Non-party campaigners: Scottish Parliamentary elections

How to use this guidance

Our guidance is separated out into sections, each of which deals with a different topic within the controls on non-party campaigners.

When you click on a link in the navigation list to the right, it will reveal the links to the different areas of guidance for each section. When you reach the end of a page, you can use the link at the bottom right-hand side to move to the next page of guidance.

If you would like to read an overview of how the non-party campaigner laws apply at Scottish Parliamentary elections, you should read:

If you are spending money at a Scottish Parliamentary election, you should read the following sections to understand how the laws will apply to you:

Section	What it covers
When do the non-party campaigner laws apply?	The regulated period for the 2026 Scottish Parliamentary election Which spending used during this period counts towards your spending limit
How do you know whether spending is regulated?	The activities that are regulated under the law How to assess whether your spending on one of these activities is regulated (the purpose test and made available to the public)
Applying the purpose test	The factors you should consider when assessing whether your activities meet the purpose test Examples and case studies of campaigns
Which types of activities may be regulated?	Examples of costs that should be included as part of your spending on each activity Overheads, staff costs, VAT Accounting for spending incurred during and outside of the regulated period Unused and reused items
Activities that will not be regulated	The activities that are not regulated and will not count towards your spending limit
How much can you spend?	How much you can spend at the Scottish Parliamentary election on regulated campaign activities
Notional spending	Which spending is treated as notional spending Valuing and reporting notional spending
Joint campaigning	The principles of joint campaigning

If you are intending to spend more than £10,000 on regulated campaign activities at the Scottish Parliamentary election, you should also read the following sections that apply to registered non-party campaigners:

Section	What it covers
Registration	When you need to register as a non-party campaigner Requirements to register The responsible person’s responsibilities What you need to do after registration How long you remain registered
Authorising and paying campaign spending	The controls around who can pay for regulated campaign activities
Donations	Accepting donations as a registered non-party campaigner Who you can accept donations from Good practices for crowdfunding donations
Time limits for receiving and paying invoices	Deadlines for receiving and paying your invoices Obtaining a court order to make late payments
Completing your return	What details are required in your spending and donations return Links to the reporting form Deadline for submitting your return

Last updated: 20 August 2025