be on the books meaning

• 1. To have one's name on an official list
  2. To be a member or client

• books:    [Business]noun [pl ...
• on the books:    [American slang]Go ...
• account books:    [Medicine]Books in ...

Examples

1. I need to finally win a classic, a big classic, to be on the books,
2. It's our responsibility to enforce the law that the people demand be on the books.
3. Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin has vowed the reform would be on the books by the end of June.
4. The French Senate has assured that the law will be on the books for the new school year in September.
5. And if lawmakers responded only to the polls, tougher gun control and campaign finance laws would be on the books.