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B26-0362 • 2025

Revised Business Licensing Reform Emergency Amendment Act of 2025

Revised Business Licensing Reform Emergency Amendment Act of 2025

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 summary does not provide detailed information on how refunds for incorrectly paid fees will be processed or calculated, leaving some uncertainty in this area.

Revised Business Licensing Reform Emergency Amendment Act of 2025

This act changes the rules for business licenses in Washington D.C., including allowing longer license periods and refunding fees if they were paid incorrectly.

What This Bill Does

  • Changes how long certain business licenses last, from six months or two years to four years.
  • Allows businesses with expired licenses to renew them up to nine months after expiration.
  • Requires the Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection to give notice to Advisory Neighborhood Commissions before granting or renewing entertainment-related licenses.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Businesses in Washington D.C. that need a license to operate
  • The Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection

Terms To Know

Emergency Amendment Act
A type of legislation passed quickly in response to urgent needs.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The act will only be effective for a limited time, no longer than 90 days.
  • It does not specify how the refunds for incorrectly paid fees will be calculated or processed.

Bill History

  1. 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

  2. 2025-10-23 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Returned from Mayor

  3. 2025-10-15 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Transmitted to Mayor, Response Due on Oct 29, 2025

  4. 2025-10-07 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Retained by the Council with comments from the Committee on Public Works and Operations

  5. 2025-10-07 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Legislative Meeting

  6. 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:
Ҥ47-2851.25,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