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In the District of Columbia there is no secretary of state. Entity records sit with the Corporations Division of the Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection (DLCP), which DLCP describes as the Office of Corporate Registrar for the District. Its online system is called CorpOnline, and the DLCP site links to it under "Search Registered Businesses". You look a company up, then open its record. If you need the whole register, DC also publishes it as a free open data file. Many people still search for a "DC secretary of state business search". In the District, that search leads to DLCP and CorpOnline.
Running a DC LLC and corporation search in CorpOnline
Start from the DLCP Corporations page and follow the CorpOnline link. The same system handles filings, so the search sits next to tools for biennial reports, trade name renewals and good standing certificates. DLCP says existing Access DC accounts carry over, along with each filer's history.
A few habits make the search work better:
- Type the distinctive words of the name, not the ending. DC law says words such as "LLC", "Inc." or "Corporation" are not taken into account when names are compared, so "Capitol Bakery" is the useful search, not "Capitol Bakery LLC".
- Try a shorter version if nothing comes back. Small spelling differences can hide a record.
- If you already have a file number from a contract or invoice, use it to land on the right entity when several share a similar name.
DLCP has announced BOSS, a new system for business registration and licensing. If a link from the DLCP site sends you to BOSS instead of CorpOnline, that change is the reason.
For help finding who runs a company, see our business owner lookup guide. DC records show the registered agent, which our registered agent lookup guide explains.
What a DC entity record tells you
The open data copy of the District register shows the entity name and suffix, its file number, its entity type, its status, its business address, and its registered agent with the agent's address. It also shows the date the entity was registered in DC. For an out of state company it shows the date it was formed back home. The record also shows the last report date and the year the next biennial report is due, which is the quickest way to spot a company that is about to fall behind.
The register does not list officers or owners. If the status field shows anything other than active, read our guide to business entity status before you sign anything with that company.
Name rules and holding a name
DC Code § 29-103.01 says a new name has to be distinguishable on the records of the Mayor from other filing entities, registered foreign entities, reserved names, registered names and assumed names. Entity type words are ignored in that test. A company can consent to another entity using a name that differs only by its ending. Words such as "bank", "banking", "credit union" and "insurance" need prior approval, and a name cannot mislead people into thinking it belongs to a US or DC government agency.
Under DC Code § 29-103.02(f), an LLC name must include "limited liability company" or "limited company", or the abbreviation "L.L.C.", "LLC", "L.C." or "LC". A professional LLC uses "professional limited liability company", "P.L.L.C." or "PLLC". A business corporation needs "corporation", "incorporated", "company" or "limited", or "Corp.", "Inc.", "Co." or "Ltd.". A nonprofit corporation needs no special word.
To hold a name before you file, a reservation or transfer of name costs $50 on the LLC fee schedule. Under DC Code § 29-103.03 the hold lasts 120 days, and you can transfer it to someone else by filing a signed notice. Our name reservation guide covers when this is worth doing, and our LLC name availability guide shows how to test a name first.
Keeping a DC company in good standing
DC runs on a two year cycle. The filing is the biennial report, and DLCP lists it at $300 for for-profit entities and $80 for nonprofits. A report filed after April 1 of the year it is due costs an extra $100 for a for-profit entity or $50 for a nonprofit. Our annual report deadlines page compares this with other states.
Proof that a company is current is a certificate of good standing or status certificate, at $50. A certified copy of a filing is also $50. An LLC that was administratively dissolved pays $300 to reinstate. You can see these on the DLCP LLC fee schedule and the DLCP fee summary.
Setting up costs $99 for a domestic for-profit entity, $80 for a domestic nonprofit, and $220 for a foreign LLC's registration statement. A trade name is a separate registration with the Superintendent of Corporations. Our DBA search guide explains how trade names work.
Bulk data for the District
The Corporate Registration dataset on Open Data DC can be downloaded as CSV, GeoJSON or a geodatabase, or queried through an ArcGIS API. It is released under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence and is refreshed daily. Fields include file number, status, registered agent and next report year. It has no officer data.
Starting a company here? Read our guide on how to start an LLC in Washington, DC and the Washington, DC registered agent rules.
Also see our guides to the Washington, DC business license.