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How to start an LLC in the District of Columbia

Every step to form your LLC in the District of Columbia, with the state's fees and the official page for each. Checked against the state's own pages on September 30, 2026.

Filing fee
$99
Regular report
$300
What you file
Articles of Organization
Where
The DC Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection (DLCP)

Get the free checklist It follows these steps with you, for your business, and keeps track of what's done.

What an LLC costs in the District of Columbia

Filing Articles of Organization with the DC Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection (DLCP)$99
The regular report that keeps it in good standing$300
State business licenseSee its step
An EIN from the IRSFree
A registered agentFree if you're your own; a service charges a yearly fee

The state's fees only. Card or handling fees, a registered agent service, local licenses and taxes come on top where they apply. Checked against official sources on September 30, 2026. It's general information, not legal or tax advice.

Step by step

In the order most owners do them. Each step says where it happens and links to the official page.

  1. With the state

    Check your name is free

    Search the DC Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection (DLCP)'s business records to check no business already uses your name, or one too close to it. An LLC's name must also end with "LLC" or a similar ending.

    Search business names (opens the official site)

  2. Your records

    Choose a registered agent

    Every LLC and corporation in District of Columbia needs a registered agent: a person or company with a street address in District of Columbia who receives legal papers and state notices for it. You can be your own, or pay a registered agent service.

  3. With the state

    File your Articles of Organization

    File them with DLCP's Corporations Division online through BOSS (formerly CorpOnline), with an Access DC account; online filers pay by card. The fee is $99. Walk-in filings are charged $100 more for one-day service. Once they're filed, your business exists.

    File online (opens the official site)

  4. With the state

    Get a Basic Business License

    Most business activities in DC need a Basic Business License from DLCP, applied for online through BOSS. First register with the Office of Tax and Revenue, get a Certificate of Occupancy or Home Occupation Permit, and pass a Clean Hands check on money owed to the DC government. A General Business license costs $99 for two years or $198 for four; other license categories have their own requirements and fees.

    Get the state license (opens the official site)

  5. Your records

    Write an operating agreement

    It sets out who owns the LLC, how decisions are made and what happens if someone leaves. It isn't filed with the state: keep it with your records. A lawyer can help you write one.

  6. With the IRS

    Get an EIN from the IRS

    An Employer Identification Number is your business's tax number, for taxes, hiring and a bank account. Apply once your Articles of Organization are filed. It's free from the IRS: with a Social Security number or ITIN, you can apply on the IRS's own site and get it at once. Watch out for look-alike sites that charge for it.

    Apply for an EIN on IRS.gov (opens the official site)

  7. With the state

    Register for state taxes

    Register with the DC Office of Tax and Revenue by filing Form FR-500 online at MyTax.DC.gov, after forming your company and before applying for your business license. Employers also register with the Department of Employment Services (DOES) for unemployment insurance.

    Register for state taxes (opens the official site)

  8. City or county

    Check local licenses and permits

    Most business activities in DC need a Basic Business License (see its step). Where you work needs zoning approval too: a Certificate of Occupancy for a commercial space, or a Home Occupation Permit to work from home. Some activities also need other licenses, permits or inspections.

    Find your local requirements (opens the official site)

  9. Your records

    Open a business bank account

    Keep the business's money apart from your own: it keeps your records clear at tax time, and keeps the LLC separate from you. Banks usually ask for your filed Articles of Organization and your EIN.

  10. With the state

    Put the two-year report in your calendar

    DC LLCs file a biennial (two-year) report with DLCP's Corporations Division: the first by April 1 of the year after the LLC is formed, then by April 1 every two years. The fee is $300, plus a $100 late fee. DC can start dissolving an LLC whose report is more than five months late.

    About annual reports (opens the official site)

Questions about an LLC in the District of Columbia

How much does it cost to start an LLC in the District of Columbia?

The state's fee to file Articles of Organization is $99. To stay in good standing, it also files a regular report, which costs $300. It also asks for state business license, which can cost more. An EIN from the IRS is free.

Does the District of Columbia require a yearly report for an LLC?

Yes. The District of Columbia asks every LLC for a regular report to stay in good standing. It costs $300, and the step below says when it's due and where to file it.

Can I form an LLC in the District of Columbia myself?

Yes. You file Articles of Organization with the DC Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection (DLCP) and pay the state's fee, and the steps above show where. You don't need a lawyer, though one can advise on your situation. PressUp's free checklist follows these steps with you.

Is this legal or tax advice?

No. PressUp isn't a law firm or an accountant. This guide is general information from the District of Columbia's official pages, checked on September 30, 2026. For advice about your own situation, ask a lawyer or an accountant.

Where this comes from

The District of Columbia's official pages, read on September 30, 2026:

LLC guides for other states