District of Columbia · 1 jurisdiction covered
Business licenses and permits in District of Columbia
The District is one government doing both jobs. Since the BEST Act took effect in October 2025 every business license category costs the same and endorsements are free — but the biennial report is the steepest entity filing anywhere covered here.
What applies everywhere in District of Columbia
5 requirements are set by District of Columbia itself and apply whichever city you open in. Local permits sit on top of them.
| Requirement | Issued by | Fee | Applies | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Articles of Incorporation | District of Columbia Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection, Corporations Division | $99–$1,650 one-time filing, banded by authorised capital | Only in some cases | 2026-09-03 |
| Biennial Report | District of Columbia Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection, Corporations Division | $300 per filing, every two years | Only in some cases | 2026-09-03 |
| Certificate of Clean Hands | District of Columbia Office of Tax and Revenue | No fee | To every business | 2026-09-03 |
| Certificate of Organization (LLC) | District of Columbia Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection, Corporations Division | $99 one-time filing | Only in some cases | 2026-09-03 |
| Combined Business Tax Registration (FR-500) | District of Columbia Office of Tax and Revenue | No fee | To every business | 2026-09-03 |
Sources
Every statewide figure above was read from one of these government pages on the date shown.
- DC Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection — fees for corporate registration servicesDistrict of Columbia Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-03
- DC Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection — license and corporate filing feesDistrict of Columbia Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-03
- DC Office of Tax and Revenue — Certificate of Clean HandsDistrict of Columbia Office of Tax and Revenue · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-03
- D.C. Code section 47-2862 — prohibition against issuing a license to a person owing more than $1,000 to the DistrictCouncil of the District of Columbia · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-03
- DC Office of Tax and Revenue — new business registration, Form FR-500District of Columbia Office of Tax and Revenue · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-03
Which District of Columbia city are you opening in?
Is there a single District of Columbia business license?
No. District of Columbia has no single license that covers every business. What you need depends on your industry, your city and your county, and most of the obligations that matter are issued locally rather than at state level.
The state-level registrations that do apply to nearly everyone are tax accounts rather than licenses — which is why they are easy to miss.
Who issues permits in District of Columbia?
By industry
Commercial Compliance Hub publishes information, not legal advice. Requirements change — confirm anything you rely on with the issuing agency before you file.