October 2022
Dear District Residents, Businesses and Visitors,
On Friday, September 30, 2022, I was honored to be appointed by Mayor Muriel Bowser as the Interim Director for Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection (DLCP) to lead this agency forward.
Today, we began our first day of operation as the DLCP. Since the Department of Buildings Establishment Act of 2020 became law a year ago, there has been much preparation for this day and it is my sincere pleasure to welcome you to DLCP.
As an agency, our mission is to protect the economic interests of residents, businesses, and visitors in the District of Columbia by licensing and regulating businesses and investigating and enforcing the Consumer Protection Procedures Act.
As we embark on this journey today, DLCP is committed to providing you with excellent customer service and to create more innovative ways to serve you better.
Our online resources and applications are available so that you can continue the important work that you're doing. I invite you to visit our online resources, which are designed to assist you in identifying and receiving the information and services that you need.
On behalf of our staff, I'd like to extend our first welcome and thank you to all those whom we serve for your continued partnership. We look forward to helping the District continue to flourish.
Best regards.
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 Shirley Kwan-Hui
Interim Director
 This past Friday, we ended our work day as the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs (DCRA) and today, we proudly begin operation as the Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection.
As an agency that provides access to our services through digital platforms, we are proud to launch a new website as an informative entry point for our customers to learn more about the agency and how to obtain our services.
In building dlcp.dc.gov, our intention was to improve efficiency, make frequently used services and applications prominent, and ease the path for reporting safety concerns for our customers. We also increased the prominence of our live chat feature to encourage customers to take advantage and get answers to their questions faster, and provided a stronger overview of our applications and platforms so that customers understand how each is used.
If you have not had the opportunity to do so, we encourage you to take a look. We hope you like it.
 In the impact of the law establishing the agency, changes to our divisions and program areas and reporting structure are included. We encourage you to review the agency organizational chart, as well as the listing of divisions and program areas so that you become informed.
Office of Director
The Office of the Director includes the following functions: administrative services including human resources, support services, procurement and contract administration, risk management, agency financial operations and records management; agency performance and data management; customer service and account management; legislative affairs; legal; communications; and information technology.
Business and Professional Licensing Administration
Business Service Center - responsible for assisting customers using digital online services, and providing training and counseling services to existing and aspiring business owners who seek to start, register, and license a business in the District of Columbia. This Center also includes the Small Business Resource Center which offers tailored consulting services to existing and aspiring small businesses;
Corporation Division - responsible for registering all entities, domestic (District) or foreign (non-District) including trade name registration of corporations, limited liability companies, and partnerships conducting affairs within the District of Columbia.
Business Licensing and Registration and Renewal - responsible for processing new and renewal license applications for businesses. This includes licensing for short-term rental and special events (e.g., street festivals, health fairs, circuses, and live performances) and vending from public space (e.g., food trucks, hot dog carts, sidewalk merchandise vendors, and ice-cream trucks) to ensure regulatory compliance;
Occupational and Professional Licensing - supports the District's non-health related occupational and professional boards, commissions, and programs. This activity enforces regulations and offers licenses in more than 125 occupational and professional categories. The boards, commissions, and programs are responsible for reviewing applications, administering examinations, responding to certification requests by other jurisdictions, and regulating the practices of individual professions; and
Weights and Measures - responsible for inspecting commercially used weighing and measuring devices in the District of Columbia.
The Office of Enforcement
The Office of Enforcement is responsible for the investigation and enforcement of non-compliant business activities, including licensing, vending and special events, and weights and measures. This division also investigates consumer protection complaints through its Consumer Protection Unit. The division contains the following three activities:
Enforcement Unit - processes all civil infractions with the Office of Administrative Hearings, collects fines, and takes other appropriate actions;
Consumer Protection - pursues businesses that try to exploit District residents financially. Residents and visitors of the District are able to get consumer protection information, research businesses, file a complaint, obtain mediation services, seek investigation of claims of illegal and unfair business practices, and find links to other helpful offices and resources. This office also includes Regulatory Investigation, which conducts investigations of unlicensed business activity, responds to complaints, and proactively reviews business license applications to ensure businesses are operating in compliance with applicable licensing, zoning, and corporation statutes and regulations; and
Special Events and Vending Enforcement - ensures regulatory compliance for special events and vending from public spaces such as goods and services sold from street vendors. The enforcement is conducted in cooperation with numerous federal and local government agencies to ensure public safety.
Contact DLCP via email, through our online inquiry form or during normal business hours using the live chat available on dlcp.dc.gov or by phone at 202.671-4500, and we will get back to you in three business days or less.
Many of our staff are currently in a remote posture as our workspace is being prepared; we want to share a bit of a glimpse of what the second floor will look like when we return.
While our office is currently under construction, all of our services are available online via our website at dlcp.dc.gov.
We encourage you to access them online. However, should any customers require in person assistance, our staff in the Digital Service Assistance Center will be happy to assist you in our second floor conference room. We are located at 1100 4th Street SW, Washington, DC. This is the same physical location where DCRA was located.
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