The corporation division of the office of the District of Columbia acts as the Office of corporate registrar for businesses in the city. The office is in charge of registering business entities, both local (DC) and foreign (companies formed abroad) all of which carry out commercial activities within the district. One of the functions of the office is to register business entities and keep a current database for new users. Registration of a business is the first step of business regulatory compliance. Registering a business has to be done before applying for a business license, permit, tax registration, or any other registration necessary. Presently, the Mayor of the District of Columbia is Muriel Bowser.
Roles of the division
All corporations such as nonprofit and for-profit corporations, limited liability companies, limited partnerships, limited liability partnerships, general cooperative associations, limited cooperative associations, et cetera, have to register through CorpOnline with the Superintendent of Corporations Division of the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs. For business owners who intend to run their businesses within the city using a trading name or DBA “doing business as”, the trade name has to be registered with the office too. This type of registration is necessary for all registered LLCs, corporations, etc., and an unregistered sole proprietorship, general partnership, unincorporated nonprofit association, etc., or any organization type which requires a trading name. The superintendent of the Corporations of Corporations Division of the DCRA may serve as the Mayor’s Agent for Service of Process for all business entities that are defunct or cannot keep an agent within the District or carry out activities here.
Services provided by the division
The following services are offered by the office to individuals and Corporate bodies running a business in DC.
Choice of a corporate structure
Offer information to new business owners and investors on the type of entity to set up in the district. This is made available on the website for free.
Online filing with corponline
Almost all activities can be carried out online via CorpOnline. This means that one does not have to visit the office in person.
Corporations biennial report
Business owners can file for corporate biennial reports online or by sending mail to the office.
- Forgiveness/Reinstatement Amnesty Program
- Fees for corporate registration
- Corporations Refund Request Application
- Service of Process
Handles business entities that are defunct, conduct business activities, or cannot keep an agent within District.
- Trade Name Registration
- Corporation Documents
When looking for a Corporation document, you can find it using the listings of all Corporation documents available on the website.
CorpOnline for online services
Corporate Division has made it easy for business owners by making almost all its services available online. With the tool known as CorpOnline, users can access all services ranging from registering a business to filing reports, easily from the comfort of their homes and offices. On CorpOnline, users can register new local or foreign companies, file corporate biennial reports, and order documents like standing certificates and certified copy requests. This is the easiest way of accessing the services provided by the division. For more information on the available services, you can check the FAQ section. To use CorpOnline, a user has to first create an Access DC account which he or she will use to log onto the site. To register, all one needs to do is click on sign up, then enter each required detail correctly.
Contact information
Address: 1100 4th Street SW, Washington, DC 20024
Phone: 202- 442-4432.
Office Hours: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday,
Friday 8:30 am to 4:30 pm and Thursday 9:30 am to 4:30 pm
Phone: (202) 442-4400
Fax: (202) 442-9445
TTY: 711
Email address: dcra@dc.gov
Official Website: https://corponline.dcra.dc.gov)
