Commercial · Industry Specific
How to Open a Bank Account for a Political Committee
A guide for PACs, Super PACs, campaign committees, and FEC-regulated organizations, plus the deposit and treasury services Chain Bridge Bank, N.A. provides nationwide.
Political Banking Team
(571) 899-6660politicalbanking@chainbridgebank.com
Relationship officers open committee accounts nationwide and coordinate directly with treasurers, compliance firms, and counsel.
Overview
Opening a political committee bank account
To open a committee account at Chain Bridge Bank, N.A., the Bank generally requests the committee’s Employer Identification Number (EIN), a copy of its FEC Statement of Organization (Form 1) or its equivalent state registration, and identification for authorized signers. Chain Bridge Bank, N.A. opens political committee accounts nationwide.
Chain Bridge Bank, N.A. has experience in political banking and campaign treasury management, serving federal, state, and local committees regulated by the Federal Election Commission (FEC) or organized under applicable state law, as well as tax-exempt advocacy groups engaged in political activity. The Bank works with compliance firms, treasurers, and counsel who manage committee accounts professionally, as well as principals and newly formed committees that are new to the process.
Informational only. This page describes the documents Chain Bridge Bank, N.A. typically requests to open an account. It is general information about banking with the Bank and is not legal, tax, or campaign-finance advice. Committee registration, contribution limits, and reporting obligations are governed by the FEC and applicable state law. For requirements that apply to your committee, consult the Federal Election Commission and your own legal counsel.
Step by step
How to open your account in four steps
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Contact the Political Banking Team
Start with a Chain Bridge Bank, N.A. relationship officer so the Bank can confirm the documents needed for your committee type, authorized signers, expected activity, and requested account services.
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Gather committee documentation
Provide the committee’s IRS Employer Identification Number (EIN) assignment letter, its filed FEC Statement of Organization (Form 1) or equivalent state registration, and the committee’s legal name and treasurer information.
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Gather signer information
Provide a government-issued photo ID and the Bank’s signer information form for each authorized signer on the account.
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Select account services
Work with your relationship officer to review deposit, Treasury Management, card, and custodial services that fit the committee’s operations. Services are subject to Bank review and approval where applicable.
What the Bank generally requests
- EIN assignment letter: the committee’s federal Employer Identification Number
- Registration filing: FEC Statement of Organization (Form 1), or equivalent state filing
- Committee information: legal name, treasurer, committee type, and expected account services
- Signer information: government-issued photo ID and signer information form for each authorized signer
New committee?
New committees often need an EIN from the IRS, an FEC Statement of Organization (Form 1) or applicable state registration, and a designated treasurer before opening an account. Your relationship officer can identify the documents the Bank needs for your committee type.
Who we serve
Committees and organizations we bank
Chain Bridge Bank, N.A. supports a wide range of political committees and tax-exempt organizations operating under federal and state election and tax law, from federal, state, and local campaigns to PACs, party committees, and advocacy organizations.
Candidates & Campaigns
Federal Candidates & Campaigns
Principal campaign committees and authorized committees of federal candidates registered with the FEC.
State & Local Candidates & Campaigns
Campaign committees for state and local office, organized under applicable state law.
Party Committees
National Party Committees
National committees of political parties.
State Party Committees
State party committees and their federal and nonfederal accounts.
Local Party Committees
County, district, and other local party organizations.
Political Action Committees (PACs)
Corporate PACs
Separate segregated funds (SSFs) sponsored by corporations.
Trade Association & Membership PACs
SSFs sponsored by trade associations, membership organizations, or labor organizations.
Super PACs
Independent expenditure-only committees.
Hybrid PACs
Carey committees maintaining separate accounts for contributions and independent expenditures.
Leadership PACs
Nonconnected PACs associated with officeholders.
Advocacy & Issue Organizations
Section 527 Organizations (IRS-Reporting)
Political organizations that report to the IRS (for example, on Form 8872) rather than registering with the FEC. Section 527 is the federal tax status for political organizations; many committees are 527s for tax purposes.
Section 501(c)(4) Social Welfare Organizations
Tax-exempt social welfare organizations that may engage in political activity within IRS limits.
Treasury management
Political banking and treasury solutions
Treasury Management is available to political committees and tax-exempt organizations as a structured digital environment for managing cash flow, payments, and reporting, with configurable permissions, multi-level approvals, and visibility across supported payment channels.
These tools are designed to support the operational discipline and reporting cadences that committees and tax-exempt organizations must maintain. Custodial and trust services are also available through the Bank’s Trust & Wealth Division for committees holding reserves or investing surplus funds.
ACH & Wire Origination
Domestic ACH and Fedwire® plus international wires, with reusable templates and configurable approval tiers.
Positive Pay
Check and ACH monitoring with optional payee-name verification to help identify unauthorized payments.
Revenue-Only Accounts
Segregated accounts that accept deposits but cannot originate outbound payments.
Secured Business Credit Card
Secured by a deposit account pledged as collateral, it can suit newly formed committees and other organizations without borrowing capacity or traditional financing. Financial statements are not required, and there is no annual fee. Subject to credit approval.
Image Cash Letter (ICL)
Deposit activity from X9.37 electronic check image files cleared through the Federal Reserve.
QuickBooks® Integration
Direct connection for treasurer workflows, reconciliation, and reporting.
Frequently asked questions
Political committee banking questions
The answers below are general information about banking with Chain Bridge Bank, N.A. They are not legal, tax, or campaign-finance advice. For rules that govern your committee, consult the FEC and your own counsel.
How do I open a bank account for a political committee?
Contact the Political Banking Team at politicalbanking@chainbridgebank.com or (571) 899-6660. A relationship officer coordinates the account-opening process and confirms the documents the Bank needs for your committee type. The Bank generally requests the committee’s Employer Identification Number (EIN), a copy of its FEC Statement of Organization (Form 1) or equivalent state registration, and identification for authorized signers. Chain Bridge Bank, N.A. opens political committee accounts nationwide.
Do you need an LLC to open a campaign bank account?
Forming an LLC is generally not required to open a committee account. A committee typically opens an account under its own Employer Identification Number (EIN), not under a separate LLC. To open the account, the Bank generally requests the committee’s EIN, its FEC or state registration filing, and signer identification. Your committee’s registration and campaign-finance obligations are governed by the FEC and applicable state law; consult the FEC and your own counsel.
What do I need to open a political campaign bank account?
To open an account, the Bank generally requests the committee’s EIN, a copy of its FEC Statement of Organization (Form 1) or the equivalent state registration, and government-issued identification for the treasurer and any authorized signers. A relationship officer confirms the documents needed for your committee type. Account opening is subject to the Bank’s approval and identity-verification requirements.
What types of political organizations does Chain Bridge Bank, N.A. serve?
Chain Bridge Bank, N.A. provides deposit and treasury services for federal, state, and local candidate campaigns; national, state, and local party committees; Political Action Committees (PACs), including corporate PACs, trade association and membership PACs, Super PACs, Hybrid PACs, and Leadership PACs; Joint Fundraising Committees; convention, host, and Presidential Inaugural Committees; Section 527 organizations that report to the IRS; and 501(c)(4) social welfare organizations.
Do you bank state and local political committees?
Yes. In addition to federally regulated committees, Chain Bridge Bank, N.A. opens accounts for state and local candidate campaigns and state and local party committees. State and local committees generally register under applicable state law rather than with the FEC. To open the account, the Bank generally requests the committee’s EIN, its state registration, and identification for authorized signers. This is general information about banking with the Bank, not legal or campaign-finance advice; consult your state authority and your own counsel for the rules that apply to you.
Can a newly formed committee get a business credit card?
Chain Bridge Bank, N.A. offers a Secured Business Credit Card that may be well suited for newly formed committees and other organizations without borrowing capacity or traditional financing. It is secured by a deposit account pledged as collateral, financial statements are not required, and there is no annual fee. Because financial statements are not required, a committee can apply soon after opening its deposit account. Cards are available to organizations with a Chain Bridge deposit relationship and are subject to credit approval; this is not a commitment to extend credit.
Does Chain Bridge Bank, N.A. open political committee accounts nationwide?
Yes. Chain Bridge Bank, N.A. opens political committee accounts for FEC-regulated organizations and advocacy groups nationwide. The Bank can support document collection and account-opening review remotely, particularly during committee formation or leadership transitions.
Can political committees receive stock or in-kind securities donations?
Yes, where appropriate. Chain Bridge Bank, N.A. can discuss custodial account options through the Bank’s Trust & Wealth Division for committees that receive securities donations. The team coordinates with brokerage firms, donors, and the committee or its advisors as applicable. Custodial relationships and securities transfers are subject to Bank review and applicable requirements.
Do you provide banking for corporate and association PACs (separate segregated funds)?
Yes. Chain Bridge Bank, N.A. provides deposit and treasury management services for corporate and association PACs, including separate segregated funds (SSFs) registered with the FEC. A relationship officer can confirm the documents and services that apply to your PAC’s structure.
How do I contact the Political Banking Team?
Call the dedicated political banking line at (571) 899-6660 or email politicalbanking@chainbridgebank.com. The relationship team works with committees, treasurers, and political finance professionals nationwide. The Bank’s headquarters is at 1445-A Laughlin Avenue, McLean, Virginia 22101.
Ready to begin
Open a political committee account
The Political Banking Team welcomes inquiries from committees, treasurers, compliance firms, and counsel, as well as principals opening their first committee account. Call (571) 899-6660 or email politicalbanking@chainbridgebank.com.
Chain Bridge Bank, N.A. Member FDIC. Deposits are insured by the FDIC up to applicable limits.
This page is provided for general informational purposes only and describes deposit and treasury services offered by Chain Bridge Bank, N.A. It does not constitute, and should not be relied upon as, legal, tax, accounting, or campaign-finance advice, and it does not create an attorney-client or advisory relationship. Chain Bridge Bank, N.A. does not provide legal, tax, or campaign-finance compliance advice. Committee registration, contribution limits, permissible activities, and reporting obligations are governed by the Federal Election Commission and applicable federal and state law, which are the authoritative sources; committees should consult the FEC and their own legal, tax, and compliance advisors regarding the rules that apply to them. Account opening is subject to the Bank’s approval and to applicable identity-verification and documentation requirements, which may vary by committee type and jurisdiction. Descriptions of products and services are summaries and are subject to applicable account agreements, disclosures, and fees.
Last reviewed: June 2026.
