District of Columbia General Contractor License Requirements (2026)

The District of Columbia does issue a Basic Business License (BBL) for General Contractor/Construction Manager work, and it separately issues a Home Improvement Contractor (HIC) BBL. Choose the category that matches the business activity: DLCP lists General Contractor/Construction Manager classes A, B, C, G, and H and a separate HIC category. Both need business, tax, location, Clean Hands, and liability-insurance records. HIC adds a $25,000 surety bond, a police criminal-history report, and a home-improvement contract. General contractors and HICs doing residential contracting must maintain at least one Home Improvement Salesperson BBL.

Regulatory Body

Licensing for this trade is governed by District of Columbia Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection — Business Licensing (DLCP), the agency that issues and regulates the credential under D.C. Official Code Title 47, Chapter 28; applicable D.C. Municipal Regulations. DLCP issues Basic Business Licenses for contractor and construction-service categories, receives the required business, insurance, location, tax, and consumer-protection documents, and coordinates licensing compliance with other District agencies.

• Official portal: https://dlcp.dc.gov/service/business-licensing-division
• Address: 1100 4th Street, SW, Washington, DC 20024
• Phone: (202) 671-4500

Eligibility Requirements

Applicants must be at least 18 years old. Applicants must provide a Social Security Number. A BBL applicant needs a FEIN or SSN. Corporations, partnerships, and LLCs—domestic or foreign—must be registered and in good standing with DLCP’s Corporations Division and have a registered agent. DLCP does not state a blanket DC-residency condition.

Good moral character

DLCP performs a Clean Hands check during the BBL process. An applicant may not owe more than $1,000 to the DC government. HIC applicants also provide the specified police criminal-history report.

Background investigation

A police criminal-history report is a listed document for Home Improvement Contractor. DLCP’s current General Contractor/Construction Manager checklist does not list that report.

Experience and Education

The cited source set does not publish a fixed year-based experience threshold for this credential. The controlling requirement is DLCP’s current BBL category page does not list a general trade-experience requirement or examination for General Contractor/Construction Manager or HIC. It instead lists the applicable business, insurance, contract, and consumer-protection documents..

Accepted proof of experience or eligibility

• Certificate of liability insurance
• Certificate of Occupancy for a commercial DC location or Home Occupation Permit for a DC home location
• Tax registration and Clean Hands certification
• Corporate registration when applicable
• General-contractor contract or HIC contract for the selected category
• For HIC: police criminal-history report and $25,000 surety bond

Education substitution

Not applicable; DLCP does not list education or experience as an alternative to the current BBL documentation requirements.

Exam Requirements

No statewide examination is specified for this pathway. The controlling process is: No DLCP trade examination is listed for these Basic Business License categories

Examination fee: No General Contractor/Construction Manager or Home Improvement Contractor examination fee is listed in DLCP’s current category page.

Retake policy: Not applicable. Correct any BOSS deficiency notice by supplying the outstanding category documents.

Insurance and Bonds

The applicant must secure and file a $25,000 surety bond before the DLCP will release the license.

General liability

Both General Contractor/Construction Manager and HIC applicants submit a Certificate of Liability Insurance. The certificate must be issued to the registered organization and stated premise address, describe the DC service location, name DLCP as certificate holder, and stay in force for the license period. DLCP’s public page does not state one universal dollar limit for both categories; General Contractor/Construction Manager insurance is subject to 17 DCMR § 3902 and must come from a DC-authorized insurer rated at least B+ by A.M. Best.

Workers' compensation

DLCP’s current contractor-category checklist does not list a workers’ compensation certificate as a BBL document. Employers must separately comply with applicable District workers’ compensation law.

Additional financial requirements

DLCP’s current General Contractor/Construction Manager and HIC lists do not state a financial-statement or net-worth requirement. The $25,000 HIC bond is a distinct HIC requirement, not a general-contractor requirement.

Fee Schedule

To turn these board fees into a realistic year-one budget — bond premium, liability insurance, and exam prep included — open the cost calculator preloaded for District of Columbia general contractor.

Renewal and Continuing Education

The DC General Contractor/Construction Manager or Home Improvement Contractor Basic Business License must be renewed every 2 years. The fee to renew is presently $99. A BBL may be issued for two or four years under the current format; the listed two-year and four-year fees are $99 and $198. Renew through BOSS with current category documents. Late-renewal penalties begin at $75 after expiration.

Continuing education: DLCP’s current BBL Contractor and Construction Services page does not state a continuing-education requirement for General Contractor/Construction Manager or HIC.

Reciprocity

District of Columbia grants no NASCLA reciprocity for this classification.

These are District business-license categories. DLCP does not publish a contractor-BBL reciprocity route; apply directly through BOSS with the documents for the selected category.

Weighing more than one jurisdiction? The national hub compares published General Contractor license requirements by state — exam, bond, fee, and experience thresholds side by side.

General Contractor Licensing in Neighboring States

Contractors working near a state line, or weighing where to qualify first, should compare District of Columbia's requirements against the bordering jurisdictions before committing to an application:

• Maryland General Contractor License Requirements — Maryland Home Improvement Contractor (MHIC) License
• Virginia General Contractor License Requirements — Virginia Class A, B, or C Contractor (RBC, CBC, or BLD)

Step-by-Step Application Roadmap

1. Choose the correct contractor category. Use the DLCP directory to decide between General Contractor/Construction Manager and Home Improvement Contractor. Do not treat HIC as the only DC general-contractor path.
2. Register the business and tax account. Register the entity or trade name when applicable, obtain the required FEIN or use the SSN, register with DC tax, and ensure corporate good standing and registered-agent information if applicable.
3. Establish the business location record. Use a Certificate of Occupancy for a DC commercial location or a Home Occupation Permit for a DC home-based business. A DC location triggers the applicable record.
4. Prepare category documents. Both categories need liability insurance, Clean Hands, and a contract. HIC additionally needs the police report and $25,000 surety bond.
5. Designate a Home Improvement Salesperson when required. HICs and General Contractors doing residential contracting must maintain at least one Home Improvement Salesperson BBL.
6. Apply online through BOSS. Submit the BBL application and current documents online. DLCP may request further proof or inspections.
7. Renew on the selected term. Since August 2025, new and renewed BBLs use customer-selected two- or four-year terms, subject to category eligibility. Keep insurance and HIC bonding current.

Application Checklist

Before submitting to DLCP, the applicant should have each of the following ready:

• Correct BBL category: General Contractor/Construction Manager or HIC
• FEIN or SSN and DC tax registration
• Clean Hands attestation/check
• Certificate of Occupancy for a DC commercial location or Home Occupation Permit for a DC home location
• Corporate registration, good standing, and registered agent for an entity
• Liability insurance certificate meeting DLCP’s current certificate requirements
• Category-appropriate contract
• For HIC: police criminal-history report and $25,000 surety bond
• At least one Home Improvement Salesperson BBL when doing residential contracting

Progress is saved in this browser, so you can return to this checklist while your application is in flight.

Common Filing Mistakes

The errors below are the ones that most frequently cost District of Columbia General Contractor applicants time, drawn from the cited board guidance.

Calling HIC the only DC general-contractor credential

DLCP separately lists General Contractor/Construction Manager and HIC. Choose the actual business activity before filing.

Using the obsolete $437 fee or fixed two-year assumption

DLCP currently lists $99 for a two-year BBL and $198 for a four-year term, with a selected term format in effect since August 2025.

Omitting the HIC police report or bond

Those are HIC-specific requirements; the HIC surety-bond amount is $25,000 for the license period.

Using the old $100 Clean Hands threshold

DLCP’s current FAQ uses $1,000 as the amount a BBL applicant may not exceed in DC government debt.

Forgetting the residential-salesperson rule

HICs and general contractors doing residential contracting must designate and maintain at least one Home Improvement Salesperson BBL.

Study and Reference Materials

These materials are drawn from the regulator's own citations and the references applicants commonly use to prepare. CLR receives no compensation for listing them.

• DLCP Contractor and Construction Services category page — District of Columbia DLCP. Current category-specific requirements, sales-person rule, and BBL fee options.
• DLCP BBL steps and FAQs — District of Columbia DLCP. Current FEIN/SSN, tax, Clean Hands, location, entity, online-application, term, and late-penalty information.
• DC Construction Codes and permit requirements — District of Columbia. Use the current District code and permitting resources for the construction project; BBL issuance does not replace permits.

Other District of Columbia Trade Licenses

Looking at a different trade? CLR also publishes these District of Columbia licensing guides:

• District of Columbia Electrician License Requirements
• District of Columbia Plumber License Requirements
• District of Columbia HVAC Technician License Requirements
• District of Columbia Roofing Contractor License Requirements
• District of Columbia Painting Contractor License Requirements
• District of Columbia Landscaping Contractor License Requirements
• District of Columbia Masonry Contractor License Requirements
• District of Columbia Concrete Contractor License Requirements
• District of Columbia Carpentry Contractor License Requirements
• District of Columbia Solar Installer License Requirements
• District of Columbia Low-Voltage Technician License Requirements
• District of Columbia Fire Sprinkler Contractor License Requirements
• District of Columbia Home Inspector License Requirements
• District of Columbia Pool Contractor License Requirements
• District of Columbia Handyman License Requirements
• District of Columbia Pest Control License Requirements
• District of Columbia Septic Contractor License Requirements

Frequently Asked Questions

Does DC have a general contractor license?

Yes. DLCP’s Contractor and Construction Services category includes a Basic Business License for General Contractor/Construction Manager, classes A, B, C, G, and H. Home Improvement Contractor is a separate BBL category with additional requirements.

What is the difference between General Contractor/Construction Manager and HIC?

Both categories require liability insurance, location records, corporate registration when applicable, tax registration, Clean Hands, and a contract. HIC additionally requires a police criminal-history report and a $25,000 surety bond.

Is there an exam or experience minimum?

DLCP’s current BBL category page does not list a general-contractor or HIC trade examination or minimum-experience requirement. It lists business and consumer-protection documentation instead.

What is the current Clean Hands threshold?

DLCP’s current BBL FAQ says an applicant may not owe more than $1,000 to the DC government and attests to Clean Hands through the online application. The former $100 figure is not current.

How long is a DC contractor BBL valid?

For new applications and renewals under DLCP’s August 2025 format, the customer selects a two- or four-year term where eligible. General Contractor/Construction Manager can also select the listed six-month term; HIC cannot.

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