To get a DC business license, most businesses need a Basic Business License (BBL) from the DC Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection (DLCP), which you now apply for online through the new Business One Stop Solution at boss.dc.gov. For most service businesses the General Business license costs $49 for 6 months, $99 for 2 years or $198 for 4 years, and you will need your entity registration, tax registration, a Clean Hands check and a Certificate of Occupancy or Home Occupation Permit first.
This guide walks through each step in order, the fees DLCP publishes today, how to pick the right license category, and the mistakes that delay approvals. It reflects the August 2026 move to BOSS, which many older guides still miss.
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Who needs a DC Basic Business License?
Photo by Matt Moloney via stocksnap (public domain)
DLCP says a BBL is required for any trade, profession or activity that provides, or offers to provide, goods or services to the general public for hire or compensation in the District. In practice that covers most startups, freelancers, consultants, shops, restaurants, contractors and landlords. The DLCP Business Licensing FAQs spell out several cases founders often get wrong:
- Consultants and freelancers: you need a BBL under the General Business category if you are receiving revenue for your services.
- Multiple locations: the same activity run from different DC locations needs a separate BBL for each location.
- Subcontractors: the general contractor's license does not cover your business, so you need your own.
- Landlords: renting out a single-family home requires a BBL in the One Family Rental category.
- Out-of-state businesses: if you conduct business to or from the District, a BBL may be required depending on the activity.
If you are not sure where your business fits, DLCP runs a search tool on its What Kind of License Do I Need? page. You describe what your business does and it returns a licensing category and business activity. DLCP warns that choosing the wrong activity can delay your license, and that some businesses need more than one activity on a single license.
What changed in 2026: the BOSS portal
In August 2026 DLCP launched the Business One Stop Solution (BOSS). Corporate registration, Basic Business Licensing, Special Events, Short-Term Rental, Weights and Measures and Vending now run in one connected platform at boss.dc.gov. DLCP highlights a unified dashboard showing license status and deadlines, fewer document uploads thanks to data connections with partner agencies, mid-cycle updates to active licenses, automatic syncing between corporate and licensing records, and renewal deadline alerts.
According to the BOSS FAQ, you sign in with Access DC, the District's single sign-on, and existing licenses transferred to BOSS automatically. If you already had an Access DC login you can use it; if not, create one at boss.dc.gov. Payments are accepted by major credit card and electronic check.
Step by step: how to get a DC business license
DLCP publishes a four-step path on its Steps to Obtaining a Basic Business License page. Here is each step with the details you need.
Step 1: Register your entity and trade name
If you are forming a corporation, LLC or partnership, register it with DLCP's Corporations Division through BOSS. If you will operate under a name different from your legal entity name, register that trade name as well. DLCP's FAQs add that corporations, partnerships and LLCs, whether domestic or foreign, must be registered and in good standing with the Corporations Division and must have a registered agent before a BBL can be issued. Sole proprietors using their own legal name can skip entity registration.
Step 2: Get an EIN and register for DC taxes
Apply for a federal Employer Identification Number from the IRS; online is fastest. Then register your business with the DC Office of Tax and Revenue on MyTax.DC.gov. If you will have employees, you will also deal with the DC Department of Employment Services for unemployment insurance.
Step 3: Pass the Clean Hands check
DLCP runs a Clean Hands check during the BBL application. Under the District's Clean Hands mandate, explained on the OTR Certificate of Clean Hands page, an applicant is denied if it owes more than $1,000 in fees, fines, taxes or penalties to OTR or DOES, with a five-year lookback, and all required DC tax returns must be filed. You can pull a certificate yourself on MyTax.DC.gov at any time to confirm you are compliant before applying.
Step 4: Get zoning approval for your location
Every DC-located business needs one of two zoning documents before the license:
- Home Occupation Permit (HOP): for businesses run from your home. The DC Department of Buildings says you must live in DC, the home must be your primary residence and you must apply yourself through CitizenAccess.dc.gov. Most home office uses are approved automatically, and review typically takes about 24 hours for non-childcare applications.
- Certificate of Occupancy (C of O): for commercial locations. You apply through DOB's Certifi platform, and DOB says approval typically takes about seven business days. See the DOB Certificate of Occupancy page.
DLCP notes that if your business is not located in DC proper, neither a C of O nor a HOP is required.
Step 5: Apply for the BBL on BOSS
Submit your BBL application with supporting documents and payment at boss.dc.gov. Your business activities determine the license category, so have your activity search results, entity details, tax registration and zoning document ready before you start.
DC business license and filing fees
These are the fees DLCP currently publishes on its General Business page, its License and Corporate Filing Fees page and its licensing FAQs. Other license categories, such as food, construction or housing, carry their own fee schedules, so check your category before budgeting.
| Item | Fee | Source |
|---|---|---|
| General Business BBL, 6 months | $49 | DLCP General Business |
| General Business BBL, 2 years | $99 | DLCP General Business |
| General Business BBL, 4 years | $198 | DLCP General Business |
| Entity registration, domestic for-profit | $99 | DLCP fee summary |
| Entity registration, foreign for-profit | $220 | DLCP fee summary |
| Biennial report, for-profit | $300 | DLCP fee summary |
| Biennial report late fee, for-profit (after April 1) | $100 | DLCP fee summary |
| BBL lapsed 1 to 30 days | $75 penalty | DLCP licensing FAQs |
| BBL expired 31 days to 6 months | additional $75 | DLCP licensing FAQs |
| BBL pending enforcement, over 6 months | additional $200 | DLCP licensing FAQs |
For a typical DC-based LLC offering consulting or software services, the core government cost to launch is $99 for entity registration plus $99 for a two-year General Business license, before any registered agent fees or zoning costs.
Which license category do you need?
DLCP groups BBLs into categories, each with its own requirements. The Business Licensing Division page lists Beauty and Grooming, Charitable Services, Construction, Employment Services, Entertainment, Environmental, Food Services, General Sales, Health Services, Housing and Lodging, Public Safety and Vehicular Services, alongside General Business.
Most tech and professional services startups land in General Business. DLCP lists activities such as advertising, consulting, FinTech, InsurTech and RegTech, IT services, logistics, marketing, scientific and technical services, translation, tutoring and travel consulting in that category. Food, construction, health and housing businesses usually need more paperwork, including inspections or professional licenses.
Renewals, changes and common mistakes
DLCP says BBLs are valid for two or four years unless otherwise specified, and a license becomes eligible for renewal 90 days before it expires. BOSS now sends deadline alerts, but put the date in your own calendar too, because penalties start the day after expiration.
- Picking the wrong activity. Use the DLCP search tool, and call DLCP at (202) 671-4500 if you are unsure.
- Applying before zoning is done. DOB is explicit that you must get your HOP before your business license.
- Unfiled DC tax returns. Even with no balance due, missing returns can fail the Clean Hands check.
- Forgetting the biennial report. An LLC that falls out of good standing cannot get or keep a BBL.
- One license for many sites. Each DC location running the same activity needs its own BBL.
Free help for DC founders
You do not have to do this alone. DLCP's Business Licensing Division takes walk-ins at 1100 4th Street SW, 2nd Floor, and answers questions by phone. The DC Department of Small and Local Business Development offers small business support and Certified Business Enterprise certification, and the SBA Washington Metropolitan Area District Office connects founders to free counseling. Browse more DC agencies, accelerators and service providers in the StartDMV directory, and meet other founders at upcoming DMV startup events such as DC Startup and Tech Week 2026.
Starting in Maryland or Virginia instead? Read our guides to starting an LLC in Virginia and starting an LLC in Maryland.
Get the weekly list of DMV startup events, grants and deadlines. Join the StartDMV list at https://startdmv.org.