NAICS CODE: 561612

NAICS DESCRIPTION: This classification means any individual or firm engaged in the business of providing security services.

Endorsement Class: Inspected Sales & Services

Legal Authority: DC Official Code 47-2839a; 47-2851 DC Municipal Regulations Title 17, Chapter 21

License Duration: Two (2) Years

License Available Online: No

Category License Fee: N/A

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 and 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 BBL EZ Form 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 BBL EZ 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

Insurance Requirements
If your security agency employs more than 5 security officers, get general liability insurance of at least $250,000 per occurrence and $600,000 in total for the 2-year license period. (You’re not required to get general liability insurance if you employ 5 or fewer security officers.) Attach the original certificate or a notarized copy to your BBL application.

Metropolitan Police Department License
Get a Security Agency License from DC Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), Security Officers Management Branch (SOMB) , at 2000 14th St NW 3rd Floor, Washington DC. To get MPD approval to conduct this business activity, call SOMB at (202) 671-0500 for an appointment; the license fees are $500 per individual and $1,000 for a firm.

Bond Requirements
Applicants for the Security Agency no longer have a bond requirement.

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) 442-4400, or by email at bbl.infocenter@dc.gov.