Form DBU-7, Articles of Dissolution of Domestic For-Profit Corporation – Washington, DC

Form DBU-7, Articles of Dissolution of Domestic For-Profit Corporation, is the District of Columbia Corporations Division form that allows a domestic business corporation to dissolve and wind down its business by applying for a Certificate of Dissolution.

The form is issued by the Corporations Division of the Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection (DLCP). It is made under Title 29 of the D.C. Code (Business Organizations Act), and the entity type and authority printed on it are Domestic Business Corporation, § 29–312.02. A corporation is dissolved upon the effective date of its articles of dissolution.

The form is a short statement with five items:

• the name of the corporation;
• the date dissolution was authorized;
• the effective date;
• a statement that the proposal to dissolve was duly approved by the shareholders in the manner required by § 29-312.03 and by the articles of incorporation;
• the name and signature of the Governor or Authorized Person.

The form says plainly what it does not do: the dissolution has no effect on the entity's licensing and/or tax obligations, and it is the organization's responsibility to ensure compliance in those areas. A filing fee applies; the form points to the Corporate Fee Schedule posted online for the amount.

A domestic business corporation, that is, a for-profit corporation, that wants to dissolve and wind down its business files Form DBU-7 with the DLCP Corporations Division. The entity type printed on the form is Domestic Business Corporation, with authority cited as § 29–312.02.

Before the form is signed, the corporation's shareholders must have approved the proposal to dissolve in the manner required by § 29-312.03 and by the articles of incorporation, because item 4 states that approval.

The form is signed by the Governor or Authorized Person named in item 5. Signing is a sworn-style statement of truth: the form warns that anyone who makes a false statement can be punished by criminal penalties, including a fine, imprisonment up to 180 days, or both, under DCOC § 22-2405.

Filing this form does not close out other obligations. The form states that dissolution has no effect on the entity's licensing and/or tax obligations, so a corporation that dissolves must still make sure it complies in those areas.

File Form DBU-7 once the corporation has authorized its dissolution: item 2 asks for the date dissolution was authorized, and item 4 states that the shareholders approved the proposal to dissolve in the manner required by § 29-312.03 and by the articles of incorporation. The form prints no separate filing deadline.

Item 3 asks for the effective date. The form states that a corporation is dissolved upon the effective date of its articles of dissolution, so choose that date with care. The form also says the dissolution does not change the entity's licensing and/or tax obligations, which continue to be the organization's responsibility.

Form DBU-7 can be filed by mail or online through the DLCP CorpOnline site.

• By mail: send the form and the required payment to Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection, Corporations Division, PO Box 712300, Philadelphia, PA 19171-2300. The form says to mail all forms and required payment to this address.
• Online: DLCP says many corporate filings are available online. Go to https://corponline.dlcp.dc.gov and sign in with Access DC to proceed. Online filings are paid by credit card.
• Questions: call the Corporations Division at (202) 442-4432.

A filing fee applies. The form refers you to the Corporate Fee Schedule posted online for the current amount; the amount is not printed on the form. FillingPDF lets you fill out and download the PDF; submission follows the DLCP channels above.