Last updated: August 31, 2026. The content in this guide is specific to Washington, DC. Each state has its own laws around what a food business must do to legally sell. This is an orientation guide, not legal advice. Confirm forms and portals with the agency before you file.

Union Kitchen is Washington, DC’s certified shared commercial kitchen where food businesses produce from first batch to full scale — packaged brands, meal delivery, and everything in between.

If you will make product here, you still need your own licenses. You cannot produce under Union Kitchen’s license.

This guide walks through the requirements a food business must meet to legally sell to customers. It is written for food manufacturers making consumer packaged goods (CPG). Caterers have a simpler process; that shorter list is at the end.

Direct answer

Complete the steps below in order. Each filing uses documents from the step before it. Going out of order creates extra work.

Step 1 — Incorporate your business

The first step is to legally form your company. You are going from a hobby to a business. We recommend incorporating as an LLC for the limited personal liability, tax structure, and governance flexibility. LLCs are also easy to set up. If you are in business by yourself, a sole proprietorship works. If you have partners, file as a partnership.

Step 2 — Obtain your DUNS number

Your business must obtain a DUNS Number (Unique Facility Identifier) to register your food production facility with the FDA. The Dun & Bradstreet D-U-N-S Number is a unique nine-digit identifier associated with a business’s Live Business Identity.

Request it on the Dun & Bradstreet website. There is no cost. It can take up to 30 days, or you can pay to expedite, which is not recommended unless you are in a pinch.

Important: the DUNS address must match the address of the production facility or FDA will reject the registration. For Union Kitchen that address is 1625 Eckington Place NE, Washington, DC 20002. When selecting the reason for needing the number, select that you are looking to get a Unique Facility Identifier (UFI).

Step 3 — Register your company with the IRS to get your EIN

Register your LLC with the IRS to receive your Federal Employer Identification Number, or FEIN (sometimes written as EIN). You will need this for taxes and every registration after this.

Step 4 — File your FDA registration application

The Food and Drug Administration is the federal agency responsible for making sure consumers’ food and drugs are safe to consume. Registration with the FDA is early in the process because information from that registration is used in later filings.

The application is in 12 parts. Much of the language is difficult. Use FDA’s step-by-step registration instructions as you complete each portion.

DC Health requires anyone manufacturing or using a specialized process to register with the FDA.

Step 5 — Acquire your Certificate of Good Standing (only if you are a foreign entity)

The certificate shows you are in good standing with your incorporating state on filings, taxes, and similar items. It is issued by the state where you established the business. Each state has its own process, so search “[your state of establishment] Certificate of Good Standing.” You will need this to file your Foreign Registration Statement. It must not be more than 90 days old.

Step 6 — File your Foreign Registration Statement (if not established in DC)

“Foreign” here does not mean outside the United States. It means established outside Washington, DC. If the company was formed outside the District, file a Foreign Registration Statement (FN-1) so DC recognizes the business as one that can operate here.

Complete the FN-1 via CorpOnline.

Terms on the form:

  • Governor: list yourself (the business owner) as the authorized person / Governor
  • Registered agent: you are your own registered agent for Washington, DC
  • Principal address: your address in the state where you formed the business

Attach the Certificate of Good Standing from Step 5.

Step 7 — Complete your Sales and Use new business registration (FR-500)

By registering, you are filing to be an approved business that sells directly to consumers — farmers markets, events, or any other time you sell to the person eating the food. Complete FR-500 on MyTax.DC.gov. After you file, you will receive a letter at the mailing address you listed. You need the notice number from that letter to finish registration with the DC Office of Tax and Revenue.

Step 8 — Register with the DC Office of Tax and Revenue

Register your EIN with the DC Office of Tax and Revenue on MyTax.DC.gov. Use the notice number from the letter in Step 7.

Step 9 — File for your sales and use exemption (FR-164)

Once FR-500 has been processed, file the sales and use exemption if you are not selling only to the end consumer — for example, when you sell to a retailer or distributor that resells the product. With the exemption you do not pay sales tax on those invoices. File FR-164 on MyTax.DC.gov. A current copy of the form is also posted by OTR.

Step 10 — Acquire your Clean Hands certificate from DC

Like a Certificate of Good Standing, Clean Hands shows you are in good standing with the District: you do not owe more than $1,000, and the food-business paperwork is complete. Complete it on MyTax.DC.gov. That $1,000 includes parking tickets, moving violations, tax liabilities, child support, and similar debts.

Step 11 — Obtain your Certificate of Liability Insurance

A Certificate of Liability Insurance (COI) is issued by your insurance company. It lists types of coverage, the insurer, policy number, named insured, effective dates, and limits and deductibles.

The COI typically covers general liability, workers’ compensation, and employer’s liability. Distributors and retailers require a COI to work with you. If you are a food manufacturer, we recommend SecureCPG.

Step 12 — Obtain your Food Safety Manager certificate (ServSafe) and your DC Certified Food Protection Manager card

Now the food-specific portion. First get your Certified Food Protection Manager ID (CFPM). It shows you know food-safety practices and can manage a team to the same standard.

Register for the course and exam through ServSafe. After you pass and have the ServSafe certificate, upload it in the DC Health online portal. Create an account, log in, and select the Certified Food Protection Manager application. The fee is $35.

Worth noting: ServSafe certificates are good for 5 years. DC requires you to renew the DC card after 3 years.

Step 13 — Write your HACCP plan and variance letter

If you are a CPG manufacturer, DC Health requires a Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point plan and a variance letter requesting a variance for the manufacturing portion of the DC Food Code. Complete these before you file the manufacturer application.

Step 14 — File your food manufacturer application (part one)

To operate in a shared or commercial kitchen, every food business must have an approved food manufacturer application.

Part one is filing the application: Food Manufacturer Application to work from a Shared Kitchen. It is wide-ranging: ingredient lists, production process, and related detail. Use DC Health’s resource page while you complete it.

Submit through the same DC Health portal you used for the CFPM card. Union Kitchen management signs the facility portion and provides the Certificate of Occupancy when you are ready.

Step 15 — Schedule and complete your pre-operational inspection with DC Health (part two)

Once the paperwork is approved, schedule the pre-operational inspection. Coordinate with Union Kitchen management so they can help with facility-specific questions.

You will sit with the inspector, talk through your production process, and walk the shared kitchen. The inspector is checking that your process and the facility meet local food code.

Step 16 — File your Basic Business License

The last step is the Basic Business License. The BBL form on mybusiness.dc.gov requires pieces from the steps above, including the health inspection report from the DOH visit. You also need the Certificate of Occupancy from the shared kitchen, which ties your license to 1625 Eckington Place NE.

Caterers

If you are a caterer, complete only steps 1, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15, and 16.

Final thoughts

Food businesses have extra licensing steps so producers sell food that is safe. That also means the process can be long. Follow the steps in the order above. Each one builds on the last.

For more support, reach out to Union Kitchen food-safety staff at support@unionkitchen.com.

Book a kitchen tour if you want to see the space before you file: unionkitchen.com.

Official sources to re-check before you file

FAQ

Can I produce at Union Kitchen under the kitchen’s license? No. Every business in the shared kitchen must be separately licensed and inspected.

Do I have to join First Run to get licensed? No. Kitchen membership and First Run are separate. You can rent production space without the accelerator.

How long does this take? DUNS can take up to 30 days. DC Health review and a pre-operational inspection come after a complete manufacturer filing. Build in time for mailed tax letters and a 90-day-or-newer Certificate of Good Standing.

What address do I use? The production facility: 1625 Eckington Place NE, Washington, DC 20002. Do not use the grocery checkout or a home address on DUNS or FDA.

Is cottage food the same process? No. Cottage food and home-kitchen programs are a different path. Production at Union Kitchen follows the shared-kitchen manufacturer steps above.

I am a caterer. Which steps do I skip? Complete steps 1, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15, and 16.

Who signs the shared-kitchen application? Union Kitchen management. Email support@unionkitchen.com when the form is ready for the occupancy certificate and signature.