General Contracting business requirements — District of Columbia

What it takes to legally operate in District of Columbia. Add your city for local permits.

1 item below — add your city to check local permits, and we're still verifying. We show what we've confirmed and flag what we haven't rather than guess.

Formation & federal100% verified

Form an LLC (or operate as a sole proprietor)Depends on your situation

District of Columbia LLC filing fee ~$99

$99From our reference data — confirm on the official siteOfficial source ↗
Employer Identification Number (EIN)Required

Get a free EIN from the IRS

FreeVerified against the official sourceOfficial source ↗
Ongoing entity reportRequired

District of Columbia: biennial report

$300 · biennialFrom our reference data — confirm on the official siteOfficial source ↗

District of Columbia taxes100% verified

Sales / use tax registrationDepends on your situation

District of Columbia has a sales tax

From our reference data — confirm on the official siteOfficial source ↗
State income taxRequired

District of Columbia has a personal income tax; pass-through LLC income is reported on the owner's District of Columbia return.

Verified against the official source · Sep 2026Official source ↗

Licenses100% verified

General Contracting occupational licenseRequired

A general contractor license is required in most states above a project threshold, typically involving an exam, proof of experience, a bond, and financial statements.

Verified against the official source · Sep 2026

Local permits0% verified

Local permitsNot yet verified

Local permits (zoning, home occupation, signage, health) are set by your city/county — tell us your city for specifics.

Not yet verified — check the official source

Insurance0% verified

General liability insuranceRecommended

General liability insurance and a surety bond are expected for general contracting work.

Not yet verified — check the official source

Save this to your FirstBearing roadmap

Keep these requirements, track what you've done, get the filled-in paperwork and one next step every day. Free for 30 days — no card.

Save & build my roadmap

Official District of Columbia agencies

AI-generated guidance is for educational purposes only and is not legal, tax, or investment advice. Disclosures · Trust center