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9 permits · verified 2026-09-03

What permits do you need to open a contractor or trade in Washington?

In short

A contractor or trade in Washington, DC has 5 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 4 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. District of Columbia Department of Buildings charges $72.60 filing and issuance, including the 10 per cent enhanced fee for the home occupation permit. 4 of the 9 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-09-03 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.

Permits particular to a contractor or trade in Washington

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
Home Occupation Permitonly if it applies to youDistrict of Columbia Department of Buildings$72.60 filing and issuance, including the 10 per cent enhanced feenot stated in the published schedule2026-09-03
Contractor and Construction Services LicenseDistrict of Columbia Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection, Business Licensing Division$49–$198 per license term — $49 six months for general contractors only, $99 two years, $198 four years2 or 4 years, or 6 months for general contractors and construction managers2026-09-03

Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.

Local permits that apply to every type of business in Washington

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
Basic Business LicenseDistrict of Columbia Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection, Business Licensing DivisionVaries — formula on the Washington page2 or 4 years, or 6 months where eligible2026-09-03
Certificate of OccupancyDistrict of Columbia Department of BuildingsVaries — formula on the Washington pagenot stated in the published schedule2026-09-03

Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.

DC registrations that apply to every type of business

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
Biennial Reportonly if it applies to youDistrict of Columbia Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection, Corporations Division$300 per filing, every two yearsbiennial2026-09-03
Combined Business Tax Registration (FR-500)District of Columbia Office of Tax and RevenueNo feeone-time registration2026-09-03
Articles of Incorporationonly if it applies to youDistrict of Columbia Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection, Corporations DivisionVaries — formula on the DC pageno expiry, but a biennial report is due every two years2026-09-03
Certificate of Organization (LLC)only if it applies to youDistrict of Columbia Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection, Corporations Division$99 one-time filingno expiry, but a biennial report is due every two years2026-09-03
Certificate of Clean HandsDistrict of Columbia Office of Tax and RevenueNo feedoes not expire — validated in real time2026-09-03

Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.

How much does it actually cost to permit a contractor or trade in Washington?

There is no single figure, and any site quoting one is rounding away the part that matters. Of the 9 records listed for a contractor or trade in Washington, DC, 5 apply to every business of this type and 4 are conditional. Adding every fee on the page together would overstate what most operators pay, because it would include permits they never need.

4 of the 9 are charged as a range or a formula set by the issuing agency, and 2 have no fee published at all. The ones particular to this business that vary:

Contractor and Construction Services License: $49–$198 per license term — $49 six months for general contractors only, $99 two years, $198 four years

The other 3 variable fees belong to permits that apply to every type of business here; their formulas are set out on the Washington permits page and the DC state page.

Which offices issue these permits in Washington?

Permits for a contractor or trade in Washington, DC come from 4 separate offices: District of Columbia Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection, Business Licensing Division, District of Columbia Department of Buildings, District of Columbia Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection, Corporations Division, District of Columbia Office of Tax and Revenue. No single office issues them all, which is why an opening means filing in several places rather than one.

What does a contractor or trade need in Washington that other businesses do not?

1 of the 2 permits particular to a contractor or trade here applies to no other business type we cover in Washington: Contractor and Construction Services License.

Contractor and Construction Services License

$99 for two years or $198 for four, with the six-month $49 term open to general contractors and construction managers but explicitly not to home improvement contractors. That exclusion matters because home improvement work carries the District's heaviest construction condition: a $25,000 surety bond that must stay in place for the whole two-year license period. So a general contractor can start for $49 and a home improvement contractor cannot start for less than $99 plus a $25,000 bond. Since the BEST Act the endorsements within the category — the A, B, C, G and H general contractor classes — cost nothing on top.

Shared with other businesses in Washington

  • Home Occupation Permit — District of Columbia Department of Buildings, $72.60 filing and issuance, including the 10 per cent enhanced fee, not stated in the published schedule. Also required for retail stores, fitness studios and childcare centres; what it involves is set out on the childcare centres page.

The other 2 local permits in the tables apply to every type of business in Washington, DC; what each one involves is set out on the Washington permits page. The 5 state-level registrations apply to every type of business across DC and are covered on the DC state page.

How does a contractor or trade compare with other businesses in Washington?

The closest match is a childcare centre, which shares 1 of these permits. A contractor or trade also needs Contractor and Construction Services License. A childcare centre needs Child Development Facility License, which a contractor or trade does not.

Permits particular to each business type in Washington, DC, compared with a contractor or trade
BusinessIts own permitsShared with a contractor or tradeOnly a contractor or trade needsOnly it needs
Childcare centres2111
Fitness studios2111
Retail stores4113
Auto repair shops1021
Coffee shops2022
Food trucks3023
Restaurants2022
Salons and barbers1021
Veterinary clinics1021

Sources

Every figure for the permits explained on this page was read from one of these government pages on the date shown. Sources for the permits shared with other businesses are listed with their explanations on the childcare centres page. Sources for the permits that apply to every type of business are listed on the Washington permits page and the DC state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.

  1. DC Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection — Contractor and Construction Services license categoryDistrict of Columbia Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-03

Related

Commercial Compliance Hub publishes information, not legal advice. Requirements change — confirm anything you rely on with the issuing agency before you file.