Washington DC (US)

Data Sources
Company Identifiers
Search Capabilities
Quirks & Gotchas
Mappings
Statutory Filings
Data Availability
Documents
Example API Responses

Data Sources

Washington DC entity data comes from two complementary sources maintained by the DC Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection (DLCP), Business and Professional Licensing Administration (BPLA):

DC DLCP Open Data CSV (fast / onboarding mode): A daily open-data export published at opendata.dc.gov under CC BY 4.0. Covers all ~494k domestic and foreign registered entities, refreshed every day. Entity-level fields only — no principals roster.
DC BOSS register API (authoritative / verification mode): The register’s own live API behind the DLCP Business and Occupational Service System at boss.dc.gov. Returns the authoritative entity status, the full roster as filed (governors, directors, organizers, incorporators and beneficial owners), the registered agent, and the entity page captured as the Trade Register Extract.

In onboarding mode, data is served from the DC DLCP daily open-data snapshot. It is typically up to 24 hours behind the live register. The roster of people is not included in onboarding mode — it is only returned in verification mode, which reads the live register.

BOSS replaced the CorpOnline portal in August 2026. The two lanes do not share an identical status vocabulary — see Company Status.

Company Identifiers

Query Identifiers

Identifier Type	Format	Example	Notes
DC File Number	Varies, see formats below	`L00005531281`	Assigned by DC DLCP at formation or qualification

DC File Number formats:

Format	Description	Example
Numeric	1 to 6 digits, leading zeros significant	`571294`, `004285`
Letter + short number	One letter followed by 4 to 6 digits	`L14177`, `C013788`
Letter + long number	One letter followed by 10 or 11 digits, or two letters followed by 10 digits	`L00005531281`, `L0000053226`, `AC0004848765`
`US-DC-` prefixed	Recently registered entities: `US-DC-`, two letters, then 9 digits	`US-DC-LL082600020`, `US-DC-FN042602087`

In the US-DC- form, the two letters match the entity type in the records we have seen: LL domestic LLC, CO domestic corporation, NP domestic nonprofit, LP domestic limited partnership, ST domestic statutory trust, GC and LC cooperative associations, and FN any foreign entity. In the older lettered forms the letter does not reliably give the entity type: many foreign LLCs carry a C number.Pass the file number exactly as a search result returns it, including leading zeros and the US-DC- prefix where present. A handful of old records carry irregular values such as 951448-4164482.

Identifiers in API Response

Identifier	Format	Example	Found In
`fileNumber`	The file number as issued, in any of the formats above	`L00005531281`	All entities

Search Capabilities

Search Type	Pattern	Example	Match Type	Expected Results
By Name	Free-text string	`"Washington Gas Light"`	Any-word	Multiple results
By DC File Number	Exact file number	`L00005531281`	Exact	Exact match returned first (matchType: id); other results may follow

Search runs against the DC DLCP daily open-data extract. Name search uses any-word matching. File number lookup returns the exact match first with matchReason.matchType = "id"; other results may follow.

Active companies only

Search can return companies that are no longer active. Each result carries the register’s status, so activeOnly=true removes the inactive ones.

Quirks & Gotchas

Quirk	Details
No principals in onboarding mode	The DC DLCP open-data extract does not include the principals roster (governors, managers, directors). `legalRepresentatives` is not available in onboarding mode: requesting it returns a failed datapoint with error code `fast_source_unavailable`. Use verification mode to retrieve the full principals list.
Complex file number formats	Several formats exist: purely numeric, one letter followed by a short or long number, and the `US-DC-` prefixed form of recently registered entities. Only the `US-DC-` form’s two letters reliably match the entity type. See Company Identifiers.
No bulk open data for principals	The open-data CSV covers entity-level fields only. The roster of people is available exclusively from the live register in verification mode.
Activity codes are inferred, not published	The DC register publishes no structured activity code — only a free-text purpose (e.g. `Natural Gas`). In verification mode that purpose is classified into ISIC Rev. 5 and NACE Rev. 2.1, returned flagged `isAIInferred`. Roughly 70% of entities receive a code; the rest state boilerplate the classifier declines rather than guesses. NAICS is not inferred.
No shareholders	DC records no ownership percentage and no ownership-vs-control flag, so an equity shareholder list cannot be derived for any entity type.
Beneficial owners are named, but not quantified	The register publishes a beneficial-owner roster, and those people are returned as Other Key Persons with the role `Beneficial Owner`. No ownership percentage accompanies them, so they are not returned as `shareholders` or UBOs. Federal FinCEN BOI filings are not accessible through the DC register.
No EIN / federal tax ID	The federal Employer Identification Number is not disclosed through the DC public business register.
”Active - Not in Good Standing” is still active	Entities with this status are technically still registered but have failed to meet a compliance obligation (e.g. overdue biennial report). They are returned with `active: false` by Topograph to flag the compliance gap.

Mappings

Company Status

Status is drawn directly from the DC DLCP register and mapped deterministically. No AI inference is involved. The open-data extract (onboarding mode) uses exactly the 12 values below. The live register (verification mode) can additionally return Expired and Active Trade Name, so an integration should treat the list as open rather than exhaustive.

DC DLCP Status	Active	Notes
`Active - In Good Standing`	Yes	Standard compliant status
`Active - In Good Standing - Pending Domestication`	Yes	Active while a domestication conversion is pending
`Active Trade Name`	Yes	A live trade-name registration (verification mode only)
`Active - Not in Good Standing`	No	Registered but out of compliance (overdue filing or fee)
`Expired`	No	Registration lapsed (verification mode only)
`Revoked`	No	Registration revoked by DLCP
`Dissolved`	No	Voluntarily or administratively dissolved
`Withdrawn`	No	Foreign entity has withdrawn its DC registration
`Merged`	No	Entity merged into another entity
`Inactive - Cancelled`	No	Inactive and cancelled
`Terminated`	No	Registration terminated
`Domesticated`	No	Entity domesticated to another jurisdiction
`Converted`	No	Entity converted to a different legal form
`Consolidated`	No	Merged via consolidation

Legal Forms

DC DLCP uses a closed list of 18 entity types. All 18 are derived from the exhaustive distinct set in the full DC DLCP open-data extract. Every entity in the register falls into exactly one of these types. In onboarding mode, legalForm carries the register’s entity-type label in localName only. The standardized category and the ISO 20275 code below are added in verification mode.

Limited Liability Companies

DC DLCP Type	Standardized	ISO 20275
Domestic Limited Liability Company	LimitedLiabilityCompany	`2HBR`
Foreign Limited Liability Company	LimitedLiabilityCompany	—

Business Corporations

DC DLCP Type	Standardized	ISO 20275
Domestic Business Corporation	Corporation	`CNQ3`
Foreign Business Corporation	Corporation	—
Domestic Act of Congress Corporation	Corporation	—
Foreign Act of Congress Corporation	Corporation	—

Nonprofit Corporations

DC DLCP Type	Standardized	ISO 20275
Domestic Nonprofit Corporation	NonprofitOrganization	—
Foreign Nonprofit Corporation	NonprofitOrganization	—

Partnerships

DC DLCP Type	Standardized	ISO 20275
Domestic Limited Partnership	Partnership	`74LJ`
Foreign Limited Partnership	Partnership	—
Domestic Limited Liability Partnership	Partnership	`TJ6V`
Foreign Limited Liability Partnership	Partnership	—

Cooperative Associations — DC Code § 29-9

DC DLCP Type	Standardized	ISO 20275
Domestic General Cooperative Association	Other	—
Domestic Limited Cooperative Association	Other	—
Foreign General Cooperative Association	Other	—
Foreign Limited Cooperative Association	Other	—

Statutory Trusts — DC Code § 29-12

DC DLCP Type	Standardized	ISO 20275
Domestic Statutory Trust	Other	—
Foreign Statutory Trust	Other	—

ISO 20275 ELF codes are assigned by jurisdiction of formation. Foreign variants (e.g. “Foreign Limited Liability Company”) are entities formed outside DC and qualified to do business in the District — they carry no DC ISO 20275 code because the code belongs to their formation jurisdiction.

Legal Representatives

Legal representatives are returned from the live register in verification mode only. The open-data extract does not include a roster. Role titles are standardized using AI enrichment — the raw title from the register is always preserved as role.localName, and a standardized category is added where one can be inferred. The register records two things per person: a governance title (Governor, Director, Organizer, Incorporator) and a separate capacity, most often Beneficial Owner. Topograph splits the roster on that distinction:

Filed as	Returned as
A governance title, with or without a capacity — e.g. `Governor / Beneficial Owner`, `Organizer`	`legalRepresentatives`
A capacity only, with no governance title — e.g. `Other / Beneficial Owner`, `Contact / Beneficial Owner`	`otherKeyPersons`, role `Beneficial Owner`

A person recorded solely as a beneficial owner is not a legal representative and is not returned as one. For entity types where DC records no governance title at all — commonly LLCs — legalRepresentatives can legitimately come back empty while the beneficial-owner roster is populated on otherKeyPersons. Read both if you need everyone on file.

legalRepresentatives is not available in onboarding (fast) mode: requesting it returns a failed datapoint with error code fast_source_unavailable. Individual vs. entity type is preserved on each record.

Other Key Persons

The registered agent is returned as an Other Key Person in both onboarding and verification modes. The role is returned as role.localName: "Registered Agent" with no standardized value. In onboarding mode, the agent is returned as an individual with the name and address from the open-data extract. In verification mode, the address is returned for individual agents only.

Role	Standardized	Notes
Registered Agent	None	Statutory service-of-process contact; required for all DC-registered entities. Can be an individual or a corporate agent.

Statutory Filings

Washington DC entities file a biennial report confirming the entity’s particulars are current. The register publishes the date the next report is due and the date the last one was filed, returned on the cross-country statutoryFilings field as next.dueDate and lastFiled.filedOn.

{
  "statutoryFilings": {
    "annualFiling": {
      "cadence": "biennial",
      "next": { "dueDate": "2028-04-01" },
      "lastFiled": { "filedOn": "2026-03-18" },
      "source": "us_dc_dlcp"
    }
  }
}

US states publish no statutory accounts, so the accounts obligation is absent rather than returned empty. An empty object would read as “we looked and found nothing”, which is a different claim. Placeholder cells such as N/A or Inactive, Not Applicable are dropped rather than parsed as dates, so an entity with no obligation simply has no statutoryFilings.

Data Availability

Data Point	Onboarding (fast)	Verification (authoritative)	Notes
Legal name	Yes	Yes	Current legal name
Company status	Yes	Yes	Mapped from DC DLCP status field
Registration date	Yes	Yes	Effective date of formation or qualification
Legal address	Yes	Yes	Principal office address
Legal form	Yes	Yes	Entity-type label in both modes; standardized category and ISO 20275 code in verification mode only
Registered agent	Yes	Yes	Returned as Other Key Person; address for individual agents only in verification mode
Legal representatives	No	Yes	People filed with a governance title — verification mode only; can be empty where DC records none
Beneficial owners	No	Yes	Returned on `otherKeyPersons` with role `Beneficial Owner`, without percentages
Activity description	No	Yes	The entity’s stated purpose as filed
Activity codes (ISIC / NACE)	No	Partial	Inferred from the stated purpose, flagged `isAIInferred` — ~70% of entities
Activity codes (NAICS)	No	No	Not published by the register, and not inferred
Shareholders	No	No	No ownership percentage or ownership-vs-control flag is recorded
UBOs	No	No	Beneficial owners are named but unquantified, so they are not returned as UBOs
Federal tax ID (EIN)	No	No	Not published by the DC register

Documents

Available Documents

Document	API Category	Availability	Format	Notes
Trade Register Extract	`tradeRegisterExtract`	Always available	PDF	The entity’s own page on the DC BOSS register, captured as a PDF

The Trade Register Extract is included with the company data block at no extra charge. It is captured from the register’s live entity page and carries the register’s own banner, the source URL and the capture timestamp. It covers entity information, the biennial report status, the registered agent, the beneficial-owner roster, and any trade name and licence records.

Example API Responses

Every response below was captured from the live register, unedited apart from dropping internal ids. Query with POST /v2/company.

Search by Name

curl -X GET "https://api.topograph.co/v2/search?country=US-DC&query=Washington+Gas" \
  -H "x-api-key: YOUR_API_KEY"

[
  {
    "id": "L00005531281",
    "legalName": "1 800 Water Damage North America, LLC",
    "countryCode": "US-DC",
    "matchReason": { "matchType": "default" }
  }
]

Search by DC File Number

curl -X GET "https://api.topograph.co/v2/search?country=US-DC&query=L00005531281" \
  -H "x-api-key: YOUR_API_KEY"

[
  {
    "id": "L00005531281",
    "legalName": "1 800 Water Damage North America, LLC",
    "countryCode": "US-DC",
    "matchReason": {
      "matchType": "id",
      "identifier": { "fileNumber": "L00005531281" }
    },
    "address": {
      "addressLine1": "185 Oakland Ave.",
      "addressLine2": "Ste. 150",
      "city": "Birmingham",
      "postalCode": "48009",
      "region": "MI",
      "countryCode": "US"
    }
  }
]

Company Profile

curl -X POST "https://api.topograph.co/v2/company" \
  -H "x-api-key: YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"countryCode": "US-DC", "id": "L00005531281", "dataPoints": ["company", "legalRepresentatives", "otherKeyPersons"]}'

Domestic Business Corporation (verification mode)

Governors are filed with a governance title, so they are legal representatives. The registered agent is an Other Key Person.

{
  "company": {
    "id": "571294",
    "countryCode": "US-DC",
    "identifiers": {
      "fileNumber": "571294"
    },
    "legalName": "WASHINGTON GAS LIGHT Company",
    "incorporationDate": "1957-03-24",
    "activityDescription": "Natural Gas",
    "status": {
      "localName": "Active - In Good Standing",
      "active": true,
      "statusDetails": {
        "status": "ACTIVE"
      }
    },
    "legalForm": {
      "localName": "Domestic Business Corporation",
      "englishTranslation": "Domestic Business Corporation",
      "standardized": "Corporation",
      "iso20275Code": "CNQ3"
    },
    "legalAddress": {
      "addressLine1": "1000 Maine Ave, SW",
      "city": "Washington",
      "postalCode": "20024",
      "region": "DC",
      "countryCode": "US"
    }
  },
  "legalRepresentatives": [
    {
      "type": "individual",
      "role": {
        "localName": "Governor / Beneficial Owner",
        "englishTranslation": "Governor / Beneficial Owner",
        "standardized": "Owner"
      },
      "individual": {
        "name": {
          "fullName": "Wendy Zelond"
        }
      }
    },
    {
      "type": "company",
      "role": {
        "localName": "Governor / Beneficial Owner",
        "englishTranslation": "Governor / Beneficial Owner",
        "standardized": "Owner"
      }
    },
    {
      "type": "individual",
      "role": {
        "localName": "Governor / Beneficial Owner",
        "englishTranslation": "Governor / Beneficial Owner",
        "standardized": "Owner"
      },
      "individual": {
        "name": {
          "fullName": "Jimmi Duce"
        }
      }
    },
    {
      "type": "individual",
      "role": {
        "localName": "Governor / Beneficial Owner",
        "englishTranslation": "Governor / Beneficial Owner",
        "standardized": "Owner"
      },
      "individual": {
        "name": {
          "fullName": "Colin Bonds"
        }
      }
    },
    {
      "type": "individual",
      "role": {
        "localName": "Governor / Beneficial Owner",
        "englishTranslation": "Governor / Beneficial Owner",
        "standardized": "Owner"
      },
      "individual": {
        "name": {
          "fullName": "Donald M. Jenkins"
        }
      }
    }
  ],
  "otherKeyPersons": [
    {
      "type": "company",
      "role": {
        "localName": "Registered Agent"
      }
    }
  ]
}

Domestic LLC (verification mode) — beneficial owners, no legal representatives

DC records this LLC’s people as beneficial owners with no governance title, so legalRepresentatives is empty and the roster is on otherKeyPersons. This is normal for DC LLCs — read both fields.

{
  "company": {
    "id": "001491",
    "countryCode": "US-DC",
    "identifiers": {
      "fileNumber": "001491"
    },
    "legalName": "BERNSTEIN FUND LLC",
    "incorporationDate": "1991-02-10",
    "activityDescription": "Real Estate Investment",
    "status": {
      "localName": "Active - In Good Standing",
      "active": true,
      "statusDetails": {
        "status": "ACTIVE",
        "additionalInfo": "Local status: Active - In Good Standing"
      }
    },
    "legalForm": {
      "localName": "Domestic Limited Liability Company",
      "englishTranslation": "Domestic Limited Liability Company",
      "standardized": "LimitedLiabilityCompany",
      "iso20275Code": "2HBR"
    },
    "legalAddress": {
      "addressLine1": "4800 Hampden Lane",
      "addressLine2": "Suite 1200",
      "city": "Bethesda",
      "postalCode": "20814",
      "region": "MD",
      "countryCode": "US"
    }
  },
  "legalRepresentatives": [],
  "otherKeyPersons": [
    {
      "type": "individual",
      "role": {
        "localName": "Beneficial Owner"
      },
      "individual": {
        "name": {
          "fullName": "Joshua B. Bernstein"
        }
      }
    },
    {
      "type": "individual",
      "role": {
        "localName": "Beneficial Owner"
      },
      "individual": {
        "name": {
          "fullName": "Celia Ellen Bernstein"
        }
      }
    },
    {
      "type": "individual",
      "role": {
        "localName": "Beneficial Owner"
      },
      "individual": {
        "name": {
          "fullName": "Marianne Bernstein"
        }
      }
    },
    {
      "type": "individual",
      "role": {
        "localName": "Beneficial Owner"
      },
      "individual": {
        "name": {
          "fullName": "Nancy Gail Bernstein"
        }
      }
    },
    {
      "type": "individual",
      "role": {
        "localName": "Beneficial Owner"
      },
      "individual": {
        "name": {
          "fullName": "Elizabeth Anne Bernstein"
        }
      }
    },
    {
      "type": "individual",
      "role": {
        "localName": "Beneficial Owner"
      },
      "individual": {
        "name": {
          "fullName": "Susan Amy Bernstein"
        }
      }
    },
    {
      "type": "company",
      "role": {
        "localName": "Registered Agent"
      }
    }
  ]
}

Same corporation in onboarding mode (fast)

The open-data snapshot carries entity-level fields and the registered agent only. No roster, and no activity description.

{
  "company": {
    "id": "571294",
    "countryCode": "US-DC",
    "identifiers": {
      "fileNumber": "571294"
    },
    "legalName": "WASHINGTON GAS LIGHT Company",
    "status": {
      "localName": "Active - In Good Standing",
      "active": true
    },
    "statutoryFilings": {
      "annualFiling": {
        "cadence": "biennial",
        "next": {
          "dueDate": "2027-04-01"
        },
        "source": "us_dc_dlcp"
      }
    },
    "legalForm": {
      "localName": "Domestic Business Corporation"
    },
    "legalAddress": {
      "addressLine1": "1000 Maine Ave, SW",
      "city": "Washington",
      "postalCode": "20024",
      "region": "DC",
      "countryCode": "US"
    }
  },
  "otherKeyPersons": [
    {
      "type": "individual",
      "role": {
        "localName": "Registered Agent"
      },
      "individual": {
        "name": {
          "fullName": "CORPORATION SERVICE COMPANY"
        },
        "residenceAddress": {
          "addressLine1": "1156 15TH STREET NW",
          "city": "Washington",
          "postalCode": "20005",
          "region": "DC",
          "countryCode": "US"
        }
      }
    }
  ]
}

Foreign LLC qualified in DC (verification mode)

{
  "company": {
    "id": "560499",
    "countryCode": "US-DC",
    "identifiers": {
      "fileNumber": "560499"
    },
    "legalName": "MARSH USA LLC",
    "incorporationDate": "1956-04-26",
    "activityDescription": "Insurance broker",
    "status": {
      "localName": "Active - In Good Standing",
      "active": true,
      "statusDetails": {
        "status": "ACTIVE",
        "additionalInfo": "Local status: Active - In Good Standing"
      }
    },
    "legalForm": {
      "localName": "Foreign Limited Liability Company",
      "englishTranslation": "Foreign Limited Liability Company",
      "standardized": "LimitedLiabilityCompany"
    },
    "legalAddress": {
      "addressLine1": "1166 Avenue of the Americas",
      "city": "New York",
      "postalCode": "10036",
      "region": "NY",
      "countryCode": "US"
    }
  },
  "legalRepresentatives": [
    {
      "type": "individual",
      "role": {
        "localName": "Governor / Beneficial Owner",
        "englishTranslation": "Governor / Beneficial Owner",
        "standardized": "Owner"
      },
      "individual": {
        "name": {
          "fullName": "Claudric E Adams"
        }
      }
    }
  ],
  "otherKeyPersons": [
    {
      "type": "company",
      "role": {
        "localName": "Registered Agent"
      }
    }
  ]
}

Dissolved entity (verification mode)

{
  "company": {
    "id": "000396",
    "countryCode": "US-DC",
    "identifiers": {
      "fileNumber": "000396"
    },
    "legalName": "3409 CONNECTICUT AVENUE ASSOCIATES, LLC",
    "incorporationDate": "1996-01-16",
    "activityDescription": "PURCHASE AND MANAGEMENT OF REAL PROPERTY",
    "status": {
      "localName": "Dissolved",
      "active": false,
      "statusDetails": {
        "status": "CLOSED"
      }
    },
    "legalForm": {
      "localName": "Domestic Limited Liability Company",
      "englishTranslation": "Domestic Limited Liability Company",
      "standardized": "LimitedLiabilityCompany",
      "iso20275Code": "2HBR"
    },
    "legalAddress": {
      "addressLine1": "3409 CONNECTICUT AVE., N.W.",
      "city": "LEGACY NO DATA",
      "postalCode": "20008",
      "region": "DC",
      "countryCode": "US"
    }
  },
  "legalRepresentatives": [
    {
      "type": "individual",
      "role": {
        "localName": "Governor / Beneficial Owner",
        "englishTranslation": "Governor / Beneficial Owner",
        "standardized": "Owner"
      },
      "individual": {
        "name": {
          "fullName": "SUSAN LIHN"
        }
      }
    },
    {
      "type": "individual",
      "role": {
        "localName": "Governor / Beneficial Owner",
        "englishTranslation": "Governor / Beneficial Owner",
        "standardized": "Owner"
      },
      "individual": {
        "name": {
          "fullName": "jeffrey david koch"
        }
      }
    }
  ],
  "otherKeyPersons": []
}

Available Documents

curl -X POST "https://api.topograph.co/v2/company" \
  -H "x-api-key: YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"countryCode": "US-DC", "id": "L00005531281", "dataPoints": ["availableDocuments"]}'

{
  "documents": {
    "tradeRegisterExtract": {
      "id": "doc_tre_abc123",
      "name": "Trade Register Extract",
      "format": "pdf"
    }
  }
}

Europe

North America

Asia

Offshore Centers

Washington DC (US)

Table of Contents

Data Sources

Company Identifiers

Query Identifiers

Identifiers in API Response

Search Capabilities

Active companies only

Quirks & Gotchas

Mappings

Company Status

Legal Forms

Legal Representatives

Other Key Persons

Statutory Filings

Data Availability

Documents

Available Documents

Example API Responses

Search by Name

Search by DC File Number

Company Profile

​Table of Contents

​Data Sources

​Company Identifiers

​Query Identifiers

​Identifiers in API Response

​Search Capabilities

​Active companies only

​Quirks & Gotchas

​Mappings

​Company Status

​Legal Forms

​Legal Representatives

​Other Key Persons

​Statutory Filings

​Data Availability

​Documents

​Available Documents

​Example API Responses

​Search by Name

​Search by DC File Number

​Company Profile

Table of Contents

Data Sources

Company Identifiers

Query Identifiers

Identifiers in API Response

Search Capabilities

Active companies only

Quirks & Gotchas

Mappings

Company Status

Legal Forms

Legal Representatives

Other Key Persons

Statutory Filings

Data Availability

Documents

Available Documents

Example API Responses

Search by Name

Search by DC File Number

Company Profile