Washington DC Registered Agent
When You Want More
A Washington DC registered agent is a third-party appointed by a business to accept on its behalf legal notices issued by a court and official notifications sent by the Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection (DLCP). A registered agent in the District of Columbia may be either an individual residing in DC or a business entity registered in the District. The registered agent must maintain a physical street address, called a registered office, and keep regular business hours. A registered agent is a point of contact between the business and the State for issues of compliance and good standing.
With our Washington DC registered agent service, get Privacy by Default®, business address, free mail forwarding, free Phone Service for 60 days, and local Corporate Guides®—only at Northwest.
Everything You Need To Know About Washington DC Registered Agents:
- Get Washington DC Registered Agent Service
- What Do Washington DC Registered Agents Do?
- Legal Requirements for Washington DC Registered Agents
- How Do I Change My Washington DC Registered Agent?
- What Makes Northwest Different From Other Services?
- Washington DC Registered Agent FAQs
- How To Order Registered Agent Service

What Do Washington DC Registered Agents Do?
At minimum, Washington DC registered agents receive documents on behalf of your business in the District of Columbia and get them to you. DC registered agents accept legal documents (service of process) and official mail at a location called a registered office. In other words, your registered agent’s address acts as the official place where any service of process and official mail for your Washington DC LLC, Washington DC corporation or Washington DC nonprofit will be sent.
However, the right registered agent service can do much more. At Northwest, we go above and beyond the minimum to ensure top speed, security, privacy and support.
What Are the Legal Requirements for Washington DC Registered Agents?
Under the Washington D.C. Law ( § 29-104.04. ), Washington DC requires a registered agent to:
- Be a listed on a statement of appointment, which is done at the time of a business filing.
- Be a DC resident or a company that provides registered agent services.
- Maintain a registered office (a physical address in Washington D.C.).
- Accept legal documents (service of process) during normal business hours.
How Do I Change My Washington DC Registered Agent?
There are two ways to change your registered agent in Washington DC.
- Hire us and we’ll complete the change of agent form for you for free.
- Do it yourself and file a Statement of Change of Registered Agent form with the Washington DC Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection (DLCP).
What Makes Northwest Different From Other Services?
At Northwest, we do business the right way. We’re dedicated to getting you your docs fast, protecting your privacy and offering you support. Here’s how:
- Same-Day Scans, Instant Notifications: We accept and scan your docs at our local DC office the same day. We notify you instantly and reach out to you if your essential mail goes unread.
- Privacy by Default®: We automatically minimize the exposure of and access to your personal data. If we can put our address on a public doc instead of yours, we do. If we don’t have to list your personal info, we don’t. We have tough privacy policies to keep your data safe and private. And we never sell your data.
- Free Limited Mail Forwarding: Of course we’ll get you your state and legal mail. That’s our job. But what if we get some of your regular business mail? It happens a lot—clients and businesses trying to connect with you via your registered agent. We scan 5 documents per year for FREE. We can also scan additional mail at a per document rate of $15.
- Corporate Guides®: Have questions? We have answers. Our guides are business experts whose sole job is to provide phone and email support for all your toughest business questions.
Washington DC Registered Agent FAQs
Why Do I Need A Washington DC Registered Agent?
- State law requires all legitimate, registered businesses to appoint one.
- The secretary of state will reject your business filing if you don’t appoint a registered agent.
- A registered agent requirement gives the public and the state a reliable way to contact your business.
Can I Be My Own Registered Agent In Washington DC?
Yes, you can be your own registered agent in Washington DC. However, after considering the registered agent requirements most business owners elect to hire a registered agent service instead. Why? Well although being your own registered agent will cost you $0, a Washington DC registered agent’s name and address become part of the public record. Additionally, the registered agent is required to be available to accept service of process during normal business hours 5 days a week.
Will You Let Me Know When My Washington DC Biennial Report Is Due?
Absolutely! If you own an LLC or corporation in Washington D.C., you’ll need to file your Washington D.C. biennial report every other year (April 1). As part of our registered agent service, we’ll not only send you a reminder, but we’ll give you the form you need to file and show you how to file it.
Can I Use Your DC Registered Office Address For Everything On My Business Filing?
Yes! We’re the only national registered agent service that allows our clients to list our address for everything when you’re doing a filing to keep your private address private and off public record.
Can I Have My Business’s Mail Delivered To Your Washington DC Office?
We don’t want ALL of your business mail. It’s not what we do. And it wouldn’t serve you well. You wouldn’t have unique address or suite number. Any mail we receive on your behalf would come to to Northwest Registered Agent, care of you.
But we understand that businesses and clients sometimes reach out to you through your registered agent. Through us. That’s why we give you 5 FREE scans of regular business mail a year. You can request any additional documents to be forwarded at a per document rate of $15.
Should I Hire A Registered Agent Before I Start My Business In Washington DC?
Yes, you should sign up for registered agent service first. The Washington D.C. Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection (DLCP) will reject your business registration filing if you don’t have a registered agent. You can find all the forms and instructions you need to complete your filing instantly after you hire us.
How Do Washington DC Registered Agents Get Served?
This is how it works:
- A process server, county sheriff, or third party will walk into our office and hand us the documents (service of process), then we sign for them.
- The process server then gives an affidavit (a receipt of service) to the court as confirmation that they “served” us.
Note: Regardless of whether or not you receive the documents your Washington D.C. registered agent signs for on your business’ behalf, once they accept the documents, you’ve been legally notified. This is a serious responsibility that we do not take lightly. Serving a registered agent is legal proof that you were notified. If you hire Northwest, long before the server submits their affidavit to the court, you will have received your documents because we scan them into your account within minute of signing for the documents.
How Do I Find A Washington DC Company's Registered Agent?
- Do a District of Columbia business name search.
- Type in the name of the company you’re searching for.
- In the results, you’ll find the registered agent’s name and registered office street address.
If you want to legally notify a business through their Washington DC registered agent service, send a letter through certified mail and address it to the registered agent name and registered office address.
Do I need a Washington DC registered agent for FCC registration?
Yes, the FCC requires most telecommunication providers to list a Washington DC agent for service of process on FCC form 499‑A. Your DC agent accepts service of process and official notices for the company in the nation’s capital. Check out our FCC License page for information on the requirement and how we can help.
How Do I Resign From Being A Registered Agent In Washington D.C.?
In the District of Columbia, to resign as a registered agent, you need to submit two copies of the Statement of Registered Agent’s Resignation with the District of Columbia Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection (DLCP).
For a more detailed walkthrough, you can refer to our guide on how to resign as a registered agent in Washington DC.
How To Order Washington DC Registered Agent Service:
You sign up online, clicking on one of the buttons or links that says “HIRE US.”
We collect the first year of the registered agent service fee up front.
For new businesses, we’ll become your Washington DC registered agent service once your business registration filing with the DLCP is complete.
About a year later, we’ll send you an invoice for another year of Washington registered agent service. If you want to keep using us, great; if you don’t, you can easily cancel.
With offices in every state, we make it easy to add registered agent services anywhere in the country. We don’t farm out work (or your info) to other companies—wherever you are, WE are your registered agent.
We make your account a real go-to resource for you, not just for Washington DC registered agent service or paying a bill but for keeping up with DC corporate compliance.
Information Your DC Registered Agent Should Help You Understand:
- Filings are made with the Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection (DLCP).
- Domestic and foreign LLCs and corporations pay $220 to form or register.
- Both domestic and foreign nonprofits cost $80 to form or register.
- Your LLC or corporation will have to file a biennial report every other year. The filing fee is $300 ($80 for nonprofits).
At Northwest, we can also form your LLC or form your corporation in Washington DC for $100 plus state fees. As part of our commitment to Privacy by Default®, we put our business address on your filings to better protect your privacy. And you always have the support of our Corporate Guides®.