The Federal Election Campaign Act (located at 52 U.S.C. §30101) is a federal statute that puts limits on campaign contributions to candidates for President of the United States and Congress (the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate). It requires candidates to report all the money their campaigns receive and spend.

Most individuals can donate up to $2,800 per candidate, per election. This means a person can donate up to $2,800 to each of one or more candidates in a federal primary election and in a federal general election. This law also requires candidates in federal elections to report the payee and amount of each campaign expenditure. And a campaign may not accept more than $100 in cash from a particular source with respect to any campaign for nomination for or election to federal office.

Similarly, state laws place limits on campaign contributions and require candidates for elective office to report the contributions they receive and the expenditures they make while seeking public office. These laws are usually located in a state’s statutes—often in the elections code.

Under the Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA), individuals in Missouri, as in all states, are subject to federal limits on campaign contributions to candidates for federal offices, including the presidency and Congress. The current contribution limit is $2,800 per candidate, per election cycle, meaning a person can donate up to $2,800 for the primary and another $2,800 for the general election. FECA also mandates detailed reporting of campaign contributions and expenditures, and it prohibits accepting more than $100 in cash from a single source for any federal campaign. Missouri state law also regulates campaign finance for state and local elections, imposing its own contribution limits and requiring reporting of contributions and expenditures. These state regulations are found in Missouri's statutes, which include provisions for campaign finance within the state's election laws.