Scheduled Updates to Basic Business License Dataset on May 14, 2026
Read below for important information concerning planned updates to basic business license data and API services.
Key Information at a Glance
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Update Period: Scheduled updates for Basic Business License (BBL) will begin May 14, 2026 at 8:00 PM.
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What to Expect: As the update begins, users will experience a momentary interruption in service to the BBL API with schema changes in effect after we perform the updates.
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Action Needed: Application owners are recommended they make necessary modifications using the provided staging services containing new BBL data schema, and if necessary, inform their users of the update period.
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Staging Services: https://opendata.dc.gov/datasets/bbl-staging-set/api
Basic Business License Updates
On Friday May 14, 2026, the Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection (DLCP) will publish an updated Basic Business License (BBL) dataset for the District of Columbia.
To operate legally in District of Columbia, most businesses must get a basic business license from DLCP. The BBL groups licenses by the type of business activity and regulatory approvals required. Learn more about licensing at dlcp.dc.gov.
After May 14th, the updates will show field attribution changes that you should be aware of. Several fields that are no longer relevant will be removed. If you have built web apps using Open Data DC's layer or call DC GIS map services directly, you may need to make a modification. Possible modifications include any filtering based on field attribution that will no longer be available or is renamed. Click here to view change documentation (PDF). During this planned update, downtime is not expected. We will begin at 8:00 PM.
Thank you for your support as we perform these updates to keep the following datasets and feature services current,
OCTO recommends application owners make necessary updates in preparation for this update using the following staging services and inform their users of this update period. A complete list of changes is available for download at https://dcgov.box.com/v/bbl-data-changes. If you have any questions on these data changes, please contact open.data@dc.gov.
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