The Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs (DCRA) protects the health, safety, economic interests, and quality of life of residents, businesses, and visitors in the District of Columbia by ensuring code compliance and regulating business.

Summary of Services

DCRA is responsible for regulating construction and business activity in the District of Columbia. The agency issues construction permits after reviews of construction documents to ensure compliance with building codes and zoning regulations. Construction activity, buildings, and rental housing establishments are inspected, and housing code violations are abated, if necessary. To protect consumers, DCRA issues business and professional licenses, registers corporations, inspects weighing and measuring devices used for monetary profit, and issues special events permits.

In FY 2020, DCRA registered over 14,000 corporations, completed over 57,000 inspections, and issued over 54,000 permits, 49,000 business licenses, and 23,000 professional licenses.