[PR] DCRA Service Updates Around COVID-19

Thursday, March 19, 2020

The Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs’ (DCRA) office remains open, but we are encouraging residents and businesses to utilize our online services. Should you have any questions about how to use any of our services online, please utilize the live chat feature on our website during normal business hours, call (202) 442-4400, or email us at dcra@dc.gov.

On Tuesday, March 17, Mayor Bowser signed legislation to help the District respond to the current public health emergency. There are a couple of items from the legislation relevant to the services DCRA provides that we would like to update you on:

• Business Licensing/Registration: Any business licenses, professional/occupational licenses, vending licenses, etc. that expire during the declared emergency will be considered valid, and people will have until 45 days after the declared emergency is over to renew their licenses.

  • **Please note that all of the following can be done online at any time: apply for/renew a business license, register a corporation, form an LLC.

• Corporate Filings: Customers filing 2020 biennial reports between April 2nd and June 1st will not incur the late filing fee. The same is true for trade name renewals.

Construction continues to be allowed in the District Monday – Saturday from 7:00 am to 7:00 pm without any special permits. DCRA inspectors are continuing to investigate reports of illegal construction throughout the District.

To protect our employees and the general public, DCRA will also be contacting customers with previously scheduled in-person meetings to reschedule these meetings virtually, via WebEx.

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Updates
To keep up-to-date on the coronavirus (COVID-19) within the DC area, please visit coronavirus.dc.gov.