Gifts: What Members Can Accept
The $50 limit, the loopholes, and what's actually banned.
Gift rules are designed to prevent corruption and undue influence. The rules are detailed, but here's what matters:
Members generally cannot accept gifts worth more than $50 from any single source, and no more than $100 total from any one source per year. There are exceptions: gifts from family and personal friends, anything from government sources (federal, state, or local), food and refreshments of "nominal value" (think coffee, not a steak dinner), attendance at widely attended events (conferences with 25+ attendees where attendance relates to official duties), items of "informational value" like books and reports, and plaques or trophies with limited resale value.
What is NOT allowed: a lobbyist cannot buy a member dinner, a corporation cannot give tickets to sporting events, and a foreign government cannot give gifts over minimal value without disclosure. Members cannot accept honoraria (payment for speeches or appearances). The outside earned income limit for 2025 is $33,285.
Gifts from foreign governments are technically accepted on behalf of the United States and must be turned over to the government, though items under a minimal value (currently around $480) may be kept.
When gift rules are violated, the Ethics Committee investigates. You can see current and past ethics investigations in our Misconduct Database.