The short answer
- To form the LLC
- $99 to file the Articles of Organization.
- Every two years after
- $300 every 2 years, due April 1, every second year.
- If you file late
- $100 added by District of Columbia. After one missed report, District of Columbia administratively dissolves the LLC, and the state's total to reinstate it at that point is $700.
- Five years, filing it yourself
- $849: the formation fee plus five years of the state's recurring fee, with no service fees.
Start your District of Columbia LLC
Our service fee and the District of Columbia filing & processing are itemized on the checkout review screen before you pay.
Start your District of Columbia LLCWhat's included
- Name availability check before we file
- Articles of Organization prepared and filed with District of Columbia
- Submitted within 3 business days, or the same day as an option
- Approved documents emailed, plus a private order page
- District of Columbia's after-formation deadlines in writing
- A real person by email
District of Columbia LLC one-time costs
What District of Columbia charges once, when the LLC is formed, and the optional costs that arrive at the same time. The state fee is the same whether you file yourself or use a service.
- Amount
- $99
- Notes
- Paid to District of Columbia to file the Articles of Organization. One time.
- Amount
- Set by the state
- Notes
- $50 for 3-day service; $100 for 1-day service.
- Amount
- Free if you serve yourself; our agent service can be added in the application
- Notes
- Required in District of Columbia; a street address in the state.
- Amount
- Free if you write it, or our self-help template after checkout
- Notes
- Not filed with the state.
- Amount
- Our fee, itemized at checkout
- Notes
- Optional. Our fee and the District of Columbia filing & processing appear as separate lines before you pay.
State fees verified October 2026 and set by the state, not by us. Online filing prices; a few states charge a different amount on paper.
District of Columbia LLC ongoing costs
What District of Columbia charges to keep the LLC in good standing, when it is due, and what the state does when a report is late or missed.
- The state's rule
- $300 every 2 years
- Notes
- Filed with the DC Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection, every two years.
- The state's rule
- April 1, every second year
- Notes
- State wording: April 1 (biennial).
- The state's rule
- $100
- The state's rule
- After one missed report
- Notes
- Administrative dissolution, revocation or forfeiture by the state, after notice.
- The state's rule
- $700
- Notes
- The state's total to reinstate after one missed report: reinstatement fee plus the missed reports and penalties it requires.
- The state's rule
- None
- Notes
- District of Columbia adds no LLC tax beyond the figures above.
State fees verified October 2026 and set by the state, not by us. Due rules, penalties and dissolution triggers are read from each state's statute or filing office page; the reinstatement figure is the state's own total at that point.
District of Columbia LLC annual fee
District of Columbia's recurring requirement: $300 every 2 years, due April 1 (biennial). Because it is every two years, the yearly cost is half the listed fee: $150 a year. District of Columbia calls the filing the Biennial Report, and it goes to the DC Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection at boss.dc.gov. The Biennial Report is due April 1, every second year. In the state's words: April 1 (biennial).
If you file late: $100 added by the state for a late report. After one missed report, District of Columbia administratively dissolves the LLC, and the state's total to reinstate it at that point is $700.
The due date, filing window and portal are covered step by step in District of Columbia LLC annual report.
Other recurring obligations
- Biennial Report (BRA-25), which re-reports beneficial owners. April 1 of the year after formation, then every 2 years. $300 ($100 late fee).
- Tax registration with the Office of Tax and Revenue (Form FR-500 on MyTax.DC.gov). before conducting business. no fee.
- Basic Business License through DLCP in BOSS (includes a Clean Hands check). before conducting business. varies by license category.
- DC franchise tax return (Form D-30), or the D-30N affidavit if DC gross income is $12,000 or less. April 15 each year (calendar year). 8.25% of taxable income; $250 minimum ($1,000 above $1M in DC receipts).
District of Columbia LLC filing fee: $99
The filing fee is what District of Columbia charges to file your Articles of Organization, the document that creates the company. District of Columbia charges $99. It is the one cost nobody can avoid: it is the same whether you file directly with the state or hire a service, and no legitimate service can waive it. Which form District of Columbia uses, where it is filed and what it asks: how to register an LLC in District of Columbia.
District of Columbia's published processing time: About 5 business days.
Faster review from the state: $50 for 3-day service; $100 for 1-day service.
By filing fee, District of Columbia ranks 16 of 51 jurisdictions, cheapest first; the median state charges $100.
Five-year District of Columbia LLC cost: $849
$99 to form, plus $150 a year in report fees averaged over the two-year cycle for five years, comes to $849 paid to District of Columbia over five years, assuming every report is filed on time. One late report adds $100. Taxes on the company's income, licenses and a registered agent service are separate.
See your exact District of Columbia total before you pay
Our service fee and the District of Columbia filing & processing are itemized on the checkout review screen before you pay, each on its own line.
What the District of Columbia state fee does not include
The filing fee buys the state's approval of the Articles of Organization and nothing else. These are the costs that sit outside it.
- Registered agent. District of Columbia requires one, with a street address in the state. Serving as your own agent is free; the address becomes public record. Our registered agent service can be added in the application. District of Columbia registered agent requirements.
- Operating agreement. Not filed with the state and free if you write it yourself. Our self-help template is available after checkout.
- Business licenses and permits. Set by the city, county or licensing board for your line of business, not by the formation filing. Many District of Columbia LLCs need none; a restaurant, contractor or salon usually needs several.
- Taxes. An LLC's income is taxed through its owners' returns unless it elects otherwise, and sales tax or employer registrations are separate state accounts with no formation fee attached.
- Filing service. Our fee is itemized on the checkout review screen before you pay, with same-day submission as an option. The state fee is identical either way.
How to pay less for a District of Columbia LLC
- File the Articles of Organization yourself. District of Columbia takes it online at boss.dc.gov for the $99 state fee alone.
- Be your own registered agent if you have a District of Columbia street address and are there during business hours. The trade-off is privacy: the address goes on the public record.
- Write your own operating agreement. No state charges for it and District of Columbia does not file it.
- File the Biennial Report on time. A late one costs $100 more, and a missed one leads to dissolution and a reinstatement bill of $700.
- Skip state expedite unless a date depends on it. The state's standard queue costs nothing extra.
- Form where you do business. An LLC that operates in District of Columbia but is formed elsewhere must register in District of Columbia as a foreign LLC anyway, paying District of Columbia's registration fee and its recurring report on top of the home state's.
How District of Columbia compares
By filing fee, District of Columbia is number 16 of 51 jurisdictions, cheapest first. The filing fee is paid once; the recurring line is what separates states over time.
- Filing fee
- $99
- Recurring
- $300 every 2 years
- Five-year total
- $849
- Filing fee
- $100
- Recurring
- $300 a year
- Five-year total
- $1,600
- Filing fee
- $100
- Recurring
- $50 a year
- Five-year total
- $350
State fees verified October 2026 and set by the state, not by us.
Every state's fee is in LLC cost by state, and the case for and against forming elsewhere is in cheapest states to form an LLC.
Filing yourself vs. using us
Filing directly with District of Columbia costs only the state's own fee: $99. The state takes formations at boss.dc.gov. Through us, you pay our service fee plus the District of Columbia filing & processing, for the name check, the Articles of Organization prepared and submitted, the approved documents emailed to you and District of Columbia's deadlines in writing. Both lines are itemized on the checkout review screen before you pay.
Sources
State fees verified October 2026; page last updated November 1, 2026. The figures above are read from District of Columbia's own fee schedule, forms and statutes:
- dlcp.dc.gov (dlcp.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/DLCP/publication/attachments/DLC-1%20Ar...)
- dlcp.dc.gov (dlcp.dc.gov/node/1621921)
- dlcp.dc.gov (dlcp.dc.gov/service/domestic-limited-liability-company)
- dlcp.dc.gov (dlcp.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/DLCP/publication/attachments/BOI%20Comp...)
- boss.dc.gov (DC Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection, Biennial Report filing)
Standard Filings is a filing service, not a law firm. This page is general information from each state's published filing rules and fee schedules, not legal or tax advice.
District of Columbia LLC cost FAQ
How much does it cost to start an LLC in District of Columbia?+
District of Columbia charges $99. That is the state's own fee and it is the same whether you file yourself or use a service. If you have us file it, our service fee and the District of Columbia filing & processing are itemized on the checkout review screen before you pay.
Does District of Columbia charge an annual fee for an LLC?+
Yes. District of Columbia's recurring requirement: $300 every 2 years, due April 1 (biennial). That works out to $150 a year averaged over the two-year cycle.
When is the District of Columbia LLC annual report due?+
The Biennial Report is due April 1, every second year. In the state's words: April 1 (biennial).
What is the late penalty for a District of Columbia LLC report?+
District of Columbia adds $100 to a report filed after the due date. After one missed report, District of Columbia administratively dissolves the LLC, and the state's total to reinstate it at that point is $700.
Is there a franchise tax in District of Columbia?+
No. District of Columbia charges no franchise, privilege or LLC tax on top of its Biennial Report; the LLC's income is taxed through its owners' returns in the ordinary way, and any state income tax registration is separate from the formation and report fees here.
How much is a registered agent in District of Columbia?+
Nothing from the state: District of Columbia charges no fee for naming a registered agent. Serving as your own agent is free if you have a street address in District of Columbia and are there during business hours; the address becomes public record. A commercial registered agent charges a yearly fee that the agent sets, in exchange for keeping its District of Columbia address on the record and forwarding what arrives.
Can I file the District of Columbia Articles of Organization myself?+
Yes. District of Columbia accepts the Articles of Organization directly from business owners at boss.dc.gov, and you pay only the state's $99 fee. District of Columbia's published processing time: About 5 business days. State expedite is optional: $50 for 3-day service; $100 for 1-day service.
What does your service add to the state fee?+
Our service fee covers a name availability check, your Articles of Organization prepared and filed, the approved documents emailed to you, and District of Columbia's deadlines in writing. The District of Columbia filing & processing is a separate line, and both are itemized on the checkout review screen before you pay.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Fees change; confirm the current amount with District of Columbia before you rely on it.
More on District of Columbia
- How to start an LLC in District of Columbia
- How to register an LLC in District of Columbiaform, fee and portal
- District of Columbia registered agent requirements
- District of Columbia LLC annual report: due date and late fee
- Form a District of Columbia LLC on America LLC Filingsister site
- District of Columbia LLC filing serviceprepared and filed for you
Neighboring states