District of Columbia Business Entity Search
Find a registered business through District of Columbia Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection, Corporations Division. Use the official link below, then check the search options and name rules for District of Columbia.
Official website: corponline.dlcp.dc.gov · Opens in a new tab
District of Columbia search options and record coverage
CorpOnline allows public corporate-record searches and online filings for domestic and foreign corporations, LLCs, partnerships, trusts, trade names, biennial reports, and certificates. The public record can be located by entity name or file number and the account workflow exposes filing history and status. DC announced a BOSS system transition for August 2026, so portal availability and URLs should be rechecked during the migration.
Checking a business name in District of Columbia
DC requires a corporate or LLC name to be distinguishable and to include the legally appropriate suffix such as Inc., LLC, PLLC, LLP, LP, or PC. The District's ownership/transparency forms can require information about people with more than 10% interest or control. Capitalization, punctuation, spacing, and generic suffixes should not be assumed to create distinction. CorpOnline's availability check is preliminary; the DLCP examiner's filing acceptance controls.
District of Columbia name reservations
A domestic LLC or for-profit-corporation name reservation/transfer is generally $50.00; nonprofit name reservations are listed at $40.00. The reservation period and renewal rules are controlled by the current CorpOnline form and fee schedule; the reviewed public pages do not display one duration line. Reservation is optional and does not authorize business before articles are accepted.
DBA, trade names, and fictitious names
DC requires a trade name registration for an entity or person conducting business under a name different from the true/legal name. The trade-name registration fee is $55.00 and is filed through CorpOnline: https://corponline.dlcp.dc.gov/. A registered entity's legal name does not need to be separately registered as its own trade name, but shortened or fictitious names generally do.
What do you need after the search?
- Official proof of standing — find certificate fees and ordering instructions.
- A missed report or inactive registration — check deadlines and reinstatement rules.
- A new business registration — compare District of Columbia formation and filing fees.