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District of Columbia Business Entity Search

Entities doing business in the District of Columbia are registered with the Corporations Division of the Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection, using the BOSS portal (formerly CorpOnline). The public Global Search is shared with licenses, addresses and vehicles. A reCAPTCHA stopped our test search, so this guide covers the form and the District’s own pages, not result screens. This is the District of Columbia registry, not Washington State.

Official agency: District of Columbia Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection, Corporations Division (Office of Corporate Registrar)

Open Official Government SearchOpens boss.dc.gov in a new tab. This is the official government site, not EntityLocator.

Direct links on the official site

Search methods offered

  • Business NameThe main starting point for finding a registered entity.
  • Initial File NumberAnother visible choice if you have the registry’s initial file number.
  • MatchingContains (selected at first), Starts With or Exact Match.
  • Other Search Types in the shared formAddress, License Number, Person Name, VVS, License Plate and Vehicle License Number. These belong to the shared Global Search. We didn’t test them for corporate records, and we don’t define VVS.

How to search

  1. Open the BOSS Global Search using the button above. You can also start at boss.dc.gov and choose View under Global Search in Resources. No sign-in was needed to reach it.
  2. In Search Type, select Business Name. If you have the registry’s initial file number, select Initial File Number.
  3. Enter the name or number in the single text box.
  4. Choose Contains, Starts With or Exact Match.
  5. Select Search. A user validation prompt with a reCAPTCHA checkbox may appear. Complete it yourself to continue.
  6. Check that any record you open is a corporate registration, not a license or another kind of record, before you rely on it as evidence of an entity. We didn’t see results, so we can’t describe how to open or read one.

What you can expect to find

  • We did not see results or a record, so this guide does not list result columns or record fields such as name, status, type, dates, file number, agent, governor or address. We also saw no dedicated registered agent field, status filter, formation date field or entity type filter on the public form.
  • The District’s FAQ describes registered entity search with expanded information, including report history, trade name, registered agent and governor information. It covers BOSS services generally, including signed-in access, so that isn’t proof these fields appear in the public Global Search.
  • The Corporations Division registers domestic and foreign nonprofit and for-profit corporations, LLCs, limited partnerships, limited liability partnerships, cooperative associations and statutory trusts. It also registers trade names used by registered entities, and non-filing organizations such as sole proprietorships, general partnerships and unincorporated nonprofit associations.
  • Corporate registration is separate from business licensing, permits and tax registration. Don’t treat every result from the shared search as an entity registration.

Limitations, fees and notices

  • Global Search opened without logging in and showed no fee before the reCAPTCHA. We could not complete a search, so we can’t confirm it’s free. The portal also offers Sign-in with Access DC for signed-in services, which doesn’t mean search requires an account. We didn’t verify whether details need a sign-in.
  • Certificates and copies are separate BOSS services. The District’s LLC fee table lists a good standing or status certificate at $50.00 and a certified copy of a filing at $50.00, for domestic and foreign LLCs only. Don’t apply those figures to other entity types, which have their own tables. A separate request is needed for each filing you want as a certified copy, and D.C. doesn’t issue good-standing certificates for trade names.
  • Filings are separate too. For example, a domestic LLC certificate of organization is a $99.00 filing fee, and a domestic LLC name reservation or transfer is $50.00. They aren’t search charges.
  • A public name search does not reserve a name or show approval. Reservations and foreign name registrations are separate filings. We didn’t find a dedicated name availability inquiry or its fee.
  • The FAQ still has some CorpOnline wording from before the move to BOSS, so don’t follow its dashboard instructions as a current public-search workflow.
  • We didn’t verify pagination, maximum results, wildcard support, update frequency or download restrictions.

Sources and research notes

Sources reviewed: . Official sites change; always confirm current details on the government site.

Research for this guide used the official District of Columbia sites in a web browser. The Global Search form was inspected, but a reCAPTCHA stopped the test search, so no results or records were reviewed.

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