Form DST-1, Certificate of Trust for Domestic Statutory Trust – Washington, DC

Form DST-1, Certificate of Trust for Domestic Statutory Trust, is the District of Columbia Corporations Division form, published by the Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection (DLCP), that organizers file to establish a new Domestic Business Statutory Trust in the District.

The PDF has two parts. The first is an instruction sheet that you can use to draft your own certificate of trust. The second, on page 2, is a Certificate of Trust template you can complete instead. Both are labeled Form DST-1, Ver. 5, September 2023. The instruction sheet cites § 29–1202.01 and § 29-102.01 as the authority for this entity type, and the certificate is adopted by one or more organizers under Title 29 of the D.C. Code (Business Organizations Act).

The certificate covers eight items:

• the name of the statutory trust;
• the principal office address;
• the registered agent's name and address in the District of Columbia;
• a statement, if the trust may have one or more series;
• the effective date;
• miscellaneous provisions;
• the names and addresses of the trustees and beneficial owners who have an interest in or control over the trust;
• the organizers' names and addresses, with signature and date.

A filing fee applies. The instruction sheet sends you to the Corporate Fee Schedule posted online for the amount.

The organizers of a new statutory trust in the District of Columbia use Form DST-1. The form says that one or more persons acting as organizers adopt the certificate under Title 29 of the D.C. Code (Business Organizations Act), and each organizer must sign and date it.

The form also reaches other people. Item 7 asks for the names and addresses of each trustee and beneficial owner who has an interest in or control over the trust. The instruction sheet defines these people as those whose aggregate share of direct or indirect, legal or beneficial ownership of a governance or total distributional interest in the entity:

• exceeds 10 percent; or
• does not exceed 10 percent, provided the person controls the financial or operational decisions of the entity or can direct its day-to-day operations.

The instruction sheet applies to the Domestic Statutory Trust entity type only. It does not name any other entity type, and it gives no rule for representatives signing for an organizer.

File Form DST-1 when the organizers are ready to establish the new domestic statutory trust, because the instruction sheet states that the certificate establishes the trust in the District of Columbia. The form prints no filing deadline of its own.

Item 5 asks for an effective date, so decide that date before you complete the certificate. A filing fee applies; the instruction sheet refers you to the Corporate Fee Schedule posted online. The form gives no processing time. For questions about a filing, the Corporations Division lists the phone number (202) 442-4432.

You can file Form DST-1 online through CorpOnline or by mail to the DLCP Corporations Division.

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

A filing fee applies. The form does not print the amount; it refers you to the Corporate Fee Schedule posted online. The form names no in-person channel. FillingPDF lets you fill out and download the PDF; submission follows the channels above.