Washington D.C. Fundraising Licensing

Resources for charities, businesses, professional fundraisers, and individuals conducting charitable solicitation activities
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Fundraising Compliance Guide
IntroductionCharity Registration NumberOnline FundraisingUnified Registration Statement (URS)Charitable DisclosuresCharitable Registration Audit Requirements
Fundraising With ProfessionalsProfessional Fundraiser DisclosuresCommercial Co-Ventures and Cause Marketing Charitable Registered Agent Closing Licenses vs. Letting Them Lapse

Below, you'll find licensing requirements for a range of fundraising activities. At a glance, you can see requirements, fees, filing instructions, and links to forms for everything from charitable gaming and cause marketing to professional fundraisers and charitable gift annuities.

Make sure your fundraising activities meet the unique requirements of each jurisdiction where you’re soliciting. Feel free to explore, bookmark, and share!

Washington D.C. charitable solicitation license, Washington D.C. fundraising license
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Company Licenses

Washington D.C. Nonprofit & Fundraising Company Licenses

District of Columbia Bingo License

Game Type:

Bingo

Agency:District of Columbia Office of Lottery and Charitable Games
Notes:

Class A licenses are for games with 500 or more players, Class B licenses are for games with 250 to 500 players, Class C licenses are for games with 250 or fewer players, and Class D licenses are for recreational senior citizen groups.

Initial Registration

Agency:District of Columbia Office of Lottery and Charitable Games
Form:

Regular Bingo License Application

Agency Fee:

$500 for a Class A license, $250 for a Class B license, $50 for a Class C license, $0 for Class D license.

Original Ink:Not Required
Notarization Required?:Not Required

Registration Renewal

Agency:District of Columbia Office of Lottery and Charitable Games
Form:

Regular Bingo License Application

Agency Fee:

$500 for a Class A license, $250 for a Class B license, $50 for a Class C license, $0 for Class D license.

Due:

Annually by the date of issuance.

Original Ink:Not Required
Notarization Required?:Not Required

District of Columbia Charitable Gift Annuity Registration

Not required



Charitable Gift Annuity licensure is not required on the State level in District of Columbia.

The District of Columbia does not distinguish between annuities issued by charitable and for-profit entities.

District of Columbia Charitable Solicitation License

Agency:District of Columbia Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection - Business and Professional Licensing Administration - Business Licensing Division
Law:

District of Columbia Code Ann. § 44-1703

Foreign Qualification is Prerequisite:Yes
Registered Agent (Special Agency) Required?Yes

Registration to Obtain Exemption

Exemption Eligible Organizations:
  • Charities that raise less than $25,000 in contributions per calendar year provided that all functions, including fund raising functions, are carried on by individuals who are unpaid and that no part of the contributions shall inure to the benefit of any officer, member, or solicitor.
  • Religious institutions
  • Membership organizations
  • Entities making solicitations solely for the American National Red Cross
Filing Method:

Online

Agency Fee:

$0

Law:

District of Columbia Code Ann. § 44-1703

Renewal to Maintain Exemption

Exemption Eligible Organizations:
  • Charities that raise less than $25,000 in contributions per calendar year provided that all functions, including fund raising functions, are carried on by individuals who are unpaid and that no part of the contributions shall inure to the benefit of any officer, member, or solicitor.
  • Religious institutions
  • Membership organizations
  • Entities making solicitations solely for the American National Red Cross
Filing Method:

Online

Agency Fee:

$0

Due:

Every two or four years by the end of the month prior to your registration month, depending on the length of license selected. If you registered for the first time in September, your report will be due by the end of August two or four years later.

Law:

District of Columbia Code Ann. § 44-1703

Initial Registration

Filing Method:

Online

Agency Fee:

$412.50

Turnaround:

3-4 weeks

Original Ink:Not Required
Notarization Required?:Not Required
Notes:
  • Some District of Columbia counties and municipalities may require charities that solicit in-person to register prior to fundraising.
Before you Apply:

Domestic Applicants:

  • Check the available exemptions to see if your charity is eligible for exemption from the full registration requirement.
  • Appoint a registered agent to receive legal documents in D.C.
  • Look through the list of required attachments and make sure that you have each required document in hand before starting the registration application.

Foreign Applicants:

  • Check the available exemptions to see if your charity is eligible for exemption from the full registration requirement.
  • Appoint a registered agent to receive legal documents in D.C.
  • Obtain a certificate of good standing from your home state (to be filed during the foreign qualification process). The certificate cannot be more than 90 days old when filing foreign qualification documents.
  • Look through the list of required attachments and make sure that you have each required document in hand before starting the registration application.
How to Apply:

Domestic Applicants:

  1. File entity formation documents with the District of Columbia Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs - Corporations Division.
  2. Complete a New Business Registration with the District of Columbia Office of Tax and Revenue.
  3. Create a MyTax account and submit a franchise tax exemption request online.
  4. Create an Access DC account and submit an application for a charitable solicitation basic business license along with all required attachments.

Foreign Applicants:

  1. File foreign qualification documents with the District of Columbia Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs - Corporations Division.
  2. Complete a New Business Registration with the District of Columbia Office of Tax and Revenue.
  3. Create a MyTax account and submit a franchise tax exemption request online.
  4. Create an Access DC account and submit an application for a charitable solicitation basic business license along with all required attachments.
Required Attachments:

  • IRS determination letter
  • Professional fundraising contracts
  • Certificate of occupancy
  • DC tax number or certificate
  • Certified resolution

Registration Renewal

Filing Method:

Online

Agency Fee:
  • $412.50 for a 2-year license
  • $825 for a 4-year license
Due:
  • Every two or four years by the end of the month prior to your registration month, depending on the length of license selected. If you registered for the first time in September, your report will be due by the end of August two or four years later.
  • Licenses can be renewed as early as 75 days prior to their expiration date.
Due Date Extension:

D.C. does not grant extensions for charitable organization registration.

Original Ink:Not Required
Notarization Required?:Not Required
Penalties:
  • $250/month late fee (maximum of $500)
  • Charities who do not renew their license within 6 months past its expiration date will need to go through the initial licensing process again
Required Attachments:

None

Financial Reporting

Filing Method:

Online

Agency Fee:

$0

Due:

Within 30 days after the period for which a certificate of registration is issued OR within 30 days after a demand by the Mayor

Notes:

Each registrant shall file a report with the Mayor, stating the contributions secured as a result of any solicitation authorized by such certificate and in detail all expenses of or connected with such solicitation, and showing exactly for what use and in what manner all such contributions were or are intended to be dispensed or distributed.

Reinstatement

Not required



Formal Reinstatement is not required. Charities can renew an existing license for up to 6 months past its expiration date. After 6 months, they must go through the initial licensing process again. Late fees are not applicable to charities going through this process.

Cancelation

Filing Method:

Online

Agency Fee:

$0

Notes:

To close out your registration, submit a BBL cancelation request form online.

District of Columbia Commercial Co-Venturer Registration

Not required



Commercial Co-venturer licensure is not required on the State level in District of Columbia.

District of Columbia does not currently have a traditional registration requirement for commercial co-venturers, but they may need to follow other regulations before and after fundraising events.

District of Columbia Fundraising Counsel Registration

Not required



Fundraising Counsel licensure is not required on the State level in District of Columbia.

District of Columbia does not currently have a traditional registration requirement for fundraising counsels, but they may need to follow other regulations before and after fundraising events.

District of Columbia Monte Carlo Night Party License

Game Type:

Monte Carlo games

Agency:District of Columbia Office of Lottery and Charitable Games
Notes:

Charities cannot hold more than 2 Monte Carlo events in a calendar year.

Initial Registration

Agency:District of Columbia Office of Lottery and Charitable Games
Form:

Monte Carlo Night Party License Application

Agency Fee:

$100 for Monte Carlo Night Party or Monte Carlo and raffle license, $10 for senior citizen group Monte Carlo license, and $500 for a combined Monte Carlo and texas hold'em license.

Original Ink:Not Required
Notarization Required?:Not Required

Renewal Not Required

Not required



Monte Carlo Night licenses allow for a single event and cannot be renewed.

More information: District of Columbia Office of Lottery and Charitable Games

District of Columbia Professional Fundraiser Registration

Not required



Professional Fundraiser licensure is not required on the State level in District of Columbia.

District of Columbia does not currently have a traditional registration requirement for professional fundraisers, but they may need to follow other regulations before and after fundraising events.

District of Columbia Raffle License

Game Type:

Raffles

Agency:District of Columbia Office of Lottery and Charitable Games
Prize Limits:

Class 2 license prizes cannot exceed $100,000, Class 3 license prizes cannot exceed $15,000, Class 4 license prizes cannot exceed $3,000, Class 5 license prizes cannot exceed $500.

Initial Registration

Agency:District of Columbia Office of Lottery and Charitable Games
Form:

Raffle License Application

Agency Fee:

$200 for a Class 1 license, $100 for a Class 2 license, $50 for a Class 3 license, $25 for a Class 4 license, $10 for a Class 5 license.

Original Ink:Not Required
Notarization Required?:Not Required

Registration Renewal

Form:

Raffle License Application

Agency Fee:
  • Class 4: $25
  • Class 5: $10
Due:

180 days from date of issuance

Registration Renewal

Agency:District of Columbia Office of Lottery and Charitable Games
Form:

Raffle License Application

Agency Fee:
  • $200 for a Class 1 license
  • $100 for a Class 2 license
  • $50 for a Class 3 license
Due:

Annually by date of issuance

Original Ink:Not Required
Notarization Required?:Not Required

Individual Licenses

Washington D.C. Individual Nonprofit & Fundraising Licenses

District of Columbia Individual Professional Fundraiser Registration

Not required



Professional Solicitor licensure is not required on the State level in District of Columbia.

Solicitors who are not employed by a professional fundraising firm but operate independently may be required to register. Employees of professional fundraising firms are generally not required to register as an individual solicitor in District of Columbia.

There’s a Better Way to Stay Compliant Stop spending precious time managing state-by-state fundraising requirements. Take advantage of our full-service compliance solutions and get back to focusing on what’s most important: fulfilling your organization’s mission. Reduce Your Workload

Learn about fundraising in other jurisdictions:

Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware D.C. Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho
Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri
Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania
Puerto Rico Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming

Related Resources
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Charitable Solicitation Compliance
An explanation of increasingly complex state charity requirements.

Revised February 10, 2025. Complete data last reviewed June 10, 2021.