District of Columbia LLC Foreign Qualification

Steps to District of Columbia LLC Foreign Qualification:

Identifiy whether or not your LLC’s name is currently available in DC. The name must conform to the Code of the District of Columbia § 29-105.03, which states that the name cannot already be registered in the district. If the LLC’s name violates the DC Code, it can adopt an alternate name that adheres to the law for District of Columbia LLC foreign qualification.
To foreign qualify an LLC, you must file a Foreign Registration Statement (Form FN-1) with the Department of Consumer & Regulatory Affairs Corporations Division. There is a $220 filing fee. A Foreign Registration Statement can be filed online. You must include with the filing a Certificate of Good Standing from your home state. You must also appoint a DC registered agent.
After the foreign LLC qualification is approved, you must file a biennial report by April 1 of the following year. There is a $300 filing fee. After the first report, biennial reports are filed by April 1 every two years.

Foreign LLC Qualification Quick Facts

The Form: Foreign Registration Statement
Filing Fee: $220
Agency: Department of Consumer & Regulatory Affairs Corporations Division
Online Filing: Yes
Biennial Report Due: April 1
Biennial Report Fee: $300

If My LLC Name is in Use in DC, Am I Required to Use Register a Different Name?

If your foreign LLC name is already in use in DC or does not conform to the Code of the District of Columbia § 29-103.01, you are required to list an alternate name on your Foreign Registration Statement (one that does meet the legal requirements).

However, once that name is registered, you are allowed to do business in DC under your true entity name as long as you include your home state’s name (thus, if your company is John Smith LLC and you were originally formed in Iowa, you could do business under the name John Smith LLC, Iowa).

Washington DC Registered Agent

A DC registered agent duties include:

Having a physical street address in DC (not a post office box)
Keeping regular business hours
Accepting service of process and official business mail on behalf of clients
Contacting clients when documents are accepted
Forwarding all documents to clients in a timely manner

Washington DC Biennial Report

After a foreign LLC qualification, you will be responsible for filing a biennial report every two years. The first report must be filed the first April 1 following the year of registration. The biennial report fee is $300. It can be filed online.