(a) Any person requiring a license in accordance with this subchapter shall file an application for a basic business license with the business license center, as provided in this section, and shall pay the required fee or fees. As part of his or her application, he or she shall provide a valid electronic mail address which may be used for the electronic service of process of notices related to the license.

(b) Printed license application forms shall be made available by the business license center as well as electronic forms, which may be downloaded by computer.

(c)(1)(A) Except for such fees as are established by this subchapter, the Director shall by regulation establish fees for the issuance, reissuance, and transfer or reinstatement of all business licenses and endorsements, provided, however, that any fee required by any law or regulation in force as of the effective date of this subchapter shall remain in effect until changed in accordance with this section.

(B) The Director, pursuant to subchapter I of Chapter 5 of Title 2, may revise such fees as are established by this subchapter. The proposed rules issued pursuant to this subparagraph shall be submitted to the Council for a 30-day period of review, excluding Saturdays, Sundays, legal holidays, and days of Council recess. If the Council does not approve or disapprove the proposed rules, in whole or in part, by resolution within this 30-day review period, the proposed rules shall be deemed approved.

(2) The fees established pursuant to paragraph (1) of this subsection may vary according to the class of license and the particular kind of business being licensed and shall be reasonably related to the cost to the District of investigating, inspecting, and issuing the licenses.

(d)(1) All fees collected pursuant to this section shall be deposited in a special account and used only to defray the costs of licensing and license enforcement, including salaries, staff training, equipment, records, and computers.

(2) The Department shall not spend more for issuing and enforcing the provisions of this subchapter than has been collected through license fees, except that surplus funds or deficits occurring in any fiscal year may be carried forward for not more than 3 fiscal years.

(Apr. 29, 1998, D.C. Law 12-86, § 101(b), 45 DCR 1172; Apr. 20, 1999, D.C. Law 12-261, § 2002(b), 46 DCR 3142; Oct. 28, 2003, D.C. Law 15-38, § 2(f), 50 DCR 6913; Sept. 24, 2010, D.C. Law 18-223, §§ 2030, 2054, 57 DCR 6242; Feb. 18, 2017, D.C. Law 21-213, § 3(c), 63 DCR 15330.)

1981 Ed., § 47-2851.4.

D.C. Law 15-38, in subsec. (a), substituted “basic” for “master”.

D.C. Law 18-223, in subsec. (a), added the second sentence; and, in subsec. (c)(1), designated the existing text as subpar. (A) and added subpar. (B).

Applicability of D.C. Law 21-213: § 4 of D.C. Law 21-213 provided that the creation of this section by § 3(c) of D.C. Law 21-213 is subject to the inclusion of the law’s fiscal effect in an approved budget and financial plan. Therefore that amendment has not been implemented.

For temporary (90 day) amendment of section, see § 2(f) of Streamlining Regulation Emergency Act of 2003 (D.C. Act 15-145, August 11, 2003, 50 DCR 6896).

For temporary (90 day) amendment of section, see § 210 of Fiscal Year 2010 Balanced Budget Support Emergency Act of 2010 (D.C. Act 18-450, June 28, 2010, 57 DCR 5635).

For temporary (90 day) amendment of section, see § 210 of Fiscal Year 2010 Balanced Budget Support Congressional Review Emergency Act of 2010 (D.C. Act 18-531, August 6, 2010, 57 DCR 8109).

For temporary (90 day) amendment of section, see §§ 2030, 2054 of Fiscal Year 2011 Budget Support Emergency Act of 2010 (D.C. Act 18-463, July 2, 2010, 57 DCR 6542).

Section 210 of D.C. Law 18-222, in subsec. (c)(1), designated the existing text as subpar. (A) and added subpar. (B) to read as follows:

“(B) The Director, pursuant to subchapter I of Chapter 5 of Title 2, may revise such fees as are established by this subchapter. The proposed rules issued pursuant to this subparagraph shall be submitted to the Council for a 90-day period of review, excluding Saturdays, Sundays, legal holidays, and days of Council recess. If the Council does not approve or disapprove the proposed rules, in whole or in part, by resolution within this 90-day review period, the proposed rules shall be deemed disapproved.”.

Section 2002(b) of D.C. Law 18-222 provided that the act shall expire after 225 days of its having taken effect.