District of Columbia Charitable Solicitation License

District of Columbia at a glance

Registration: Required, unless an exemption applies. Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection (DLCP) handles it. Source
Filing: BBL with Charitable Solicitation Endorsement. Source
Renewal: Your renewal is due the last day of the month your registration was issued, at the end of its term. Source
Renewal fee: $99 to $198, by band. Source
Exemptions: 3 listed, each quoted. Source

Every deadline, fee and exemption quotes its source and links to it.

Overview

Regulatory Agency: Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection (DLCP)
Registration Required: Yes

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Your District of Columbia renewal is due the last day of the month your registration was issued, at the end of its term. CharityFile emails reminders before that date once you add your registration date and term. Reminders need a paid plan or a live trial.

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Fee Schedule

Applies to	Fee
All organizations	$99 Source: dlcp.dc.gov · verified May 11, 2026 (5 mo ago) · send source “$0 Charitable Solicitation: 2-year license - $99.”
All organizations	$198 Source: dlcp.dc.gov · verified August 11, 2026 (2 mo ago) · send source “4-year license - $198.00”

Renewal

Your renewal is due the last day of the month your registration was issued, at the end of its term

Source: dlcp.dc.gov · verified October 14, 2026 (2 days ago) · send source

“Effective August 1, 2025 , DLCP updated the license period format. Licenses will now be valid from the date of issuance until the last day of the same month two or four years later, based on the license term selected by the customer at the time of application (example 3/12/2025 - 3/31/2027). Anyone renewing their license after August 1, 2025, your updated license will reflect this new license period format.”

Other filings this state names

Nonprofit Biennial Report (§29-102.11) corporate filing
Source: code.dccouncil.gov · verified September 15, 2026 (1 mo ago) · send source
“The 1st biennial report shall be delivered to the Mayor for filing by April 1 of the year following the calendar year in which the public organic record of the domestic filing entity became effective, the statement of qualification of a domestic limited liability partnership became effective, or the foreign filing entity registered to do business in the District. Subsequent biennial reports shall be delivered to the Mayor by April 1st of each 2nd calendar year thereafter.”

Required Documents

BBL with Charitable Solicitation Endorsement. Forms and instructions: Agency page

Certificate of Exemption / FR-164
For the initial registration
Source: dlcp.dc.gov · verified September 15, 2026 (1 mo ago) · send source
“Certificate of Exemption/FR-164 Exemption”
Charitable Services Business Worksheet
For the initial registration and the renewal
Source: dcregs.dc.gov · verified September 15, 2026 (1 mo ago) · send source
“An affidavit stating that the exemption under § 501 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 is in force and effect on the date of the submission of proof under this section.”
IRS Determination Letter
For the initial registration
Source: dlcp.dc.gov · verified September 15, 2026 (1 mo ago) · send source
“IRS Determination Letter”
Tax Registration and Clean Hands Certificate
For the initial registration
Source: dlcp.dc.gov · verified September 15, 2026 (1 mo ago) · send source
“Tax Registation & Clean Hands Certificate”
Certificate of Occupancy or Home Occupation Permit
For the initial registration
When: Required if the business operates from a location in the District. BBL form Section C includes Not in DC.
Source: dlcp.dc.gov · verified September 15, 2026 (1 mo ago) · send source
“Certificate of Occupancy/Home Occupation Permit”
Corporate Registration
For the initial registration
When: If applicable
Source: dlcp.dc.gov · verified September 15, 2026 (1 mo ago) · send source
“Corporate Registration (If Applicable)”

Exemptions

Membership
Exclusively among the membership of the soliciting agency.
Source: code.dccouncil.gov · verified September 14, 2026 (1 mo ago) · send source
“Exclusively among the membership of the soliciting agency.”
Religious
The provisions of this chapter shall not apply to any person making…
This exemption still requires a filing.
Source: code.dccouncil.gov · verified September 15, 2026 (1 mo ago) · send source
“The provisions of this chapter shall not apply to any person making solicitations, including solicitations for educational purposes, solely for a church or a religious corporation or a corporation or an unincorporated association under the supervision and control of any such church or religious corporation”
Small organization
Threshold: $25,000 (contributions)
Source: code.dccouncil.gov · verified September 15, 2026 (1 mo ago) · send source
“no exemption granted under authority of this subsection shall exceed for any calendar year $25,000 in money or property, adjusted once a year on October 1, in accordance with the consumer price index for the Washington-Baltimore Metropolitan Statistical Area, or any successor index, as published by the United States Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, or any successor agency.”

Duties that apply only to some organizations

If the organization holds a District certificate of registration to solicit
“Each registrant shall, within 30 days after the period for which a certificate of registration has been issued, and within 30 days after a demand therefor by the Mayor, file a report with the Mayor, stating the contributions secured as a result of any solicitation authorized by such certificate and in detail all expenses of or connected with such solicitation, and showing exactly for what use and in what manner all such contributions were or are intended to be dispensed or distributed.”
Source: code.dccouncil.gov · verified October 14, 2026 (2 days ago) · send source

Enforcement in District of Columbia

Penalties

Any person violating any provision of this chapter, or regulation made pursuant thereto, or filing, or causing to be filed, an application or report pursuant to this chapter, or regulation made pursuant thereto, containing any false or fraudulent statement, shall be punished by a fine of not more than $500, or by imprisonment of not more than 60 days, or by both such fine and imprisonment.

Source: D.C. Code §44-1712(a) · verified September 23, 2026 (23 days ago) · send source

“Any person violating any provision of this chapter, or regulation made pursuant thereto, or filing, or causing to be filed, an application or report pursuant to this chapter, or regulation made pursuant thereto, containing any false or fraudulent statement, shall be punished by a fine of not more than $500, or by imprisonment of not more than 60 days, or by both such fine and imprisonment.”

Frequently Asked Questions

Does District of Columbia require charitable solicitation registration?

Yes. District of Columbia requires charitable organizations, as its statute defines them, to register. The Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection (DLCP) handles registration.

Source: code.dccouncil.gov · verified September 14, 2026 (1 mo ago) · send source

“(a) No person shall solicit in the District of Columbia unless he holds a valid certificate of registration authorizing such solicitation.”

How much does District of Columbia charitable registration cost?

The initial registration fee is $99. Renewal is $99 for 2 years, $198 for 4 years.

Source: dlcp.dc.gov · verified September 15, 2026 (1 mo ago) · send source

“$0 Charitable Solicitation: 2-year license - $99.”

When is the District of Columbia charitable registration filing deadline?

In District of Columbia, your renewal is due the last day of the month your registration was issued, at the end of its term.

What documents are required for District of Columbia charitable registration renewal?

The primary form is BBL with Charitable Solicitation Endorsement. Forms and instructions: https://dlcp.dc.gov/node/1618416

Are there any exemptions from District of Columbia charitable registration?

Yes. This guide cites these District of Columbia exemptions:

Membership
Religious
Small organization
Whether an exemption applies depends on your facts. Read the quoted source above.

Where do I file District of Columbia charitable registration?

Filings go to the Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection (DLCP); the agency page names the current method.

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