B26-0362 • 2025

Revised Business Licensing Reform Emergency Amendment Act of 2025

Taxes

Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor: at the request of the Mayor
Last action: 2025-10-23
Official status: Enacted
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official status label says 'Enacted' and lists a date of October 23, 2025, but Section 6 states it takes effect following Mayor approval or veto override. The metadata notes 'Returned from Mayor,' which may imply the process is complete, but the exact effective start date relative to the 90-day clock depends on when that final action occurred.

Revised Business Licensing Reform Emergency Amendment Act of 2025

This emergency law changes business license rules in Washington, D.C., by adding a four-year option with a $198 fee, allowing renewals up to nine months after expiration, and letting the Mayor refund fees paid by mistake.

What This Bill Does

Requires the Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection to send notice to local Advisory Neighborhood Commissions before granting or renewing licenses for theaters, cinemas, skating rinks, dance halls, exhibitions, lectures, or other entertainment venues.
Creates a new four-year basic business license option with a fee of $198.
Allows businesses to renew their expired licenses if they apply within nine months after the expiration date.
Authorizes the Mayor to refund any portion of a business license fee or tax that was paid by error.

Who It Names or Affects

Business owners in Washington, D.C. who hold basic business licenses
Entertainment venues such as theaters, cinemas, skating rinks, dance halls, exhibitions, and lectures
Advisory Neighborhood Commissions (ANCs) that receive notices about entertainment license applications

Terms To Know

Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC): A local group in Washington, D.C. neighborhoods that receives notice and provides recommendations on certain business licenses.
Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection: The city agency responsible for issuing business licenses and sending notices to Advisory Neighborhood Commissions.

Limits and Unknowns

This law is an emergency act that will expire after 90 days unless extended.
The text does not specify the exact date when refunds must be issued to businesses, only that the Mayor may issue them.
The source material states the Department shall give 'great weight' to Commission recommendations but does not define exactly how much influence this has on the final decision.

Bill History

2025-10-23 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS
Signed by the Mayor and Enacted with Act Number A26-0165, Expires on Jan 21, 2026
2025-10-23 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS
Returned from Mayor
2025-10-15 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS
Transmitted to Mayor, Response Due on Oct 29, 2025
2025-10-07 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS
Retained by the Council with comments from the Committee on Public Works and Operations
2025-10-07 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS
Legislative Meeting
2025-09-22 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS
B26-0362 Introduced by Chairman Mendelson at Office of the Secretary

Official Summary Text

Revised Business Licensing Reform Emergency Amendment Act of 2025

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

ENROLLED ORIGINAL
AN ACT
D.C. ACT 26-165
IN THE COUNCIL DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
OCTOBER 23, 2025
‘Toamend,onanemergencybasis,theAdvisoryNeighborhoodCommissionsActof1975tomodifythenoticerequirementforcertainbusinesslicenses;andtoamendChapter28of
Title47oftheDistrictofColumbiaOfficialCodetoauthorize4-yearbasicbusinesslicenses,toallowlicenseestorenewtheirexpiredlicensesafter9months,andtoauthorizetheMayortoissuerefundsforerroneouslypaidbusinesslicensefees.
BEITENACTEDBY THECOUNCILOFTHEDISTRICTOFCOLUMBIA,Thatthisactmaybecitedasthe“RevisedBusinessLicensingReformEmergencyAmendmentActof2025”.
Sec.2.Section13(q)of theAdvisoryNeighborhood Commissions Act of 1975,effective
March 26, 1976 (D.C.Law 1-58;D.C. OfficialCode § 1-309.10(q)),isamended toreadas
follows:
“(q)(1)Beforegrantingorrenewing a licensefora theater,cinema,skatingrink,dance
hall,exhibition,lecture,orotherentertainment,theDepartment of Licensingand Consumer
Protectionshallgive30-daysnoticeby first-classmail or electronicmail totheaffected
Commission.Thenoticeshallcontainthenameoftheapplicantandadescription,bystreet
number, or otherplaindesignation,of theparticularlocationforwhich thelicenseisrequested.
“(2)Pursuanttosubsection(d)of thissection,theDepartmentof Licensingand
Consumer ProtectionshallgivegreatweighttotheCommission’s recommendations when
determiningwhethertograntorrenew thelicenses.”,
Sec.3.SubchapterI-A of Chapter28of Title47 of theDistrictofColumbia Official
Code isamended asfollows:
(a)Thetableofcontentsisamendedbyaddinganewsectiondesignationtoreadasfollows:
“47-2851.25.Refund of erroneouslypaid fees.”.
1

ENROLLED ORIGINAL
(b)Section47-2851.04isamendedasfollows:
(1)Subsection(a)isamendedasfollows:
(A)Paragraph(2)isamendedbystrikingtheperiodandinsertingthephrase*;and”initsplace.
(B)A newparagraph(3)isaddedtoreadasfollows:
“(3)$198fora4-yearlicense.”.
(2)Subsection(b)isamendedasfollows:
(A)Paragraph(1)isamendedbystrikingthephrase“;and”andinsertingasemicoloninitsplace.
(B)Paragraph(2)isamendedbystrikingtheperiodandinsertingthephrase“;and”initsplace.
(C)A newparagraph(3)isaddedtoreadasfollows:
“(3)A 4-yearlicense,apersonshallpayalicensefeeof$198.”.
(©Section47-2851.07(c)isamendedtoreadasfollows:
“(©)Licensesissuedunderthissubchaptershallbevalidforaperiodof6months,2years,or4 years.”.
(4)Section47-2851.10(b)(3)(B)isamendedbystrikingthephrase“months,butlessthan9months,may”andinsertingthephrase“monthmay”initsplace.
(e)A newsection47-2851.25isaddedtoreadasfollows:
“§47-2851.25,Refundoferroneouslypaidfees.
“The Mayor may refundany licensefeeortax,or portionthereof,erroneouslypaidor
collectedunderthischapter.”.

Sec.4.Applicability
ThisactshallapplyasofOctober1,2025.
Sec.5.Fiscalimpactstatement.
TheCounciladoptsthefiscalimpactstatementoftheChiefFinancialOfficerasthefiscalimpactstatementrequiredbysection4aoftheGeneralLegislativeProceduresActof1975,approvedOctober16,2006(120Stat.2038;D.C.OfficialCode§1-301.47a).
Sec.6.Effectivedate,
ThisactshalltakeeffectfollowingapprovalbytheMayor(orintheeventofvetobythe
Mayor,actionbytheCounciltooverridetheveto),andshallremainineffectfornolongerthan

ENROLLED ORIGINAL
90days,asprovidedforemergencyactsoftheCounciloftheDistrictofColumbiainsection412(a)oftheDistrictofColumbiaHomeRuleAct,approvedDecember24,1973(87Stat.788;
D.C.OfficialCode§1-204.12(a)).
‘rman
Councilof theDistrictof Columbia

OCTOBER23, 2025

COUNCILOF THEDISTRICTOF COLUMBIA
WASHINGTON,DC,20004

[ITEMONCONSENTCALENDAR
[x]ACTION FinalReading
U<]VOTEDATE October7,2025
[x]voIcevore Approved
RECORDEDVOTEONREQUEST
ABSENT
[]ROLLCALLVOTE~Result

SecretarytotheCouncil
CouncilMember__|Aye[Nay|NV_|AB[Rec|CouncilMember|Aye nv [AB|Rec|CouncilMember| Aye|Nay|NV|AB |Rec.
‘ChairmanMendelson]X Henderson|x Pinto
Alen x LewisGeowe| x White
Bonds x MeDute x T.wite
Felder x Nadeau x
Frumin x Parker x
X--IndicatoVote [ABAbsent NV Present,NotVoting Rec-Recused
‘CERTIFICATIONRECORD
10-9 XS