How to Make

Statutory License Royalty EFT Payments Using Pay.gov

This circular contains instructions about how to use Pay.gov for statutory license royalty payments.¹ A companion tutorial is available on the Copyright Office's website.

The U.S. Copyright Office is responsible for administering the statutory licenses for secondary transmissions of radio and television programs by cable and satellite systems and for importing, manufacturing, and distributing digital audio recording devices or media by digital audio recording technology (DART) manufacturers and importers. To comply with copyright statutory license requirements, cable systems, satellite carriers, and DART manufacturers and importers must file statements of account with the Copyright Office and pay royalty fees using an electronic funds transfer (EFT). Cable systems and satellite carriers are also required to pay a filing fee.

As of March 31, 2025, remitters are required to use Pay.gov to submit EFT payments for current, past, and future royalty filing fees. Using Pay.gov benefits both remitters and the Copyright Office because it ensures that the Office can receive, reconcile, and post payments in the same transaction. It also provides remitters with the convenience of using a credit or debit card as a form of payment. Most importantly, using Pay.gov eliminates the need for remitters to separately complete the remittance advice form. Instead, remitters provide the remittance advice form through Pay.gov at the same time they submit payments. The instructions below explain how to submit EFT payments and remittance advice form using the relevant Pay.gov form.

Using Pay.gov requires remitters to complete the following steps:

1. All remitters must complete a Pay.gov form designed for the specific royalty type (Cable, Satellite, or DART), providing summary information by accounting year and period. Once completed, this form is sent automatically to the Office's Licensing Section. Remitters are also required to attach a printout of the completed Pay.gov form to corresponding statements of account submitted to the Office.

2. Cable remitters must also complete and upload a remittance advice form using the appropriate Excel spreadsheet template provided by the Office, which asks for detailed information to allow the Copyright Office to link payments to the corresponding statements of account.

3. All remitters must submit payment for royalties and filing fees, as applicable, through an Automated Clearing House (ACH) transfer, debit card, or credit card.

NOTE: For the best experience with the Pay.gov website, use Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge.

Before Starting an EFT Payment on Pay.gov

1. Retrieve your system identification number, which is a unique number assigned by the Licensing Section, to complete the EFT process. If you are a first-time remitter, you may use 00000 or 99999 as the system identification number in the ID Number field during the EFT process; upon receipt of the statement(s) of account, the Licensing Section will assign the identification number(s). Cable system remitters can find their system identification number by visiting the Search LDS database and searching by their company's legal name or first community. If you need additional assistance, contact the Licensing Section at licensing@copyright.gov or (202) 707-8150.
2. Contact your bank to determine if your account will accept an ACH debit or credit. The Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, 1455 East 6th St., Cleveland, OH, 44114, processes Pay.gov funds. Some banks require this information.
3. Refer to Circular 76 for current filing fees for cable and satellite statements of account.

Completing the EFT Process Using Pay.gov

To begin the EFT process, remitters need to select the Pay.gov form that corresponds to their type of royalty payment (Cable, Satellite, or DART) and the payment method.

1. Go to the Pay.gov website, www.Pay.gov.
2. Click on Find an Agency and select "Library of Congress (LOC): Copyright Office" or enter Copyright Office in the search bar.
3. Click on U.S. Copyright Office (Cable, DART, Satellite).

1. Select the type of royalty payment and the method of payment:

1. Cable companies should click either
2. » Library of Congress Cable Royalty Payment (credit card, debit card, or ACH debit payments) or
3. » Library of Congress Cable Royalty Payment - ACH credit
4. Satellite companies should click either
5. » Library of Congress Satellite Royalty Payment (credit card, debit card, or ACH debit payments) or

» Library of Congress Satellite Royalty Payment - ACH credit

• DART manufacturers or importers should click either

» Library of Congress DART Royalty Payment (credit card, debit card, or ACH debit payments) or

» Library of Congress DART Royalty Payment - ACH credit

2. Complete the appropriate form:

• Cable companies should follow the instructions on the Pay.gov form, which will request the following summary information to be filled in by accounting year and period for all submitted statements:

» Contact information for your company

» Filings per filing year and period

» Any system identification number and corresponding first community served (city, state)

» Totals for each type of filing fee

» Total royalty fee and interest (if applicable)

» Total amendment fee (if applicable)

Cable companies must also create and upload a remittance advice form to Pay.gov using the appropriate Excel spreadsheet template provided by the Office. The Pay.gov form provides a download link for the Excel template. The remittance advice form template asks for detailed information that allows the Copyright Office to link payments to the corresponding statements of account. In the template, enter the following information for each submitted statement:

» Filing year

» Filing period

» System identification number

» First community served (city, state)

» Filing fee and amendment fee (if applicable)

» Royalty fee

» Interest (if applicable)

» Minimum or Base fee (SA3 Only)

» 3.75 fee (SA3 Only, if applicable)

Save the template as a CSV (comma delimited, .csv) file. You will be asked to upload the remittance advice form after first providing the summary information on the Pay.gov form and clicking Continue.

1. Satellite Companies should follow the instructions on the form, which will request the following information for each submitted statement:

   » Contact information for your company

   » Filing year and period

   » Identification number

   » Filing fee

   » Total royalty fee and interest (if applicable)

   » Amendment fee (if applicable)

2. DART manufacturers and importers should follow the instructions on the form, which will request following information for each submitted statement:

   » Contact information for your company

   » Fiscal year

   » Filing period/quarter

   » Identification number

   » Total royalty fee and interest (if applicable)

   » Amendment fee (if applicable)

3. All Remitters should click PDF Preview to review a PDF version of the completed Pay.gov form. You should save and print this page for your records before proceeding.

3. Submit Payment and Authorization: After completing the relevant Pay.gov form and clicking Continue, you will advance to the payment page and have the ability to select a bank account (ACH transfer) or debit or credit card payment.

NOTE: The Company ID for the ACH debit transactions is:0000798502.

1. Bank Account (ACH) Payments » The payment screen will show the payment amount, the payment date, and the account holder's name. Confirm the information is correct, or update it as needed. » Select an account type from the drop-down menu. » Enter the financial institution's routing and account numbers. Confirm the account number. » To make changes to your payment information, click Previous. » To cancel the payment, click Cancel. » When you are satisfied that the information is correct, click Review and Submit Payment.

• Debit or Credit Card Payments

» The payment screen will show the payment amount and cardholder's name. Confirm that the information is correct, or update it as needed.

» Enter the billing address.

» Enter the debit or credit card information.

» To make changes, click Previous or Return to Your Form.

» To cancel the payment, click Cancel.

» When you are satisfied that the information is correct, click Review and Submit Payment.

NOTE: The daily maximum limit for credit card transactions is $24,999.99 per card. There is no limit for debit cards.

Then, go to Payment Authorization:

» On the summary page, confirm that the payment and account information is correct.

» To receive an email confirmation upon completion of the transaction, check the box and provide an email address.

» Read the Authorization and Disclosure Statement.

» If you agree, click I Agree.

» To make changes, click Previous or Return to Form.

» To complete the transaction, click Submit Payment.

Confirmation:

» On the Payment Confirmation page, print or save a copy of your receipt. If you checked the box on the Payment Authorization page, you will receive a confirmation receipt via email.

NOTE

1. This circular is intended as an overview of how to make statutory license royalty payments using Pay.gov. The authoritative source for U.S. copyright law is the Copyright Act, codified in Title 17 of the United States Code. Copyright regulations are codified in Title 37 of the Code of Federal Regulations. Copyright Office practices and procedures are summarized in the third edition of the Compendium of U.S. Copyright Office Practices, cited as the Compendium. The copyright law, regulations, and the Compendium are available on the Copyright Office website at copyright.gov.

For Further Information

By Internet

The copyright law, the Compendium, electronic registration, application forms, and related materials are available from the Copyright Office website at www.copyright.gov.

By Email

To send a licensing-related inquiry, email licensing@copyright.gov. To send a general email inquiry, click the Contact Us link on the Copyright Office website.

By Telephone

For licensing-related information, call the Licensing Section at (202) 707-8150. For general information about copyright, call the Copyright Public Information Office at (202) 707-3000 or 1-877-476-0778 (toll free). Staff members are on duty from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm, eastern time, Monday through Friday, except federal holidays. To request application forms or circulars by postal mail, call (202) 707-9100 or 1-877-476-0778 and leave a recorded message.

By Regular Mail

Write to

Library of Congress

U.S. Copyright Office-LS

101 Independence Avenue, SE #6400

Washington, DC 20557-6400