Car dealerships in the District of Columbia must be registered in the District and only dealerships in the District can obtain DC DMV registration. A DC DMV dealership registration is separate from a DC Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection (DC DLCP) basic business license.

Please follow the 4 steps shown below to become a new DC DMV registered car dealer.

Step 1: Obtain the following documents

• Clean Hands Certificate issued by DC Office of Tax and Revenue (DC OTR). You must have the original certificate; DC DMV will not accept a copy. Please visit the DC OTR website for additional information on Clean Hands Certification.
• Basic Business License issued by DC DLCP. You must have the original license; DC DMV will not accept a copy. Please visit the DC DLCP website for additional information on DCRA business licensing:
• A copy of your DC Department of Buildings (DC DOB) occupancy permit. Please visit the DC DOB website for additional information on certificates of occupancy.
• A copy of a federal tax identification form listing your company’s federal tax ID number.
• A copy of the business owner’s driver license or non-driver identification.
• Each salesperson’s valid DC DLCP salesperson license
• A copy of each salesperson’s valid driver license or non-driver identification
• Proof of insurance coverage (showing number of approved dealer tags). Your insurance must cover the dealership for a year continuously. Information on dealerships and insurance is available at: Dealership Tags and Insurance.

Step 2: After obtaining the required documents in Step 1, please complete the online application and upload all required documents where requested.

Step 3: After submitting the application online, please print it, have it notarized, and retain it with your original documents.

Step 4: Once you have completed Steps 1–3, and your online application is submitted, DC DMV will notify you via email of an appointment date, location and time for you to come in and finalize the registration of your car dealership. Please bring your original notarized application listed in Step 3 and the original supporting documents listed in Step 1 with you at the time of your appointment. You can pay the fee required by check, credit card or money order; DC DMV will not accept cash.

Note: Please be certain that your dealership address is the same on all the forms you bring to your dealer registration appointment.

For any questions, please email DC DMV at [email protected].