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B26-0363 • 2025

Revised Business Licensing Reform Temporary Amendment Act of 2025

Revised Business Licensing Reform Temporary 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
2026-01-23
Official status
Official Law
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official text states the act expires after 225 days of taking effect, but the exact start date depends on congressional review completion.

Revised Business Licensing Reform Temporary Amendment Act of 2025

This temporary 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 a 30-day notice 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 expiration.
  • Authorizes the Mayor to refund any portion of a business license fee that was paid or collected by error.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Business owners applying for basic, two-year, four-year, or entertainment licenses in Washington, D.C.
  • The Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection
  • Advisory Neighborhood Commissions near entertainment venues

Terms To Know

Entertainment license
A permit required for places like theaters, cinemas, skating rinks, dance halls, exhibitions, or lectures.
Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC)
Local groups that receive notice and provide recommendations on entertainment license applications in their area.

Limits and Unknowns

  • This law is temporary and will expire after 225 days from when it takes effect.
  • The exact date the law becomes effective depends on approval by the Mayor and a 30-day congressional review period, though the rules apply as of October 1, 2025.

Bill History

  1. 2026-01-23 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Law L26-0078, Effective from Dec 31, 2025 Published in DC Register Vol 73 and Page 000611, Expires on Aug 13, 2026

  2. 2025-11-21 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Act A26-0197 Published in DC Register Vol 72 and Page 012889

  3. 2025-11-17 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Transmitted to Congress

  4. 2025-11-14 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Returned from Mayor

  5. 2025-11-13 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Signed by the Mayor and Enacted with Act Number A26-0197

  6. 2025-10-30 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Transmitted to Mayor, Response Due on Nov 14, 2025

  7. 2025-10-21 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Legislative Meeting

  8. 2025-10-10 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Notice of Intent to Act on B26-0363 Published in the District of Columbia Register

  9. 2025-10-07 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

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

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

    Legislative Meeting

  11. 2025-09-22 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    B26-0363 Introduced by Chairman Mendelson at Office of the Secretary

Official Summary Text

Revised Business Licensing Reform Temporary Amendment Act of 2025

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
ENROLLED ORIGINAL,
AN ACT
D.C. ACT 26-197
TN THE COUNCIL DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
NOVEMBER 13,2025
Toamend,onatemporarybasis,theAdvisoryNeighborhoodCommissionsActof1975tomodifythenoticerequirementforcertainbusinesslicenses;andtoamendChapter28ofTitle47oftheDistrictofColumbiaOfficialCodetoauthorize4-yearbasicbusinesslicenses,toallowlicenseestorenewtheirexpiredlicensesafter9months,andtoauthorizetheMayortoissuerefundsforerroneouslypaidbusinesslicensefees.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this
actmaybecitedasthe“RevisedBusinessLicensingReformTemporaryAmendmentActof2025”.
Sec.2.Section13(q)oftheAdvisoryNeighborhoodCommissionsActof1975,effectiveMarch26,1976(D.C.Law1-58;D.C.OfficialCode§1-309.10(q)),isamendedtoreadasfollows:“(q)(1)Beforegrantingorrenewingalicenseforatheater,cinema,skatingrink,dancehall,exhibition,lecture,orotherentertainment,theDepartmentofLicensingandConsumerProtectionshailgive30-daysnoticebyfirst-classmailorelectronicmailtotheaffectedCommission.Thenoticeshallcontainthenameoftheapplicantandadescription,bystreetnumber,orotherplaindesignation,oftheparticularlocationforwhichthelicenseisrequested.“(2)Pursuanttosubsection(d)ofthissection,theDepartmentofLicensingandConsumerProtectionshallgivegreatweighttotheCommission’srecommendationswhendeterminingwhethertograntorrenewthelicenses.”
Sec.3.Subchapter I-A of Chapter28ofTitle 47of the Districtof Columbia Official
Codeisamendedasfollows:(a)Thetableofcontentsisamendedbyaddinganewsectiondesignationtoreadasfollows:

ENROLLED ORIGINAL
“47-2851.25.Refundoferroneouslypaidfees.”.(b)Section47-2851.04isamendedasfollows:(1)Subseetion(a)isamendedasfollows:
(A)Paragraph(2)isamendedbystrikingtheperiodandthephrase“;and”initsplace.
(B)A newparagraph(3)isaddedtoreadasfollows:(3)$198fora4-yearlicense.”.(2)Subsection(b)isamendedasfollows:(A)Paragraph(1)isamendedbystrikingthephrase“;and”andinsertingina semicoloninitsplace.
(B)Paragraph(2)isamendedbystrikingtheperiodandinsertingthephrase“;and”initsplace.
(C)Anewparagraph(3)isaddedtoreadasfollows:““(3)A 4-yearlicense,apersonshallpayalicensefeeof$198.”.
(c)Section47-2851.07(c)isamendedtoreadasfollows:“(c)Licensesissuedunderthissubchaptershallbevalidforaperiodof6months,2years,or4years.”.(d)Section47-2851.10(b)(3)(B)isamendedbystrikingthephrase“months,butJessthan9months,may”andinsertingthephrase“monthmay”initsplace.(e)A newsection47-2851,25isaddedtoreadasfollows:
“§47-2851.25,Refundoferroneouslypaidfees.“TheMayormayrefundanylicensefeeortax,orportionthereof,erroneouslypaidorcollectedunderthischapter.”.
Sec.4,Applicability
ThisactshallapplyasofOctober1,2025.
Sec.5.Fiscalimpactstatement.TheCounciladoptsthefiscalimpactstatementoftheChiefFinancialOfficerasthefiscal
impactstatementrequiredbysection4aoftheGeneralLegislativeProceduresActof1975,approvedOctober16,2006(120Stat.2038;D.C.OfficialCode§1-301.47a).
Sec.6.Effectivedate.(a)ThisactshalltakeeffectfollowingapprovalbytheMayor(orintheeventofvetobytheMayor,actionbytheCounciltooverridetheveto)and30-dayperiodofcongressionalreview

ENROLLED ORIGINAL
asprovidedinsection602(c)(1)ofDistrictofColumbiaHomeRuleAct,approvedbyDecember24,1973(87Stat.813;D.C.OfficialCode§ 1-206.02(c)(1)).(b)Thisactshallexpireafter225daysofitshavingtakeneffect.
\irman
Councilof theDistrictof Columbia

APPROVED
NOVEMBER 13, 2025

COUNCILOFTHEDISTRICTOF COLUMBIA
WASHINGTON,DC,20004

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