D.C. business search, the agency changed its name.
The District files its companies at the Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection, the agency everyone still calls DCRA years after the 2022 rename. Every entity owes a biennial report each other April 1, $300 for an LLC, and about five quiet months after a missed one, revocation follows. The record remembers both names. Your search should too.
Checking a name for your new company? We search the state record properly, with the near-misses that cause rejections.
Search the way that matches what you already know
Drop the designator: "Acme Holdings" returns more than "Acme Holdings LLC". The state search matches from the start of the name, so lead with the first word, and remember sound-alike spellings are separate records. Have us run the name check →
The District assigns a permanent file number at registration. An exact-match search on it pulls one record across both agency eras, which matters when half the paper trail says DCRA and the rest says DLCP. Verify an exact entity with us →
Every D.C. entity names a registered agent on the public record, which is how process servers, and the curious, find companies. It is also why founders who value privacy put a professional agent there instead of themselves. See how agents appear on the record →
Status, principal address, registered agent, and the filing history, including the original formation documents. Public, free, and current, which is exactly why counterparties will read yours before they sign.
April 1 is biennial here, revocation is punctual
The biennial report is due April 1 every other year, with the first one due April 1 of the year after registration, $300 for an LLC. Miss it and a $100 late fee attaches, and about five months later the District revokes the registration. Two-year rhythm, five-month fuse.
What you found decides what you do next
Clear so far is not the same as available. Run a proper availability check covering District entities and trade names, then file the D.C. LLC while it is clean.
File the overdue biennial report with the late fee before the five-month clock ends in revocation, then put the reporting Aprils on a calendar that watches itself.
Match the legal name on your contract to the record exactly, confirm standing the day you sign, and read the filing history. For anything with money on it, order a certificate of standing, the state-sealed version of "they are real."
She was watching DCRA, the notice came from DLCP
I had a folder rule for anything from DCRA, built years ago. The biennial notice came from DLCP, skipped the folder, and sat unread while the April deadline passed. We caught it in month four of five, one late fee short of revocation. The agency changed its name. My filters did not.
Representative composite drawn from customer outcomes.
Ask what the record means for you
Is "Capital Commons Consulting" taken in D.C.?
Why can’t I find my company under DCRA anymore?
When is my D.C. biennial report actually due?
Whatever you found, the platform runs it
Every state's record, one guide per state
Name AvailabilityDistinguishable is not the same as safe, check properly
Registered AgentA D.C. address that never misses a service of process
Compliance CalendarYour deadlines tracked, so the record stays boring
CRMThe counterparties you vet become the clients you keep
Business BankingOpen the account the day your filing comes back
D.C., from search to filed
How to Start an LLC in D.C.
Name search to filed Articles, the D.C. playbook.
Read the guide → CostsWhat a D.C. LLC Costs
State fees, the recurring bill, and the first-year total.
See the numbers → State hubForm a Business in D.C.
Entity types, taxes, and the D.C. playbook.
Open the hub → FileForm an LLC in D.C.
From clean name to filed Articles, handled.
Start the filing →D.C. Business Search questions.
What is the D.C. Secretary of State business search?
It is what most people call the District’s public company lookup, though the registry actually lives at the Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection, DLCP, the agency formerly known as DCRA. The record shows an entity’s name, status, registered agent, and filing history. We run District searches for you and interpret what the results mean for your plans.
How do I search for a business in D.C.?
You search the District record online by name or by the entity’s file number. Results show status and basic details but not everything, ownership is often private. We run the D.C. search and explain what it does and does not reveal about a given entity.
Can I check if a business name is available in D.C.?
Yes, the search is the first step: you look for existing District entities and trade names that are the same or confusingly close, though availability finally depends on the District’s naming rules, so a quick search is not a guarantee. We do a proper D.C. availability check before you commit to a name and branding.
How do I confirm a company is in good standing in D.C.?
The record shows a status, Active, Revoked, but for official confirmation third parties want a Certificate of Good Standing from DLCP. We can pull the District status and order that certificate when you need authoritative proof for a deal or lender.
When are D.C. biennial reports due?
April 1, every other year, with the first report due April 1 of the year after registration. An LLC pays $300 per filing, a missed deadline adds a $100 late fee, and roughly five months of silence ends in revocation. We track your reporting years so the off-year calm never becomes the on-year lapse.
Why can’t I find my own business in the D.C. search?
Common reasons: it was just filed and not yet indexed, the name is slightly different, or a missed biennial report ended in revocation and the entity dropped from default results. We check the District record, confirm your status, and fix anything, like a revocation needing reinstatement, that is keeping you from appearing correctly.
How do I find out who owns an LLC in D.C.?
Sometimes you can, sometimes you cannot. District filings list a registered agent and whoever signs the documents, but members of an LLC do not have to appear, so true owners can stay off the public record. If privacy matters for your own filing, that structure plus identity & privacy is how founders stay unlisted.
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