DC LLC Home Occupation Permit

Home Occupation Permit for LLCs in the District of Columbia

If you want to run your business from home, you have to get a Home Occupation Permit for your District of Columbia LLC.

It doesn’t matter if you rent or own your own home, you must get a Home Occupation Permit.

It doesn’t matter if you live in an apartment, part of a house, or a single-family home, you still need a Home Occupation Permit.

And it doesn’t matter if you operate your business full time or part time (or how much money you make from it), you must get a Home Occupation Permit.

Requirements & Restrictions for a Home Occupation Permit

There are certain requirements and restrictions that must be met in order to get a Home Occupation Permit and run your business from your home.

For example, Home Occupation Permits may only be used in buildings that are zoned residential and you can’t use more than 25% of a floor for your business.

Due to site restructuring, the full list of requirements and restrictions is currently unavailable. We’ll update this page when the Department of Buildings publishes this resource.

Home Occupation Permits are issued by the Washington DC Department of Buildings.

What’s the purpose of the Home Occupation Permit?

The purpose of the Home Occupation Permit is to keep track of businesses being run out of residential buildings (homes, apartment buildings, etc.) in Washington DC.

The District of Columbia allows certain businesses to operate out of homes, as long as the businesses don’t cause harm or cause a nuisance in the neighborhood.

That’s why the HOP application asks questions about how many visitors your business will have, and what hours it will be open.

The District of Columbia doesn’t want you running a store, or other high-traffic businesses from your home, because it could disturb your neighbors. Those kinds of businesses should be operated in a commercial space (like an office or storefront) instead.

How to apply for a Home Occupation Permit (HOP) Online

You can now get a Home Occupation Permit using the Citizen Access Portal.

You can’t go to the DCRA/Dept. of Buildings office and apply in person anymore (as of June 2022).

Approval time: Most Home Occupation Permits are issued within 1-2 weeks after you apply. If your business type requires the Department of Buildings to conduct an inspection, the process takes longer.

HOP fee: $72.60, payable by credit or debit card. You’ll also need to obtain a Letter of Good Standing for your LLC, which costs $50. So the total cost of an HOP Application is $122.60.

Get Started

• First, create an account on Access DC if you don’t already have one.
• Then you can login to the Citizens Portal.
• To finish setting up your account, enter your contact information in the next screen.

On the Citizens Portal Dashboard, click the Building tab.

Then click the first link, “Request a Building Permit“.

Check the box at the bottom of the screen to accept the terms of use and acknowledgment.

Select a Service Type

Near the bottom of the screen, click the link “Building20” to open the drop down menu.

Select “Home Occupation Permit” from the list.

Then click Continue Application to proceed.

Residence Address

Enter your home (residence) address. This is the address that will be on the Home Occupation Permit.

After you enter your address, click Search & Validate. The system automatically verifies it against District of Columbia city records.

Select the correct address from the Address Search Result List.

The system will show you Associated Parcels. Usually there’s only one, so you don’t need to select anything here.

Pro Tip: Write down the numbers in the Associated Parcels section. You will need the parcel number and the lot number later in the application.

The system will show you Associated Owners.

If you own your home, your name should appear as an Associated Owner. If you rent your home, this should show your landlord/the property owner.

You don’t need to select anything in the Associated Owners section.

Premise Information

Now you will answer a few questions about your Residence Address.

Premises indicated as the residence is a…
Identify the type of building. The dropdown menu includes these options:

• Condo/Apt Unit
  • This is a single unit (a condo or apartment) in a large building of condos/apartments. You might rent the unit, or own it.
• Flat (Two Family Dwelling)
  • This is a type of house where two families live independent of each other. You might rent or own the unit.
• Occupied Single Family Dwelling
  • This is a house that you own, where only you (your family) live.
• Rented Apartment House Dwelling
  • This means you rent one of the apartments in an apartment house. An apartment house is a building with 3 or more apartments.
• Rented Single Family Dwelling
  • This is a house that you rent, where only you (or your family) live.

Source: D.C. Municipal Regulations, Rule 11-199

Choose Owner or Tenant.

If you own your home, you’re an Owner.

If you rent your home, you’re a Tenant.

BZA Identification

Most people leave this blank.

If your residence has a Board of Zoning Adjustment Order, enter the number here.

Are you operating another business here already?

If this is the first time you’re applying for an HOP at this address, select No.

If you have an HOP already, but changed the type of business you operate, select Yes.

Note: If you change the type of business you operate, you have to apply for a new HOP.

Parcel

The system might have automatically completed this when you validated your address earlier.

If it isn’t completed for you, you can find these numbers in 2 ways:

1. Login to SCOUT. You’ll use the same Access DC login you made to start the HOP process.
2. Copy them from the residence address verification above. Here’s what to look for:

You won’t need the Block number.

How to enter the Square Suffix and Lot numbers:

Enter the 4 digit square number, the 4 digit suffix number, and the 4 digit lot number with no spaces between them.
For example: 046208190819.

If your property doesn’t have a suffix, replace it with 4 spaces.
For example: 0642    0811

Applicant Contact Information

Enter your name, phone number, and email address.

Then, identify what your relationship is to the HOP applicant. The drop down menu contains these options:

• I am a relative, friend, caregiver, or associate of the named applicant providing assistance
  • Use this if you are a Member of the LLC but not living at the address where the LLC is conducting business that you’re using to apply for the HOP
• I am an expediter or other authorized agent receiving compensation
  • Only companies or professional filers use this option.
• I am the named applicant filing on behalf of myself

Most people are filing their own HOP application, so they select “I am the named applicant filing on behalf of myself.”

Property Owner

This is automatically completed when you validate the address based on land records. This should be you, if you own the property, or your landlord/property owner.

Permit Expeditor
For most people, this doesn’t apply. This is a field used by the company or professional if you hire one to file this permit application for you.

Click Continue Application to proceed.

General HOP Conditions

Business Information
This reminds you of the general rules for getting a HOP. There’s nothing to do in this section.

This application is for:

Select “Limited Liability Company​​” from the drop down menu.

Note: The next field (“Please indicate the Partner/Trade name as it should be printed…“) may sound a little bit confusing, but don’t worry, we’ll explain it. It’s asking if you’re just using your LLC’s name or if your LLC has a DBA Name (aka Trade Name) and you want to use that instead for the application.

If you have an LLC (without a Trade Name):

• • In the “Please indicate the Partner/Trade name…” field, enter your LLC’s complete name. For example, Boyer Holdings, LLC.
  • You can skip the “Have you registered your trade name” question. Just leave it blank.

If you have an LLC (with a Trade Name):

• • In the “Please indicate the Partner/Trade name…” field, enter your DBA Name (aka Trade Name). For example: Boyer’s Family Market.
  • For the “Have you registered your trade name” question, select whether or not you’re already registered your Trade Name with the DLCP.

Describe the proposed business you intend to operate:
Select the appropriate business category from the drop down menu. Some of the options require you to do extra steps or provide extra documents:

• Child Development Home
• Cottage Food
• Licensed Professional (Barber, Cosmetologist, Dentist Office, Doctor’s Office, Hair Stylist, Other)
• Lodging/Bed & Breakfast

Note: If you rent your residence, write down which category you selected from the drop down menu. Your landlord will complete an Owner Consent Form that has the same drop down list, so you’ll need to give them this information later.

Then, enter a brief description of your business. This can be just a few words or a couple sentences.

For example: “Design and code websites” or “I bake cookies, cakes, and other baked goods. I decorate these based on customer requests or my own designs. I deliver the cakes to the customers in my own vehicle.”

Will your proposed operation involve the sale of goods or products?

You must select yes or no.

If you select yes, the system reminds you that you can’t run a “retail” business out of your home. You must provide a written explanation that tells the Department of Buildings:

• what you’re going to sell
• how you acquire or produce the items you sell
• where and how you store the inventory
• if you apply customization, branding, or other modifications to the products you sell
• how you manage sales and delivery to customers
• and what non-resident visitors you expect (will customers come to your home to purchase? will you have suppliers delivering to you directly?)

For example: Let’s say you sell handmade jewelry on Etsy. You could write something like this:

• I sell handmade earrings, necklaces and bracelets. I order the beads, findings, and gemstones online and they are delivered to me by USPS or FedEx. I design, assemble and package the jewelry myself. Customers order my jewelry through an online shop, and then I ship the jewelry to the customer through USPS or FedEx. I don’t expect any non-resident visitors like customers or vendor deliveries.

Other than yourself, how many persons will be employed in your home operation?

Enter a number of employees.

If you are the only person working in the business, enter 0.

What is the total square footage of your residence?

You will need to measure this or find it on your home’s floor plan or deed.

If you live in an apartment, the square footage is usually listed in your lease. If you live in a house, you can check websites like Realtor.com and Zillow for the square footage.

How much of available square feet in your residence will be used in the operation of your proposed business?

Measure the room(s) you will use for your business. This includes areas where you store inventory, and where you produce things or work on projects.

For example, if you have a home office in a 10 foot by 10 foot room, you would enter 100 sq ft here.

Percentage of available square feet in your residence will be used in the operation of your business:

This number is automatically calculated based on the square footage values you entered in the previous 2 questions. You don’t need to do anything.

Will the operation of your proposed business require any architectural or structural modifications to your residence?

Answer yes or no.

If you answer yes, the system asks for your building permit number.

You can look up a building permit number using Department of Building’s eRecords service.

Will the business involve any visits to the premises by clients, non-resident employees, delivery persons, etc?

Answer yes or no.

If you say yes, the system asks you to confirm that you won’t have more than 8 visitors per day, and that you won’t have more than 8 visitors in any one hour period.

You must also certify that you have obtained the property owner’s agreement to file an HOP application for a business that has clients or other non-residents visiting the premises.

If you’re the property owner, you don’t need to do anything extra here, just click “Yes“.

If you rent your home, you should check with your landlord before filing.

Proposed Hours of Operation

Click the button to Add a Row. Then use dropdowns in the popup window to create a time frame.

You can enter individual days, or a range like Monday to Friday. Then select the times your business is open.

For example: Monday to Friday, 8:00am to 5:00pm. Or Sunday to Saturday, 10:00am to 2:00pm.

Click Submit in the window to close the popup.

When you have added all the hours of operation timeframes, click Continue Application.

Eligible Forms of Supporting Documentation

The Department of Buildings requires you to upload certain documents so they can verify the information in your HOP application. You will upload proof of residency documents, as well as documents related to your LLC’s registration and any industry-specific permits for your business.

All HOP applications must have proof of residency. You must upload:

• A District of Columbia-issued identification card (such as Driver’s License)
• and a PEPCO electric utility bill or Washington Gas utility bill.

If you’re applying for an HOP for your LLC, you must upload:

• Articles of Organization
• Letter of Good Standing (you can request one via CorpOnline for $50)

Note: The HOP application requires a Listing of Corporate Officers. Because the District of Columbia LLC Articles of Organization list the Members (or Managers, if your LLC is Manager-managed), you don’t need to upload anything additional for this.

Review

After you upload all the required documents, you can review all the information you entered in the HOP application. Check everything carefully and make any changes if needed.

Pay Fee

Enter your credit or debit card information to pay the $72.60 fee.

Once you’ve paid the fee, wait for the Department of Buildings to approve your Home Occupation Permit. They will review your application and the supporting documents. The Department of Buildings might contact you to set up an inspection, if it’s required.

If you rent, you need an Owner Consent form

If you rent your residence, you must get consent from the property owner to operate your business at home.

Your landlord or property manager will need to complete the Owner Consent Form online. When you send them the link to this form, make sure you give them the following information about your business:

• Your HOP Application Number
• The name of your DC LLC
• The type of business you will operate.
• Number of visitors you expect to have on an average business day (no more than 8 per day):
  • how many employees will be coming to your home?
  • how many clients or customers will be coming to your home?

Home Occupation Permit Approval

It usually takes 1-2 weeks for the Department of Buildings to approve your Home Occupation Permit application. If they have to schedule an inspection of your home, this could take longer.

Once the HOP is approved, you will get an email with the permit attached as a PDF. Print the final, approved Home Occupation Permit and keep a copy with your business records.

Permit Center Contact Information:

If you have any questions about the Home Occupation Permit process, you can call the Department of Buildings at 202-671-3500 (press 3 for Permits).

Lodging or Bed & Breakfast

If your home-based business will be a Bed & Breakfast or offer lodging, you must order a Plat Map (aka a “Building Plat”) from the DC Surveyor’s Office.

They have drafters which will prepare your Building Plat after you pay for it.

The Building Plat they draw for you should show all existing structures as well as parking spaces for the owner and their guests.

You can find information on Building Plats here:

• Order a building plat online via the Citizen Portal
• Order in person at 1100 4th Street SW, Washington, DC 20024. The Surveyor’s Office is on the 3rd floor.

Look at your deed:
You will need to look at your deed in order to find your property’s square footage and lot number(s).

How long does it take?
After you place an order for a Plat it will take the drafter between 1 to 5 business days to finish the drawing. You can pay more to expedite the process.

Building Plat fee:

• $55 for regular pickup (3-5 business days)
• $82.50 for expedited pickup (next business day)

Payment methods:
If you’re ordering online, you’ll make payment with a debit or credit card. If you’re ordering in person, you can make payment with a debit or credit card, cash, check, or money order. If you’re paying with a check or money order, please make it payable to the “DC Treasurer”.

Once your Plat is ready:
The DC Surveyor’s Office will notify you and then you’ll need to visit their office to pick up your Building Plat. Alternatively, if you have CAD software and can print your own plans, you can also request to have your plans emailed to you instead (see the Request form above). You can upload the file in your HOP application without printing it.

When you apply for your Home Occupation Permit:
If you apply online, you will upload the Plat.

Surveyor’s Office Contact Information

If you have any questions about your Building Plat, you can call the DC Surveyor’s Office at 202-671-3500 (press 7 for Surveyor’s Office. Their hours are Monday through Friday from 8:30am to 4:30pm, except on Thursdays; when their hours are 9:30am to 4:30pm.

Child Development Homes

If your home-based business will be a Child Development Home, you must:

1. Create an emergency evacuation plan that shows all exits.
2. Schedule a fire inspection (this is mandatory) with the DC Fire Marshal. The fire inspection costs $150. You can schedule your inspection online and pay with a debit or credit card. After you submit the request, someone from the DC Fire Marshal’s office will call you (usually within 1 week) to set up a date and time for the inspection.

When you apply for your HOP online, you will upload the emergency evaluation plan and your fire inspection approval letter.

DC Fire Marshal Contact Information:

If you have any questions about the above, you can call the DC Fire Marshal at 202-442-4532. Their hours are Monday through Friday from 8:15am to 4:45pm.

What if my Home Occupation Permit is denied?

If your Home Occupation Permit is denied, the Department of Buildings will send you a letter explaining why.

From that point, you can either change things in the home to become compliant (if applicable and mentioned in your denial letter) or you’ll need to rent an office/commercial space to carry out your business activities.

No Renewals Needed for a Home Occupation Permit

Home Occupation Permits are valid forever. There are no renewal filings or renewal fees.

However, if either of the following are true, then you will need to get a new Home Occupation Permit:

1. You move to a new location in DC
2. You change your occupation/business

Contact Info: Department of Buildings

If you have any questions about your LLC’s Home Occupation Permit and inspections, you can contact the Department of Buildings.

Their website has an interactive chat option, or you can call them at 202-671-3500 (Press 3 for Permits).

Their office hours are 8:30am to 4:30pm, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. On Thursdays, their hours are 9:30am to 4:30pm.

Matt Horwitz

Founder & Educator, LLC University®

Matt Horwitz has been the leading expert on LLC education for the past decade. He founded LLC University in 2010 after realizing people needed simple and actionable instructions to start an LLC that other companies weren't offering. He's cited by Entrepreneur Magazine, Yahoo Finance, and the US Chamber of Commerce, and was featured by CNBC and InventRight.
 
Matt holds a Bachelor's Degree in business from Drexel University with a concentration in business law. He performs extensive research and analysis to convert state laws into simple instructions anyone can follow to form their LLC - all for free! Read more about Matt Horwitz and LLC University.