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How much does it cost to start an LLC in Washington DC?
A DC LLC costs $99 to file online with the Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection (DLCP), or $199 on paper or at the counter. Add a registered agent (the person or company that accepts legal mail for you) at roughly $50 to $150 a year. A simple remote filing for a non-resident lands near $200 to $400 in year one, before any industry licence.
Quick Answer: The DC LLC filing fee is $99 online and $199 for paper or in-person filing. A registered agent runs about $50 to $150 a year. Every two years you owe a $300 biennial report. A walk-in for one-day service adds a $100 expedite fee. Budget $200 to $400 for year one on a simple service business.
Three buckets keep this honest. Government fees go to DLCP. Provider fees go to whoever files for you or acts as your agent. Recurring fees come back whether or not you earn a dollar.
| Cost item | Amount | Who gets it | When due |
|---|---|---|---|
| Certificate of Organization (online) | $99 | Government | At filing |
| Certificate of Organization (paper/in person) | $199 | Government | At filing |
| Walk-in one-day expedite | $100 extra | Government | At filing |
| Registered agent | ~$50–$150/yr | Provider | Yearly |
| Formation service | $0–$300 | Provider | One-time |
| Biennial report | $300 | Government | Every 2 years |
| Basic Business License | Varies by category | Government | Before operating |
| Home Occupation Permit | Check the current official fee | Government | If home-based |
The DLCP fee schedule lists the certificate of organization at $99 [8]. Walk-in customers pay a $100 expedited fee on top of regular filing fees for one-day service [9]. If you want the filing walkthrough itself, see US LLC formation for non-residents.
What is the DC LLC filing fee, and is there a franchise tax on top?
The DC LLC filing fee is $99 online and $199 for paper or in-person filing. The franchise tax is a separate annual tax with a minimum that starts around $250. These are two different obligations, and plenty of guides blur them.
The franchise tax is DC's tax on doing business in the District. It is not a filing fee and not a receipt for paperwork. It depends on your income, your entity classification and whether you have DC nexus (a real connection to the District that triggers tax). A partnership-taxed LLC and a corporation-taxed LLC do not file the same form or pay the same way.
Heads-up: the $99 figure is the online price. The $199 figure applies to paper and counter filings. Both are current on the DLCP schedule [8]. The $100 walk-in expedite is a third charge, not a replacement for either [9].
Say your LLC is a two-member consulting shop with one client in DC and both members in India. You file online for $99. Your franchise tax position depends on your federal classification and your DC activity, which is a conversation for a qualified tax professional, not a blog post. Get that answer before you budget the year.
For the federal side, Form 5472 and Form 1120 for a foreign-owned single-member LLC are covered under federal tax support for Form 5472 and Form 1120.
When is the DC biennial report due, and how much is it?
The DC biennial report costs $300 and is filed every two years, due April 1 in even-numbered years. It is not an annual report. DC runs a two-year cycle.
The report confirms your registered agent and principal office. Miss it and DLCP can revoke your LLC's good standing, which then blocks bank accounts, contracts and payment processors until you fix it. That repair costs more than the $300.
Is the biennial report the same as the annual report?
No. DC does not have an annual report for LLCs. It has a biennial report on a two-year cycle. If a guide tells you to file an "annual report" in DC, it is describing another state's rule.
Suppose you form your LLC in March 2026. Your first biennial report is due April 1, 2028. That gives you two years of runway, and then $300 every second year after that. Put it in your calendar the day you file, not the month it is due.
Do you need a registered agent in DC, and what does one cost?
Yes. DC requires a registered agent with a physical DC street address, available during business hours. A P.O. box does not work. Commercial registered agent services run roughly $50 to $150 a year.
Who can serve? A DC resident, or a registered entity authorised to do business in DC. That rules out most non-residents using themselves. You are not standing in a DC office at 2pm on a Tuesday to accept a service of process envelope.
| Option | Cost | Privacy | Reliability |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yourself (DC street address required) | $0 | Your address is public | You must be physically present |
| Friend or family in DC | $0–low | Their address is public | Depends on a person |
| Commercial registered agent | ~$50–$150/yr | Their address is public | Contractual, monitored |
The cheap option is not free. It is a favour, and favours expire. For a non-resident running a US LLC from abroad, a commercial agent is the sane default.
If you also need banking sorted, opening a US business bank account is the step most founders do right after the EIN.
What is the realistic first-year total for a non-resident forming remotely?
Budget $200 to $400 in year one for a simple service LLC: $99 filing, about $100 for a registered agent, and $0 to $300 if you use a formation service. Year two adds the $300 biennial report.
Line by line, for a remote non-resident:
- Certificate of Organization: $99 (government, one-time)
- Registered agent: ~$100 (provider, yearly)
- Formation service: $0–$300 (provider, optional)
- EIN: $0 from the IRS (free if you file Form SS-4 yourself)
- Basic Business License: varies by category (government)
- Home Occupation Permit: check the current official fee (government, if home-based)
- Biennial report: $300 (government, every two years)
Three-year view, no licences: $99 + $300 agent + $300 report + $300 agent = $999. That is the number the $99 headline hides.
Imagine you skip the formation service and file on BOSS yourself. You save $0 to $300, you still pay the $99, and you still need an agent. The saving is real. The work is a form, a name check and a payment.
Getting the EIN without an SSN is the part that trips people. That is covered at getting an EIN as a non-US resident.
How does DC compare to Delaware and Wyoming on cost?
DC's $99 filing is cheap upfront. The $300 biennial report is where DC gets expensive. Wyoming's annual report is far smaller, and Delaware adds a franchise tax on top of its filing fee.
| State | Formation fee | Ongoing report | Franchise tax | Registered agent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington DC | $99 online / $199 paper | $300 every 2 years | Minimum around $250 | Required |
| Delaware | Check the current official fee | Check the current official fee | Yes, varies by entity | Required |
| Wyoming | Check the current official fee | Check the current official fee | No | Required |
Pick a state by where you actually operate and where tax nexus lands, not by the smallest filing fee. A founder with no US presence at all usually picks on banking access and investor expectations, not on $50 of state fees.
Common Mistakes
Treating $99 as the whole cost. It is the filing fee. The agent, the biennial report and the franchise tax are all still coming.
Calling the biennial report annual. DC runs a two-year cycle. Filing in the wrong year does not satisfy the requirement.
Confusing the biennial report with the franchise tax. One is a $300 filing fee. The other is a tax with a minimum around $250. They are separate.
Forgetting the agent renewal. The agent bills yearly. The LLC does not remind you.
Using a P.O. box as the agent address. DC requires a physical street address. The filing gets rejected.
Skipping the Basic Business License. DC requires a general business licence before you operate. The fee depends on your category.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the DC LLC filing fee $99 or $199? Both. $99 online through BOSS, $199 for paper or in-person filing. A walk-in for one-day service adds $100 [9].
Do I have to pay the $300 biennial report every year? No. It is every two years, due April 1 in even-numbered years.
Is the DC franchise tax the same as the biennial report fee? No. The franchise tax is a separate annual tax with a minimum around $250. The biennial report is a $300 filing fee.
Can a non-resident be their own registered agent in DC? Only with a physical DC street address and business-hours availability. Otherwise you need a commercial agent.
What is the cheapest way to form a DC LLC remotely? File directly on DLCP's BOSS portal for $99 and use a low-cost registered agent. Skip add-ons you will not use.
NexFyla helps non-US founders form US companies and set up EIN and US business banking support. If you want help with US LLC formation, EIN and business setup, NexFyla can assist.
*Last updated: March 2026.*
Related reading
- California LLC Filing Fee and the $800 Annual Tax: The Real Cost
- Texas LLC Filing Fee in 2026: What a Non-Resident Actually Pays
- New Mexico LLC Filing Fee and the Zero Annual Fee Question
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