DC business entity search
The District of Columbia moved its business register to BOSS on August 10, 2026.
Search the District's published corporate registration file
Type a name with or without its ending. LLC, Inc., Corp., Co. and Ltd. are set aside before matching, along with punctuation and capital letters.
Your result will appear here
Type a business name above and press Search. The answer shows here, with the date of the list it came from.
Get the matching domain name
Type a business name to check its .com, .net, .org and .us.
"Not registered" is the registry's answer at this moment. It is not a promise that the name can be bought at the standard price, since some unregistered names are reserved or sold at a premium. The buttons open Spaceship, a domain registrar, where the price is shown.
See an example search
Example: a search for "Capitol Plumbing" in District of Columbia, run on November 12, 2026.
No exact match. 2 similar names are on the list
Nothing on the District's published corporate registration file is the same as "Capitol Plumbing" as of November 12, 2026. The names listed here share its words.
The state decides whether your name is different enough. Names reserved or filed in the last few days may not be on the list yet.
- One word apartCapitol City Plumbing LLCDomestic Limited Liability Company, Active - In Good Standing, filed October 15, 2020, record L00006773375One word added: City
- One word apartCAPITOL CITY PLUMBING LLCDomestic Limited Liability Company, Revoked, filed August 8, 2002, record L12189One word added: City
Source: Corporate Registration, DC Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection, data dated November 12, 2026.
- The file includes revoked, dissolved and withdrawn entities, each with its status.
Confirm with the state before you file: District of Columbia's BOSS. A state business name is not a trademark. This is not a government site.
A private website, not a government site. Every state entry links to that state's official search.
District of Columbia's own search
- Run by
- DC Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection
- Called
- BOSS
The state's search is the record that counts. State Business Entity Search is not a government site.
The Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection keeps it, and the search here reads the District's published Corporate Registration file.
District of Columbia filing fees for a new business name
| Filing | State fee | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Form an LLC in District of Columbia | $99 | Certificate of organization, form DLC-1. Source: DLCP, Corporations Division fee schedule. |
| Form a corporation in District of Columbia | $99 | Articles of incorporation, domestic business corporation. Source: DLCP, Articles of incorporation filing fees. |
| Reserve a name in District of Columbia | $50 | Held for 120 days. Source: DLCP, Corporations Division fee schedule. |
| Biennial report for a District of Columbia LLC | $300 | Every two years. First report due April 1 of the year after registration. Source: DLCP, Corporations Division fee schedule. |
| Trade name registration, in District of Columbia | $55 | Source: DLCP, Trade name registration. |
Name endings District of Columbia accepts
For an LLC (D.C. Official Code section 29-103.02(f))
For a corporation (D.C. Official Code section 29-103.02(a))
What the published District list covers
The search here reads the District's open data file "Corporate Registration", published by the Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection. It includes revoked, dissolved and withdrawn entities, each shown with its status.
Each row gives the business name, entity type, status, effective date and file number. A dissolved company is easy to spot, but its name may still sit on the register, so read the status before you decide anything.
The list does not replace the District's own register. The Corporations Division decides whether a name can be used.
How the District's own register works
The Corporations Division of the Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection acts as the Office of Corporate Registrar. Since August 10, 2026, its filings and search run in BOSS, the Business One Stop Solution, which replaced CorpOnline.
The department's FAQ describes the search as a way to see report history, trade name, registered agent and governor information. It also says people without an Access DC account are asked to create one to sign in.
What makes a DC name different
Section 29-103.01 compares a name with the Mayor's records of domestic entities, registered foreign entities, reserved names, registered names and registered trade names. Words such as Inc., Corp., LLC, LLP and Limited are not taken into account. "Anacostia Coffee LLC" and "Anacostia Coffee Inc." would therefore not be different.
Two kinds of word need care. Section 29-103.01 bars "bank", "banking", "credit union" and "insurance", or words of similar import, without the Mayor's prior approval. A name also cannot be so close to a District or federal agency's name that it misleads the public.
Endings, reservations and fees
For an LLC, section 29-103.02 accepts "limited liability company", "limited company", "L.L.C.", "LLC", "L.C." or "LC". The name endings each state accepts show how that list compares with other states.
A name reservation costs $50 on the department's fee schedule and holds the name for 120 days under section 29-103.03. After formation, the biennial report costs $300 and is due April 1 every two years. The LLC cost calculator adds these to the $99 certificate of organization.
The department says non-expedited online filings are processed within 5 business days. Expedited service costs $50 for 3 days or $100 for same day.
Trade names in the District
A business may not use a name other than its registered name unless it registers a trade name with the Corporations Division. The fee is $55. A trade name cannot be a person's legal name or match an active entity name or another active trade name.
Trade names renew every two years by April 1. The guide to protecting a business name covers what registration does and does not protect.
Checking a name in the District
- Search the name here and read the status of every close match.
- Search BOSS to confirm what the register shows.
- Compare your name with the rules above, leaving out Inc., LLC and similar endings.
- File form GN-3 with the $50 fee to reserve it, or file the certificate of organization.
Whether two companies can share a similar name is covered in when two businesses can have the same name.
District of Columbia name search questions
Does a DC business search show revoked or dissolved companies?
The search here does. It reads the Corporate Registration file, which includes revoked, dissolved and withdrawn entities, each shown with its status. A closed company's name can still appear in the results.
Do LLC or Inc. count as a difference in a DC business name?
No. Section 29-103.01 says words and abbreviations such as Inc., Corp., LLC, LLP and Limited are not taken into account. Two names that differ only in those words are treated as the same.
How long does the District hold a reserved entity name?
Under section 29-103.03 the Mayor reserves an approved name for 120 days. The reservation costs $50, and form GN-3 is filed in BOSS.
What is the DC secretary of state business search?
The District's register is not kept by a secretary of state. The Corporations Division of the Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection acts as its Office of Corporate Registrar, and its filings and search run in BOSS.
How much is the DC biennial report for an LLC?
It costs $300 for a for-profit entity, filed on form BRA-25. The first report is due April 1 of the year after registration, and a late fee of $100 applies.
After the District of Columbia name check
- LLC cost calculatorDistrict of Columbia filing and report fees added up
- Business name rules by stateDistrict of Columbia's endings beside other states
- Louisiana business entity searchLouisiana Department of State
- Minnesota business entity searchMinnesota Secretary of State
- Arkansas business entity searchArkansas Secretary of State
- How to change an LLC nameAmendment forms, filing fees and what the IRS says, for California, Texas and Florida.
- Is an LLC a business licenseForming an LLC creates a legal entity. Licenses and permits come from other agencies.
11 official District of Columbia sources
- DLCP, Corporate Registration and the Corporations Division, retrieved November 12, 2026.
- DLCP, Frequently asked questions about the Corporations Division, retrieved November 12, 2026.
- Business One Stop Solution (BOSS), retrieved November 12, 2026.
- DLCP, BOSS Frequently Asked Questions, August 2026, retrieved November 12, 2026.
- DLCP, Corporations Division fee schedule, retrieved November 12, 2026.
- DLCP, Articles of incorporation filing fees, retrieved November 12, 2026.
- DLCP, Biennial report requirements, retrieved November 12, 2026.
- DLCP, Trade name registration, retrieved November 12, 2026.
- D.C. Official Code section 29-103.01, Entity names, retrieved November 12, 2026.
- D.C. Official Code section 29-103.02, Entity name requirements, retrieved November 12, 2026.
- D.C. Official Code section 29-103.03, Reservation of name, retrieved November 12, 2026.