General Information
A foreign filing entity shall not do business in the District until it registers with the Superintendent of Corporations of DCRA. If entity has commenced doing business, then it may be liable for back reports and back fees as identified under Form FN-1.

Foreign filing entities include nonprofit and for-profit corporations, Limited Liability Companies, limited partnerships, limited liability partnerships, general cooperative associations, limited cooperative associations, statutory trust and general partnerships.

A foreign filing entity shall be considered to be doing business in the District if its internal affairs are governed by the laws of another jurisdiction but it holds itself out in the District as an entity as defined in D.C. Official Code 29-101.02(7)(A).

“Conducting business” shall be defined as any trade, profession, or activity that provides, or holds itself out to provide, goods or services to the general public or to any portion of the general public, for hire or compensation in the District of Columbia.

A foreign filing entity shall not be considered to be doing business in the District based on performing those actions outlined in D.C. Official Code 29-105.05.

To register to do business in the District, a foreign filing entity shall deliver a foreign registration statement form FN-1 to the Superintendent for filing either by web or by mail / walk-in.

NOTE: Walk-in Customers will be charged the expedited fee for one day service in the amount of $100 in addition to regular filing fees.

Online Filing

Go to CorpOnline site at https://corp.dcra.dc.gov, create a profile, access the online services main page (use Internet Explorer 8, Chrome, Firefox or Safari) and proceed. Online filers must pay by credit card. Once filing is submitted, print the last confirmation page for your records.

Reporting Requirement
Every domestic and foreign corporation, Limited Liability Company, Limited Liability Partnership, Limited Partnership (effective 01/12), General and Limited Cooperative Association, Business Trust (effective 01/12) is required to file two-year reports with Corporations Division to maintain good standing within the District of Columbia. Please, review the table below to determine report requirements for your entity.

*Limited Cooperative Association, Limited Partnership and Business Trust – effective 01/12.

**Foreign entities might be liable for back reports if commenced business prior to registration.