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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. 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
$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
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
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
Biennially by the end of the month prior to your registration month. If you registered for the first time in September, your report will be due by the end of August two years later.
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:
File entity formation documents with the District of Columbia Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs - Corporations Division.
Biennially by the end of the month prior to your registration month. If you registered for the first time in September, your report will be due by the end of August two 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
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.
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
$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
$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.
Due:
Class 1, 2, and 3 license expire one year from the date of issuance. Class 4 and 5 licenses expire 180 days from the 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.
Filing fees depend on your individual situation. We do our best to calculate your filing fees
upfront and collect those fees today so we can get started. Your specialist will determine your
exact filing fees and invoice additional fees if required.
