Assumed-Name (DBA) Registration Requirements in District of Columbia
At a glance
| Governing law and scheme | D.C. Code §§ 47-2855.01-.03 and 17 DCMR ch. 89 — mandatory statewide trade-name registration with the Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection |
|---|---|
| Who must register | Any person carrying on, conducting, or transacting District business under a trade name: a name that omits the true and real name of all persons conducting the business or suggests additional parties such as “company,” “and sons,” or “and associates.” An individual using the qualifying true name, or an entity using its exact registered name, does not trigger the trade-name filing (§§ 47-2855.01(7)-(8), 47-2855.02(a)) |
| Filing office | D.C. Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection, Corporations Division; file through CorpOnline (§§ 47-2855.01(2), 47-2855.02; DLCP) |
| Filing deadline | The statute requires registration when a person carries on, conducts, or transacts District business under the trade name and gives no grace period. A changed owner or changed wording/spelling requires cancellation plus a new registration before business continues under the changed facts (§§ 47-2855.02(a), 47-2855.03(c)) |
| Publication requirement | None. The current trade-name code and 17 DCMR ch. 89 impose registration but no newspaper notice or proof-of-publication step |
| Filing fee | $55 registration; $55 renewal; $55 late-renewal fee; amendment and cancellation also cost $55 (DLCP fee schedule) |
| Term and renewal | Biennial. The first renewal is due April 1 of the second year from the registration year, and every two years thereafter. A late renewal may be filed through August 31 with an additional $55; DLCP cancels an unrenewed name on September 1 (DLCP; TN-2) |
| Name exclusivity | The proposed trade name must be distinguishable on the Mayor's records from filing-entity names, reserved or registered entity names, other registered trade names, and government names (§ 47-2855.02(d)). This is a registry availability rule, not a trademark registration |
| Penalty for noncompliance | A person using an unregistered trade name cannot maintain a suit in a D.C. court until it completes registration. The failure does not invalidate its contracts or acts and does not prevent it from defending a suit (§ 47-2855.03(d)-(e)) |
Requirements one by one
D.C. uses one mandatory, District-wide registry
D.C. Code § 47-2855.02 requires a person conducting District business under a statutory trade name to register it with the Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection. The trigger is a name that omits the true and real name of everyone conducting the business or suggests additional participants with words such as “company,” “and sons,” or “and associates.”
An individual's qualifying true name does not trigger the filing. For a registered entity, the exact corporation, partnership, LLC, trust, or cooperative name on the District's records is its true name; DLCP likewise says that exact registered entity name does not need a separate trade-name filing.
File with DLCP through CorpOnline
The filing office is DLCP's Corporations Division, and the agency directs filers to CorpOnline. The registration fee is $55. Amendment and cancellation filings also cost $55.
The statute supplies no post-commencement grace period: registration is required when the person conducts business under the trade name. If the owner changes or the name's wording or spelling changes, § 47-2855.03 requires cancellation and a new registration before conducting business under the changed facts.
Neither the trade-name subchapter nor 17 DCMR Chapter 89 requires newspaper publication or an affidavit of publication.
Renewal is tied to a fixed biennial calendar
The first renewal is due April 1 of the second year from the registration year, with renewal every two years thereafter. Renewal costs $55. A late renewal may be filed through August 31 with an additional $55 late fee; DLCP cancels an unrenewed trade name on September 1, after which a new registration depends on the name still being available.
Distinguishability and ownership are different questions
Section 47-2855.02(d) requires a proposed trade name to be distinguishable on the Mayor's records from filing-entity names, reserved and registered entity names, other registered trade names, and government names. That administrative availability screen should not be confused with a federal or District trademark registration or a determination of private priority rights.
Nonregistration creates a curable court-access bar
A person using an unregistered trade name cannot maintain a lawsuit in a D.C. court until it completes the registration. Section 47-2855.03 expressly limits that consequence: nonregistration does not invalidate a contract or other act, and it does not stop the person from defending a lawsuit.
What trips people up
- The exact entity name and a trade name are different. An LLC or corporation using only its registered name does not make a second trade-name filing.
- “Every two years” does not mean the filing anniversary. The renewal date is April 1 of the second year from the registration year.
- August 31 is the last late-renewal day. Cancellation follows on September 1 if the name has not been renewed.
- A distinguishability check is not a trademark clearance. Acceptance on DLCP's records does not answer every ownership or infringement question.
Common questions
Must I publish the trade name in a newspaper?
No. The District's trade-name statute and regulations contain no publication or proof-of-publication step.
What happens if I miss the April 1 renewal date?
You may renew through August 31 by paying the $55 renewal fee plus a $55 late fee. If the registration remains unrenewed, DLCP cancels it on September 1.
Does skipping registration void my contracts?
No. It temporarily prevents the trade-name user from maintaining a D.C. court action until registration is complete, but the statute preserves the validity of contracts and acts and permits the person to defend a suit.
Statutes and sources
- D.C. Code § 47-2855.01(7)-(8) — trade-name and true-name definitions. Official D.C. Code (accessed 2026-07-26).
- D.C. Code § 47-2855.02(a) — mandatory registration and filer categories; D.C. Code § 47-2855.02(d) — record distinguishability. Official D.C. Code (accessed 2026-07-26).
- D.C. Code § 47-2855.03(c)-(e) — changed-owner/name refiling, curable suit bar, and preserved contracts and defenses. Official D.C. Code (accessed 2026-07-26).
- 17 DCMR Chapter 89 — current trade-name registration regulations and section structure. Official DCMR index (accessed 2026-07-26).
- DLCP Trade Name guidance and Form TN-2 — CorpOnline route, fees, biennial renewal calendar, late window, and cancellation. Official guidance; official renewal form (accessed 2026-07-26).
Source links
Every statute quoted above, linked, with the date we checked it.
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