Your IRS determination letter tells the federal government that your organization is tax-exempt. It says nothing to the states about whether you may ask their residents for money. That permission comes from charitable solicitation registration, a state-level filing that most states require before a charity solicits donations there.
What registration is
Solicitation means asking for a contribution: a mail appeal, an email campaign, a donate button, a phone call, a grant application, an event ticket sold as a fundraiser. Charitable solicitation registration is the filing a state requires before or soon after a charity begins soliciting, so the state can track who is raising money from its residents and how it is spent.
The filing is usually made with the state attorney general or the secretary of state, depending on the state. It typically asks for your organizing documents, your IRS determination letter, a list of officers and directors, information about any paid fundraisers, and financial information. You then renew it every year, often by filing a copy of your Form 990 and a state financial report.
Registration is separate from:
- IRS exemption (see Form 1023, explained),
- state tax exemption (see state tax exemption), and
- corporate good standing with the secretary of state (see state annual reports and registered agents).
A nonprofit can be current on one and delinquent on another.
How many states require it
The National Association of State Charity Officials (NASCO), the association of state charity regulators, publishes a state-by-state registration survey. Its survey map, last compiled in October 2026 with data as of Summer 2026, sorts the 50 states and the District of Columbia into three groups:
| NASCO map category | Count |
|---|---|
| General registration | 38 states plus the District of Columbia |
| Limited registration | 3 states |
| No registration or licensing | 9 states |
Treat the map as a starting point, not a final answer. Texas, for example, is shaded as a general registration state, yet the Texas Attorney General says most charities are not required to register with the state. Always read the state's own entry and its official agency site.
Where you are based comes first. If your organization is located in a registration state, you will generally need to register there before you start fundraising, even if you only raise money locally, unless an exemption applies.
Common exemptions
Most registration states exempt some organizations. The lists vary, but these categories are common:
- Religious organizations. New York's Attorney General says the law exempts some organizations, including religious organizations, and lets you claim the exemption through the online registration portal. Minnesota exempts certain educational and religious organizations. See churches and 501(c)(3).
- Small organizations. Some states exempt organizations that raise less than a set dollar amount in a year, often only if they do not use paid fundraisers. The threshold, and whether volunteers or staff matter, differs by state.
- Other categories. Depending on the state, exemptions can reach other kinds of organizations, such as the certain educational organizations Minnesota names.
An exemption is often not automatic. Minnesota asks a charity that believes it is exempt to notify the office and submit an exemption form, and New York has you claim the exemption in its registration portal.
The Unified Registration Statement and multistate filing
The Unified Registration Statement (URS) is a common registration form developed through NASCO and the National Association of Attorneys General to consolidate the information states ask for. Some states accept it in place of their own form. Minnesota, for example, accepts the URS but requires its own state supplement with it.
As of October 20, 2026, we could not confirm on NASCO's site or an official state site that a single online portal for filing in many states at once is live. Check each state's charity office site for its current filing method; several states now require online filing.
Online fundraising and the Charleston Principles
A donate button on your website can be seen in every state. Does that mean you must register everywhere? The Charleston Principles, approved by the NASCO Board as advisory guidelines on March 14, 2001, offer regulators a framework. They are guidelines, not law; each state decides how to apply them.
In plain language:
- Your home state. If your principal place of business is in a state and you solicit there online, you register there.
- Other states, offline activity. If your mail, phone or in-person fundraising in another state would require registration on its own, you register there.
- Other states, online only. If you have an interactive website (one that lets donors complete a gift online, even through a linked payment page), you would register in another state if you also either specifically target people in that state, or receive contributions from that state on a repeated and ongoing basis or a substantial basis.
- Non-interactive sites. A site that only invites donors to mail a check could still trigger registration if you promote it to people in the state, for example by email, and receive repeated or substantial gifts from there.
The Principles also say a charity operating locally does not target other states if its website makes clear that its fundraising focus is local, even if it receives occasional gifts from elsewhere.
Hypothetical: A food pantry in one county has a website with a donate button and receives a few gifts a year from former residents in other states. It does not advertise outside its area, and its site says it serves one county. Under the Charleston Principles, it would generally register in its home state only. If it began emailing appeals to a list of supporters across the country, it should revisit the question for each state where gifts become regular or substantial.
Three state examples
California. The Attorney General's Registry of Charities and Fundraisers requires every charitable corporation, unincorporated association, charitable trustee and other entity holding property for charitable purposes to register within 30 days of first receiving charitable assets, which include donations, grants and property. You file the online version of Form CT-1, upload your articles, bylaws, IRS determination letter and Form 1023 or 1023-EZ, and pay a $50 initial registration fee (as of October 2026). Annual renewals follow.
New York. The Attorney General's Charities Bureau requires organizations that have charitable assets, engage in charitable activities in New York, or solicit contributions there (including foundation and government grants) to register through its online portal. You upload your certificate of incorporation and bylaws, and you can claim an exemption in the portal if you believe one applies.
Texas. The Texas Attorney General says most charities and nonprofits are not required to register with the state. Registration applies to certain law enforcement related organizations that solicit by telephone, public safety organizations and their solicitors, and veterans organizations, through the Attorney General or the Secretary of State.
Keeping registrations current
Once registered, put each state's renewal date on a calendar. Renewals are often tied to your fiscal year end and your Form 990. Several states also require audited or reviewed financial statements once revenue or contributions pass a set level, according to NASCO's survey entries. For how state filings fit around your federal return, see annual filing requirements and our sister site's overview of state charity filings.
Frequently asked questions
Do we need to register before we receive our IRS determination letter?
Possibly. Several states require registration once you start soliciting or receive charitable assets, whether or not the IRS has acted. California, for example, asks you to disclose in the form if you have not applied for exemption, and to give your EIN if the letter has not arrived.
Does applying for grants count as soliciting?
It can. New York's rule expressly includes grants from foundations and government grants. Check each state's definition.
What happens if we solicit without registering?
Each state sets its own consequences, which can include late fees and penalties. Most problems are easier to fix the sooner you register and catch up on missed reports.
Can we use the URS everywhere?
No. Some states accept it, often with a supplement, and others require their own forms or online systems. Check each state's instructions before filing.
Sources
- NASCO: State Charities Registration Survey map (last compiled October 2026). nasconet.org
- NASCO: The Charleston Principles (approved as advisory guidelines March 14, 2001). nasconet.org
- California Attorney General: Initial Registration, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers. oag.ca.gov
- New York Attorney General: Charities registration. ag.ny.gov
- Texas Attorney General: Registration and Filings. texasattorneygeneral.gov
- Minnesota Attorney General: Registration and Reporting, Charities and Charitable Trusts. ag.state.mn.us
IRS forms, fees and inflation-adjusted amounts change. We review this page when the IRS publishes new instructions.
501Nonprofit.com is a private company, not the IRS. This page is general information, not legal or tax advice for your organization. Example organizations and figures are hypothetical.
