How to Start an LLC in District of Columbia

What it costs to start an LLC in District of Columbia

The one cost nobody can avoid is the state's filing fee: $99. It goes to District of Columbia whether you file the Articles of Organization yourself or pay someone to do it. After that, the cost that matters most is the recurring one, because it comes back every two years for as long as the LLC exists.

State fees verified October 2026 and charged by the state, not by us. Our fee is separate and optional. If the state's fee changes before we file, we refund or invoice the difference.

So the minimum to form a District of Columbia LLC is $99, paid to the state. With our service it is $198. For how District of Columbia compares with other states, see LLC cost by state.

How to start an LLC in District of Columbia, step by step

Six steps take you from an idea to an LLC that is formed and in good standing. The first three happen before District of Columbia approves anything; the last three start once you have the approved Articles of Organization.

1. Choose a name and check it's available

Your LLC's name must end with a designator such as "LLC", "L.L.C." or "Limited Liability Company", and it must be distinguishable from every other business already on District of Columbia's records. Words that suggest a regulated business, such as "bank" or "insurance", usually need extra approval.

Search the name in District of Columbia's business records on boss.dc.gov before you file. A name that is taken or too close to an existing one is the most common reason a filing comes back. Our guide to LLC name rules covers the details.

2. Name a registered agent

Every District of Columbia LLC needs a registered agent: a person or company with a street address in District of Columbia who accepts lawsuits and state notices on the company's behalf during business hours. The agent's name and address go on the Articles of Organization and become public.

• Can you be your own agent? An individual with a DC address can serve (DC distinguishes commercial and noncommercial agents)
• On the filing: Not on DLC-1.

More on the trade-offs in Do you need a registered agent?

3. File the Articles of Organization

The Articles of Organization is the document that creates your LLC. District of Columbia takes it online at boss.dc.gov, and the filing fee is $99. It asks for the company name, the registered agent, a mailing address, and the people forming the company. Whoever signs it as organizer does not have to be an owner, which is how filing services sign on your behalf.

What becomes public: All 10%-plus owners and controlling persons (members and managers) with residence and business addresses. Organizer name and address.

Once District of Columbia approves the filing, your LLC exists. Keep the approved Articles of Organization; banks ask for it.

4. Adopt an operating agreement

The operating agreement sets out who owns the LLC, how decisions get made, how profits are split, and what happens if an owner leaves. It is not filed with the state. Even a single-owner LLC benefits from one, because it shows the company is run as a separate business, and banks often ask for it.

You can write your own, use an attorney for complex ownership, or add our $79 self-help template from your order page after checkout. See Do you need an operating agreement?

5. Get an EIN from the IRS

An Employer Identification Number is your LLC's federal tax ID. Banks ask for it to open a business account, and you need it to hire employees. Apply directly with the IRS at irs.gov once District of Columbia has approved your LLC, so the name on the application matches the state record exactly. The IRS does not charge for it.

6. Meet District of Columbia's after-formation requirements

These are the filings and registrations District of Columbia expects after formation. Put each one on a calendar the day your LLC is approved.

• Biennial Report (BRA-25), which re-reports beneficial owners. When: April 1 of the year after formation, then every 2 years. Cost: $300 ($100 late fee).
• Basic Business License / OTR tax registration (MyTax.DC.gov). When: before conducting business. Cost: varies.

Beyond the state, most new LLCs also open a business bank account and check for state tax registrations and local licenses that fit their line of business. Our checklist, what to do after forming your LLC, walks through them.

How long it takes to form an LLC in District of Columbia

Two clocks run here: the time it takes to get the Articles of Organization submitted, and the time District of Columbia takes to review it.

• District of Columbia's review: varies with the state's workload; District of Columbia does not post a fixed turnaround in the research we use.
• State expedite: Walk-in one-day service +$100.
• Our submission: standard orders go to the state within 3 business days. Same-day orders (+$50) placed by 2 PM Eastern on a business day are submitted that day.

Our same-day option speeds up our submission, not the state's review. State expedite fees, where District of Columbia offers them, are separate charges paid to the state. More in how long it takes to form an LLC.

District of Columbia LLC requirements at a glance

• A name ending in "LLC" or an equivalent designator, distinguishable from names already on file.
• A registered agent with a District of Columbia street address.
• A Articles of Organization filed with District of Columbia, with the $99 state fee.
• An operating agreement kept in your records (not filed, but recommended).
• District of Columbia's recurring requirement: $300 every 2 years, due April 1 (biennial).

File it yourself or have us file it

Both routes give you the same District of Columbia LLC, and the state fee is the same either way. The difference is who does the work and who you call when something comes back.

Filing it yourself

1. Search your name in District of Columbia's records on boss.dc.gov.
2. Line up a registered agent.
3. Complete the Articles of Organization online at boss.dc.gov and pay $99 to the state.
4. Watch for approval and save the filed document.
5. Calendar District of Columbia's after-formation deadlines.

Cost: $99. If your details are straightforward and you are comfortable with state forms, this is a perfectly good way to do it.

Having us file it

People choose a service when they want the filing right the first time without learning District of Columbia's form, or when their time is worth more than the fee. For $99 on top of the state fee we:

• check the name against District of Columbia's records before anything is filed;
• prepare the Articles of Organization from a short online application;
• submit it within 3 business days, or the same business day for +$50;
• email you the approved documents and District of Columbia's next deadlines;
• answer questions by email and phone.

Cost: $198, with the state fee passed through at cost on its own line.

Start your District of Columbia LLC or read more about our District of Columbia LLC filing service.