In-house Lobbyist (Company) Registration
Register as an in-house lobbyist (company). In-house lobbyists (company) who lobby the Government of Nova Scotia on behalf of their employer may need to register their lobbying activities with the Registry of Lobbyists.
By law, in-house lobbyists (company) who lobby the Government of Nova Scotia on behalf of their employer may need to register their lobbying activities with the Registry of Lobbyists. The registration is valid for 6 months and can be renewed or terminated (ended) at any time.
You’re an in-house lobbyist (company) if a significant part of your duties is to lobby the Government of Nova Scotia on behalf of your employer. Employers can be people, companies or partnerships that carry on commercial activities for financial gain.
You’re also considered an in-house lobbyist (company) if your and your colleagues’ lobbying activities amount to a significant part of 1 employee’s duties.
Significant part of duties
A significant part of duties is defined as an average of 20% of an employee’s time over a 3-month period. Assuming a 5-day workweek, this generally means 12 days of lobbying over 3 months. This can be 1 employee spending 12 days lobbying, or several employees whose lobbying activities add up to 12 days. For example, 3 employees spending 4 days each lobbying would meet this requirement.
End of lobbying
The end of lobbying can be the end of a project or an employee leaving the job.
Failure to register
If you don’t register when required or follow the rules and procedures outlined in the Lobbyists’ Registration Act, you may be fined.
Eligibility
You need to register as an in-house lobbyist (company) if your employer pays you to lobby the Government of Nova Scotia on their behalf and lobbying is a significant part of your duties. You also need to register as an in-house lobbyist (company) if your and your colleagues’ lobbying activities amount to a significant part of 1 employee’s duties.
You need to register within 2 months of becoming an in-house lobbyist (company), or when lobbying becomes a significant part of your duties.
Not all lobbying activity requires registration. See the Guide to the Nova Scotia Registry of Lobbyists for more information on when you need to register or contact your legal counsel and review related legislation and regulations. You or your employer (organization) needs to determine if registering as a lobbyist is necessary.
How to register
- Complete the Registration Form online.
- Include payment with your registration.
- Submit your completed registration and payment.
- If you meet all the requirements, Registry of Lobbyist confirms your registration by email.
How long it takes
It should take 3 to 5 days for the registry to review your registration and confirm your registration by email. It can take longer if more information is needed or if your form hasn’t been filled in correctly.
Cost
| Type of registration | Fee |
|---|---|
| Register online | $66.35 |
| Register by mail | $132.70 |
Payment options
Credit card (Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover), Interac® Online, debit card, cheque, money order. Make your cheque or money order payable to the Minister of Finance. Payment options may vary depending on how you apply.
When you pay online you need to pay the fee by credit or debit card (Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover, Visa Debit, Debit Mastercard). You can only pay by debit card online if your bank participates in Interac® Online.
Before you start
Make sure you have:
- contact information for your employer, subsidiaries and parent companies
- information on the legislation, proposal, contract, bill or policy that you will lobby on
- subject matter of the lobbying activity
- targets of the lobbying (for example, departments and agencies)
- types of communication techniques you will use
- name of funding sources and amounts
- description of the company's business activities
- company’s fiscal year
- information on whether you will lobby a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA)
Register online
When you register online you need to create an account or sign in.
You can use the In-house Lobbyist (Company) Registration Form (PDF 320 kB) if you’re unable to register online. Send your completed registration form and payment by mail.
Renewal
You need to renew your In-house Lobbyist (Company) Registration every 6 months. You should get a renewal notice in the mail before the renewal date. It’s your responsibility to renew on time.
If you’re not renewing your registration, you need to terminate (end) the registration. Your registration remains inactive until you terminate (end) the registration.
You need to renew or terminate (end) your registration within 30 days of the renewal date.