Get a Home Improvement Contractor License

NAICS CODE: 235990-1

NAICS DESCRIPTION: This classification applies if you conduct any of the following the repair, remodeling, alteration, conversion, or modernization of, or addition to, residential property, all as may be more particularly defined in the regulations.

Endorsement Class: General Services and Repair

Legal Authority: DC Code: 47-2883; 47-2851, DC Municipal Regulations, Title 16, Chapter 8

License Duration:   Two (2) Years    

License Available Online:   No             

Category License Fee: $167.00

Application Fee: $70.00

Endorsement Fee: $25.00

Technology Fee: 10 percent of total

Step-by-Step Application Requirements

STEP ONE : Zoning Compliance

Certificate of Occupancy/Home Occupancy for Compliance for Zoning Regulations
Before applying for your BBL, you'll need a Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) or a Home Occupation Permit for the location where your business is conducted to demonstrate that your business does not conflict with building and zoning codes.  (If your business is located in an office building, you may operate under the umbrella of the C of O issued to the owner of the building, as long as the C of O was issued for the entire building; check with your building owner or management company for the C of O holder name, number, and issue date.)  If you have any questions about Certificates of Occupancy, please call Permit Operations Customer Service at (202) 442-4589.

NOTE: You DO NOT need to attach a copy of the Certificate of Occupancy to your application. You DO need to provide C of O number and issue date on your application.

STEP TWO: Corporate Registration
Corporation Division Requirements

If you are a corporation, partnership or limited liability company you must be registered in the District and in good standing.  For instructions on how to register, please go to DCRA Corporate Registration Information Center. If you are a sole proprietor, no registration is necessary and you can skip this step. For more information, please call the Corporation Division at (202) 442-4432.

If you are not a resident of the District of Columbia, you'll need to appoint a Resident Agent or an Attorney-in-Fact who lives or works in an office in the District, who will be the official recipient of any financial, process, or legal notices that we need to send to you.  If you are not a DC resident, please complete the Certified Resident Agent Appointment Form*.

Every corporation needs to have a registered agent office in the District of Columbia. This office can but does not need to be the same as your place of business. Foreign corporations doing business in DC need to certify that their named registered agent is duly authorized to represent that corporation.

If your business uses a Trade Name, you'll need to register the name with DCRA and indicate both the trade name and the official business name (including its corporation, LLC, or partnership classification) if applicable. 

STEP THREE: Taxes
Office of Tax & Revenue (OTR) Registration
Before applying for your BBL, you'll also need to register your business with OTR and submit a copy of your tax registration certificate with your application.  If you're not already registered, simply complete and file a Combined Business Tax Registration Application (Form FR500). You get all the necessary forms and submit your application online at the Business Tax Service Center. For more information, please call the Tax Customer Center at (202) 727-4829.

STEP FOUR: Clean Hands Certification
You'll also need to certify that you don't owe more than $100 to the District of Columbia government as a result of fees, penalties, interest, or taxes through completion of a Clean Hands form provided in your BBL application package. Section G in the BBL EZ Form* or BBL EZ Form en Español* must be completed and signed for your application to be processed. A signed form from the Office of Tax and Revenue may also be required.

STEP FIVE: Basic Business License Application 

To make sure you get your BBL as quickly as possible, you must submit a properly completed Basic Business License Application after completing steps 1 through 4. All of your responses should be printed clearly in English.

Note on PDF Forms: To download and fill out the Basic Business License Application form you should open the form and save to your desktop. We recommend you also rename the form as you save to your desktop. For most users, you should be able to save your work. If you cannot, you should print the form before closing.

STEP SIX: Specific Category Requirements

Police Criminal History Report (Form PD 70)
You must attach a certified copy of your Police Criminal History Report from the jurisdiction in which you reside to the Basic Business License Application. You may obtain this Report (PD-70) from the DC Metropolitan Police Department in person at 300 Indiana Avenue, NW Room 3055, or call the Police Criminal History Report Division at (202) 727-4245 for additional details. A non-resident shall obtain this report from the jurisdiction in which he/she resides. All of the partners in a partnership, and the president, vice president, secretary, and treasurer of a corporation must provide a Police Criminal History Report.

Surety Bond
You must post a Surety Bond in the amount of $25,000 for the duration of this business activity’s two year license period. The Bond may be issued by an authorized insurance carrier, or you may post a cash bond with the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs.

Public Liability and Property Damage Insurance Certificate Required You must have an insurance certificate for public liability in the amount of $50, 000 to $100,000 and property damage in the amount of $10, 000 to $25,000 in force for the full (annual) period of the license pursuant to DC Code and DC Municipal Regulations. The insurance shall be cancelable only after thirty (30) days notice to the Department.

Contract Samples
You must submit two preprinted Contracts in at least triplicate, on a form which shall comply with existing regulations pursuant to DC Code and DC Municipal Regulations.

Salesperson
Provide a list of salespersons working for the company. You must submit at least one Home Improvement Salesperson application along with the application for a Home Improvement Contractor’s license. Please refer to the fact sheet for Home Improvement Salesperson.

Investigation/Approval
This type of business requires a background investigation prior to issuance of a license. This investigation will be conducted after submitting the application and all required documents.

STEP SEVEN: Additional Business Activities

If you conduct more than one business activity (endorsement type), you'll need to indicate those activities on your BBL application.  You might have any number of additional business activities connected to this particular license endorsement. 

Special Notes: If your business includes any of the above endorsement activities, you can get additional fact sheets and application forms by contacting DCRA's License Center at (202) 442-4311, or by email at bbl.infocenter@dc.gov.   

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