13 published records
Business licenses and permits in Washington, District of Columbia
Since the BEST Act took effect on 1 October 2025 every Basic Business License category costs the same and endorsements are free. Sector licenses from DC Health and OSSE are charged separately.
What are you opening in Washington?
- RestaurantsFull-service restaurants carry the densest permit load of any small business: food, fire, occupancy, waste, and usually alcohol.See the full permit list
- Coffee shopsCafés are permitted as food service establishments even where no cooking happens, and the plan review step catches most operators by surprise.See the full permit list
- Retail storesRetail is the lightest common permit load, but the sales tax permit and the certificate of occupancy are non-negotiable in every jurisdiction.See the full permit list
- Salons and barbersPersonal care is licensed at state board level as well as locally, so the shop license and the practitioner licenses are separate obligations.See the full permit list
- Food trucksMobile food is the one category with no certificate of occupancy — but it gains a commissary agreement, and the unit itself is inspected rather than the premises.See the full permit list
- Fitness studiosPrepaid memberships trigger state registration and often a surety bond, which catches operators who budgeted only for the fit-out.See the full permit list
- Childcare centresThe heaviest permit load of any small business: state agency licensing, per-person background checks, and a stricter fire standard than ordinary commercial use.See the full permit list
- Contractors and tradesLicensed at state board level rather than locally, and the only common category with no premises permits at all — the bond is usually the long pole.See the full permit list
- Auto repair shopsOrdinary commercial permitting plus an environmental layer: waste oil, solvents and stormwater are each registered separately.See the full permit list
- Veterinary clinicsA state facility permit, controlled substances registration at both state and federal level, and a medical waste manifest — none of which a general business license covers.See the full permit list
Permits that apply to every type of business in Washington
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basic Business License | District of Columbia Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection, Business Licensing Division | $49–$198 per license term — $49 six months, $99 two years, $198 four years | 2 or 4 years, or 6 months where eligible | 2026-09-03 |
| Certificate of Occupancy | District of Columbia Department of Buildings | Banded by floor area, each band plus a $33 non-refundable filing fee and a further 10 per cent enhanced fee: $42 up to 5,000 sq ft; $42 plus $0.004 per sq ft from 5,001 to 50,000; $276 plus $0.003 per sq ft from 50,001 to 100,000; $471 plus $0.0013 per sq ft above 100,001 | not stated in the published schedule | 2026-09-03 |
Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.
What do these permits involve in Washington?
Basic Business License
One price whatever you open, which is unusual and recent. Until 1 October 2025 the District charged separately for each of more than a hundred endorsements; the BEST Act collapsed them into thirteen categories and made endorsements free by statute. So a restaurant, a salon, a garage and a gym all pay the same $99 for two years or $198 for four. The six-month $49 option is not open to everyone — it is limited to General Business, general contractors and construction managers, and barber chairs and beauty booths. A business expecting gross annual revenue between $2,000 and $10,000 is exempt from the fee entirely. Renew late and the penalty escalates hard: $75 within 30 days, $150 under six months, $350 under nine. Several categories cannot be licensed until DC Health has inspected — food services, beauty and grooming, health spas, massage establishments, pet shops and swimming pools — and every applicant needs a Certificate of Clean Hands and a Certificate of Occupancy first.
Certificate of Occupancy
You need one to use a building for business in the District, and you need it before the Basic Business License — which makes it the first thing on the critical path, not the last. A small unit is cheap: 5,000 square feet or less is $42 plus the $33 filing fee plus 10 per cent. A new certificate is required again on a change of ownership, a change of use, a change of occupant load or a change to the tenant floor layout, so taking over an existing restaurant does not let you inherit the previous operator's. Once issued, the authorised use must be established within six months. Single-family homes in the R-1A, R-1B, R-2 and R-3 zones are exempt, and so are individual units inside a building that already holds a certificate for the whole structure. Running the business from home means a Home Occupation Permit instead. No expiry is published, so none is claimed here.
Sources
Every figure in the table above was read from one of these government pages on the date shown.
- D.C. Code section 47-2851.04 — basic business license fees of $49 for six months, $99 for two years and $198 for four yearsCouncil of the District of Columbia · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-03
- D.C. Code section 47-2851.03 — endorsements shall not have a cost to the licensee (BEST Act, applicable from 1 October 2025)Council of the District of Columbia · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-03
- DC Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection — the BEST Act, reducing over 100 license categories to 13 from 1 October 2025District of Columbia Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-03
- DC Department of Buildings — building permit fee schedule, special permits and reviewsDistrict of Columbia Department of Buildings · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-03
Who issues business permits in Washington?
Permitting in Washington is split across 5 agencies we hold records for, with tax registration handled at state level. No single office issues everything, which is why an opening usually means filing in several places rather than one.
Washington issuing agencies
- District of Columbia Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection, Business Licensing DivisionBasic Business License across thirteen categories · Endorsements, which carry no fee since 1 October 2025 · Vending business licenses6 permits
- District of Columbia Department of Health, Food Safety and Hygiene Inspection Services DivisionFood establishment plan review and inspection · Certified Food Protection Manager identification cards · Mobile food vendor health inspection certificates3 permits
- District of Columbia Department of BuildingsCertificates of occupancy · Home occupation permits · Building permits2 permits
- District of Columbia Department of Health, Animal Facility LicensingVeterinary facility licensing under 17 DCMR chapter 291 permit
- District of Columbia Office of the State Superintendent of Education, Division of Early LearningChild development facility licensing1 permit
Commercial Compliance Hub publishes information, not legal advice. Requirements change — confirm anything you rely on with the issuing agency before you file.