The document provides an overview of the District of Columbia's regulatory processes for businesses from the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs. It summarizes the services provided by the Business Licensing Division, Corporations Division, and Small Business Resource Center to help businesses navigate licensing, permitting, and compliance. Upcoming initiatives include expanding online services and partnerships to further streamline support for small businesses.

1. G O V E R N M E N T O F T H E D I S T R I C T O F C O L U M B I A
Department of Consumer & Regulatory Affairs
NICHOLAS A. MAJETT, DIRECTOR
Washington, DC Economic Partnership Doing Business 2.0
Navigating the Regulatory Process
December 12, 2012
Venable LLP
575 7th street, NW

2. DCRA is committed to
providing you and your
business with the services it
needs to help keep the
District of Columbia’s
economic engine churning.
On June 6, 2012, DCRA
celebrated the first
Working Smarter,
anniversary of the Small
Business Resource Center
Working Faster, for DC
which brings together
government agencies, non-
Businesses.
profits and the private
sector to offer one-on-one
business counseling and
workshops specifically
designed to assist small
businesses and
entrepreneurs with
navigating the District’s
regulatory environment.
Vincent C. Gray,
Mayor
Nicholas A. Majett,
Director 2

3. DCRA Offices
1100 Fourth St., S.W
Washington, D.C. 20024
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4. MISSION
The mission of the Department of Consumer and Regulatory
Affairs (DCRA) is to protect the health, safety, economic
interests, and quality of life of residents, businesses, and visitors
in the District of Columbia by issuing licenses and permits,
conducting inspections, enforcing building, housing, and safety
codes, regulating land use and development, and providing
consumer education and advocacy services.
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5. BUSINESS LICENSING
OVERVIEW
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6. BUSINESS LICENSING DIVISON
MISSION
The Business Licensing Division (BLD) is responsible for the
process, issuance and renewal of business licenses for citizens
and entities seeking to conduct business in the District of
Columbia.
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7. BPLA is the licensing and business compliance body of the
Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs (DCRA). There
are six (6) divisions and/or programs within the administration:
Business Licensing Division (BLD)
Corporations Division (CORPD)
Occupational and Professional Licensing Division (OPLD)
Regulatory Investigations Section (RID)
Special Events and Vending (SE&V)
Weights and Measures Division (WMD)
In addition BPLA began offering services to our customers
via our Small Business Resource Center (SBRC)
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8. BUSINESS LICENSING OVERVIEW
NUMBER OF LICENSE CATEGORIES
 Issue licenses in 165 categories
 Top 5 licensing categories
 One Family Rental
 Home Improvement Contractors
 Home Improvement Salesman
 Restaurants
 General Business
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9. BUSINESS LICENSING OVERVIEW
BASIC LICENSING REQUIREMENTS
 Before an application for a business license can be received,
there are some basic requirements:
Step 1: Corporate Registration (if operating as a Corporate entity i.e. corps., LLCs or
Partnerships)
Step 2: Registration with the DC Office of Tax and Revenue (FR 500 Notice of Business Tax
Registration or the FR 164 for Non-profit Organizations)
Step 3: Certificate of Occupancy (if operating out of an office location in the District) or
Home Occupation Permit (if conducting business out of the home)
Step 4: Clean hands certification
Step 5: BBL application
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10. BUSINESS LICENSING OVERVIEW
ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS FOR SPECIFIC
LICENSING CATEGORIES
 Certain licensing categories require additional information to
include:
 Bond
 Insurance
 Criminal History Check
 Other District Agency Signatory Approval (i.e. Department of Health)
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11. BUSINESS LICENSING OVERVIEW
NUMBER OF LICENSE CATEGORIES
 New Business Licenses:
- Approximately 10,870 processed
 Renewals (including online renewals):
- Approximately 16,882 processed
 Total Active Licenses:
- Approximately 53,515
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12. BUSINESS LICENSING DIVISION
STATISTICS
 Number of Active Business Licenses:
- Approximately 53,515 registered
 Number of Phone Calls:
- Approximately 200 per day
 Walk-In Customers:
- Approximately 150 per day
 Online Renewals/Revenue
-Approximately 2,839 transactions (FY2012)
-Approximately $ 1,129,747
 Total Revenue:
- Approximately $7 million in FY 2010
- Approximately $8 million in FY 2011
- Approximately $12 million in FY 2012
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13. CORPORATIONS
OVERVIEW
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14. CORPORATIONS DIVISION
OVERVIEW
The Corporations Division is responsible for the examination,
custody and maintenance of the legal documents filed by
corporations, partnerships, limited liability companies,
cooperative associations, business trusts and trade names.
The Superintendent of Corporations also serves as the Mayor’s
Agent for service of Process for businesses that are defunct, or
fail to maintain an agent in the District or are operating in the
District without proper registration.
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15. CORPORATIONS DIVISION
PRIMARY PROGRAM OPERATIONS
 The Corporations Division registers and provides file
maintenance services for the following:
 CORPORATIONS:
- Business & Professional Corporations
- Non- Profit Corporations
 PARTNERSHIPS:
- General Partnerships
- Limited Partnerships
- Limited Liability Partnerships
 LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANIES
 BUSINESS TRUSTS
 COOPERATIVE ASSOCIATIONS
 TRADE NAMES
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16. CORPORATIONS DIVISION
STATISTICS YTD (9/25/12)
 Number of Entities of Record:
- Approximately 323,734 registered
 Number of Phone Calls:
- Approximately 150 per day
 Walk-In Customers:
- Approximately 90 per day
 Online Filings Transactions/Revenue- Since 6/13/2011
-Approximately 35,849 transactions
-Approximately $ 6,616,429 million
 Total Corporate Transactions:
- Approximately 85,000 in FY 2012
 Total Revenue:
- Approximately $13.2 million
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17. CORPORATIONS DIVISION
STATISTICS BY YEAR
 New Businesses:
- Approximately 11,000 registered annually
 Certified Documentation/Status Certificates:
- Approximately 17,500 issued annually
 Miscellaneous/Amendments (other corporate filings):
- Approximately 11,000 processed annually
 Reports:
- Approximately 56,000 processed annually
 Total Transactions:
- Approximately 85,000 processed annually
 Active Corporate Entities:
- Approximately 75,000
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18. SMALL BUSINESS RESOURCE
CENTER OVERVIEW
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19. SMALL BUSINESS RESOURCE CENTER
OVERVIEW
The Small Business Resource Center (SBRC) provides workshops
and one-on-one technical assistance to customers seeking
assistance with navigating the District’s regulatory
environment.
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20. SMALL BUSINESS RESOURCE CENTER
SERVICES
 Types of Services Offered to Customers in the SBRC:
– Business licensing application process
– Business formation (sole proprietors, LLC’s, partnerships, C & S
Corps, cooperative associations, business trusts, and trade names)
– Pre -Ventures
– Start ups
– Building permits
– Certificates of Occupancy
– Development Ambassador Program
– Plan reviews
– Third party reviews
– Business planning preparations
– Lending preparation
– How to start a business
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21. SMALL BUSINESS RESOURCE CENTER
PROVIDING ONE-ON-ONE SESSIONS
 District Government
– Business Licensing Division (BLD)
– Corporations Division (CORP)
– Office of Tax and Revenue (OTR)
– Permit Operations Division
 SBRC Facilitators
– DC Chamber of Commerce Foundation (DCCCF)
– DC Bar Pro Bono Program
– DC Women’s Business Center (DCWBC)
– Internal Revenue Service (IRS)
– Latino Economic Development Corporation LEDC)
– Washington Area Community Investment Fund (WACIF)
– Washington, DC Economic Partnership (WDCEP)
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22. SMALL BUSINESS RESOURCE CENTER
HOW TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT
•
 https://bizdc.ecenterdirect.com
 Services are available by appointment
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23. SMALL BUSINESS RESOURCE CENTER
WEBPAGE
https://bizdc.ecenterdirect.com
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24. SMALL BUSINESS RESOURCE CENTER
STATISTICS & WHAT’S NEW
 Number of business development information sessions:
- Approximately 135 in FY 2011
- Approximately 425 in FY 2012
 Number of individual customers:
- Approximately 90 in FY 2011
- Approximately 250 in FY 2012
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25. UPDATES
&
NEW INITIATIVES
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26. BPLA
UPDATES
 Corporations Division News:
– Implemented new corporate law 1/1/2012
– Launched expanded online services site 1/1/2012
 Business License Division News:
– Online submission (OSUB) Phase 2.0 for new business license
applications roll-out by 10/31/2012
 Small Business Resource Center News:
– New partnerships in FY 2013:
• Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC)
• DCRA’s Vending Division
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27. BPLA
UPDATES CON’T
 Small Business Resource Center News:
– Workshops Scheduled in FY 2013:
 Federation of DC Public Librarians Corporate Overview
 CM Barry’s Ward 8 Arts & Cultural Committee Corporate
Overview
 Anacostia Economic Development Corporation (AEDC) Fast
Tack Panel Discussion
 Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC)
 DCRA’s Weights & Measures Octane Gas Overview
 DCRA’s Weights & Measures Farmer Markets Overview
 DC Bar Pro Bono Clinic
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28. DCRA is moving in the right direction. As we continue
to expand online services, in concert with new
process improvements, we are making it easier for
businesses to conduct business in the District, to
achieve Mayor Gray’s vision of a healthy
environment where small businesses flourish,
“One City.”
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29. QUESTIONS
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