How does someone officially become a presidential candidate?

Under Federal Election Commission rules, a person becomes a candidate for federal office - including the presidency - when they raise or spend more than $5,000 in connection with a potential campaign, or when they make a public announcement of candidacy. Either trigger requires them to file a Statement of Candidacy (FEC Form 2) within 15 days.

Filing with the FEC creates a legal campaign committee, allows the candidate to raise and spend money for the campaign, subjects the candidate to disclosure rules (quarterly fundraising reports), and makes them eligible for federal matching funds if they opt into the public financing system.

Being an FEC-registered candidate does not get you on the ballot. Getting on the primary ballot is a separate process governed by each state's laws, typically requiring a filing fee and/or a petition with a minimum number of voter signatures submitted by a state deadline.

For the general election, each party's nominee is placed on the ballot automatically in most states. Third-party and independent candidates face more demanding ballot-access requirements that vary enormously by state - some require tens of thousands of signatures gathered in a short window.