Washington, D.C. contractor license requirements

To contract in Washington, D.C., you need a Basic Business License (BBL) with a Contractor and Construction Services endorsement from DLCP. There are two main categories: General Contractor/Construction Manager, split into Classes A, B, C, G, and H by maximum contract size, and Home Improvement Contractor for residential work. There is no general contractor exam. What DLCP checks is insurance, tax standing, your business location, and, for home improvement work, a bond and a police background report. Electricians, plumbers, HVAC and refrigeration mechanics, and other trades need individual licenses from the Board of Industrial Trades on top of that.

General contractor classes and insurance

The District sizes general contractor licenses by the value of a single contract, and each class carries a minimum commercial general liability requirement under 17 DCMR section 3902.1. Pick the class that covers the largest single contract you expect to sign. Coverage can be primary or umbrella for Classes A and B.

Here is how that plays out. A firm holding a Class H license wants to bid a $1.2 million office fit-out on K Street. That contract is over its $500,000 cap, so before signing it would need at least a Class G license, which means a certificate of insurance showing $500,000 per occurrence and $1,000,000 aggregate. Plan the class change, and the insurance change, before bid day. The certificate of insurance you submit has to match the class you apply for.

Home improvement contractor requirements

Residential remodelers apply for the Home Improvement Contractor endorsement. On top of the standard BBL documents, DLCP requires a police criminal history report, a sample home improvement contract, and a Home Improvement Surety Bond of $25,000 kept in force for the full two-year license period. The bond can come from an authorized insurance carrier or surety company, or you can post a cash bond with DLCP. Liability insurance minimums under 16 DCMR section 803.2 are $50,000 for bodily injury or death of one person, $100,000 for more than one person in a single accident, and $10,000 for property damage.

One rule catches general contractors by surprise: every Home Improvement Contractor, and every General Contractor doing residential contracting, must designate and maintain a Basic Business License for at least one Home Improvement Salesperson. A commercial GC that takes a single rowhouse renovation needs that salesperson license in place first.

How to apply for a DC contractor license

1. Get a tax ID. DLCP requires a valid Federal Employer Identification Number or Social Security Number before you apply.
2. Register the entity. Corporations and LLCs need corporate registration with the District before licensing.
3. Register for DC taxes and get Clean Hands. You may not owe more than $1,000 to the DC government. You attest to Clean Hands during the application.
4. Secure a location document. A business operating from a DC address needs a Certificate of Occupancy; a home-based business needs a Home Occupation Permit.
5. Gather insurance and bond. Have the certificate of liability insurance for your class and, for home improvement work, the $25,000 bond and police report.
6. Apply in BOSS. DLCP moved business licensing to its new BOSS platform at boss.dc.gov in August 2026, and its FAQ says applications should be submitted there. You can renew up to 90 days before expiration.

Do not let the license lapse. DLCP adds a $75 penalty once a license lapses, another $75 at 31 days past expiration, and another $200 at the pending enforcement referral stage, and those charges do not include penalties for doing business without a license.

Subcontractors need their own license

DLCP is direct about this: the license of the contractor you work for is not valid for your contracting business. Every subcontractor needs its own Basic Business License in the right category. For GCs, that means collecting each sub's BBL along with its insurance certificate during buyout. Our guide to what a subcontractor COI should include covers the insurance side.

Trade licenses from the Board of Industrial Trades

The Board of Industrial Trades licenses asbestos workers, plumbers and gasfitters, electricians, refrigeration and air conditioning mechanics, steam and other operating engineers, and elevator trades, and it handles trade contractor registration. Exams are scheduled through PSI. Renewal cycles differ by trade, and the board posts a separate renewal notice for electricians, plumbers, refrigeration and air conditioning mechanics, and the other trades, so check the notice for each license your crews hold.

DC contractor license lookup

Check a business license through the Global Search in BOSS, which DLCP's FAQ now points to, or the Scout database that DLCP still links as its business license verification tool. Check a trade license through the Occupational and Professional Licensing portal at govservices.dcra.dc.gov/oplaportal. Bidding public or federally funded work in the District also brings DC prevailing wage rules, and payment problems fall under DC mechanics lien law.