Washington D.C. Articles of Organization: $99
The Articles of Organization is the filing that creates your D.C. LLC — $99, filed with the Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection, online through CorpOnline, by mail, or in person.
File Articles of Organization with the D.C. Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection (DLCP) to create your LLC. The fee is $99, the same across all filing methods. File online through CorpOnline (fastest), by mail, or in person at DLCP's office. The Articles require your LLC name, registered agent, principal office address, and organizer information. Note: DLCP is transitioning to a new system called BOSS in August 2026, which may cause temporary service interruptions.
- Filing fee (all methods)
- $99
- Agency
- DLCP (formerly DCRA)
- Portal
- CorpOnline (Access DC)
- System transition
- BOSS launching August 2026
- In-person filing
- Available
- Non-refundable?
- Yes
What the Articles of Organization Do
The Articles of Organization are your LLC's birth certificate. When the DLCP accepts your filing, your LLC exists: liability protection attaches, the name is claimed, and you can bank and contract as the company.
The BOSS System Transition
A system change is coming. DLCP is launching BOSS — a new, modernized business registration and licensing system — in August 2026, replacing the current CorpOnline/Access DC setup. Temporary service interruptions are possible during the transition. If you're filing right around this window, check DLCP's site for current system status before you begin, and give yourself extra buffer time in case of a brief outage.
The Filing Walkthrough
Create an Access DC login, then a CorpOnline account
D.C.'s online portal for LLC formation and every Biennial Report after.
Start a new domestic LLC filing
The portal walks the Articles field by field and checks your name against district records.
Enter your details and pay $99
Name, registered agent and D.C. address, principal office address, organizer information; pay by card at submission.
Download your confirmed Articles
Save the approved filing the moment it issues — your bank requires it.
Every Line of the Articles
LLC name
With "LLC" or "Limited Liability Company," distinguishable on district records — verified in Step 1.
Registered agent & address
Name of your registered agent and their D.C. street address.
Principal office address
Your LLC's main business address.
Organizer signature
The person filing the Articles — doesn't have to be a member or manager.
Payment
$99, the same fee across every filing method.
After Approval: Your Immediate Next Moves
Washington D.C. Filing Readiness Checklist
Confirm each item before you submit
- Save your confirmed Articles — banks require them alongside your EIN letter.
- Create your operating agreement — the document that overrides D.C.'s default rules.
- Get your free EIN at IRS.gov, then register with the D.C. Office of Tax and Revenue.
- Note your formation year — your first Biennial Report is due April 1 of the following year.
Ahmad Adil's Take: D.C.'s filing itself is refreshingly simple — one fee, one form, and it doesn't matter which method you choose since the price is identical. The only thing genuinely worth planning around right now is the BOSS system transition in August 2026 — if you're filing close to that window, check DLCP's current system status first and build in a little buffer time. Otherwise, this step is about as easy as this entire series gets.
- ✓Forms your DC LLC for $39 + the $99 filing fee
- ✓Files online with the DLCP
- ✓Free DC registered agent the first year
- ✓No upsells · No data selling · Privacy by Default
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Washington D.C. LLC — FAQ
Ahmad Adil is the founder and CEO of LLC School. The figures here — the $99 Articles of Organization, the $300 Biennial Report due every two years, and DC’s Unincorporated Business Franchise Tax — reflect current DLCP and DC Office of Tax and Revenue guidance. This is educational content, not legal or tax advice.
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