity. If anything changes, you have 30 days to submit an update.
5. You will receive an email when the registration is due for renewal.
6. Best practice: when in doubt, check the Guide to the Lobbyists Registration Act. The most common pitfall for a new lobbyist is not complying with the time requirements for registration submissions, updates and renewals.

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