District of Columbia Administrative Code

106 ZONING MAP 106.1 The official Zoning Map of the District of Columbia shall be the zoning map that is drawn and maintained on the Geographic Information System, also known as “GIS,” located in the Office of Zoning effective on April 13, 2012. 106.2 The official Zoning Map shal…

107 ZONE DISTRICT BOUNDARY LINES 107.1 The zone district boundaries shall be shown on each section of the Zoning Map. 107.2 The scale of the Zoning Map and the dimensions entered on the map shall be shown on each section of the map to serve as guides. 107.3 Dimensioned district b…

199 DEFINITIONS 199.1 When used in this title, the following terms and phrases shall have the meanings ascribed: Accessory apartment - a complete apartment unit contained within a one-family detached dwelling. It has kitchen and bath facilities separate from the principal dwellin…

1000 GENERAL PROVISIONS 1000.1 The Mixed Use Diplomatic (D) Overlay District is established to implement the Foreign Missions Act, approved August 24, 1982 (96 Stat. 282, as amended; D.C. Official Code §§ 6-1301 to 6-1315 (formerly codified at D.C. Code §§ 5-1201 to 5-1215 (1994 …

1001 CHANCERY USE CRITERIA 1001.1 A chancery shall be a permitted use in a D Overlay District, subject to disapproval by the Board of Zoning Adjustment, based on the criteria in this section. 1001.2 The Board shall consider the international obligation of the United States to fac…

1002 BOARD OF ZONING ADJUSTMENT REVIEW 1002.1 To locate, replace, or expand a chancery in an R-5-D, R-5-E, or SP District or in the D Overlay District, or to reconstruct an existing chancery that is destroyed in an R-1, R-2, R-3, R-4, R-5-A, R-5-B, or R-5-C District, application …

1100 GENERAL PROVISIONS 1100.1 This chapter establishes a Hotel-Residential Incentive (HR) Overlay District that is applied to selected geographic areas within and on the immediate periphery of the Central Employment Area. 1100.2 The purpose of the HR Overlay District is to encou…

1101 USE, BULK, AND HEIGHT REGULATIONS 1101.1 The HR Overlay District shall be mapped in combination with any district mapped at each location and shall not be instead of that district. 1101.2 All uses, buildings, and structures permitted in accordance with this section and the a…

1200 PREAMBLE 1200.1 The Capitol Interest (CAP) Overlay District is established to promote and protect the public health, safety, and general welfare of the U.S. Capitol precinct and the area adjacent to this jurisdiction, in a manner consistent with the goals and mandates of the…

1201 USE REGULATIONS 1201.1 Except as provided in chapters 20 through 25 of this title, in the CAP Overlay District, no building or premises shall be used and no building shall be erected or altered that is arranged, intended, or designed to be used except for one (1) or more of …

1202 SPECIAL EXCEPTIONS 1202.1 In an application for a special exception in any CAP Overlay District, the Board of Zoning Adjustment shall consider whether the proposed development is: (a) Compatible with the present and proposed development of the neighborhood; (b) Consistent wi…

1203 HEIGHT, AREA, AND BULK REGULATIONS 1203.1 Except as specified in § 1203.2 and in Chapters 20 through 25 of this title, the height of buildings or structures in the CAP Overlay District shall not exceed forty feet (40 ft.) or three (3) stories in height. 1203.2 The height of …

1204 INCLUSIONARY ZONING 1204.1 Notwithstanding the requirements of §1203.1 and §1203.3, developments that are subject to the requirements of Chapter 26 Inclusionary Zoning may use the following modifications to the CAP Overlay’s height, lot occupancy and FAR: (a) In the CAP/R-5-…

1300 PREAMBLE (NC) 1300.1 The Neighborhood Commercial (NC) Overlay District is established to preserve and enhance neighborhood shopping areas, by providing the scale of development and range of uses that are appropriate for neighborhood shopping and services. 1300.2 The NC Overl…

1301 GENERAL PROVISIONS (NC) 1301.1 The NC Overlay District is mapped in combination with the underlying Commercial District and not instead of the underlying district. 1301.2 Except as provided in § 1301.3 and in other provisions of this chapter, all uses, buildings, and structu…

1302 DESIGNATED AND RESTRICTED USES 1302.1 Any building that occupies or is constructed on a lot in a designated use area within an NC Overlay District shall provide designated retail and service establishments on the ground level according to the requirements of this section and…

1303 LIMITATIONS ON DRIVEWAYS AND CURB CUTS (NC) 1303.1 No drive-through accessory to any use shall be permitted in the NC Overlay District. 1303.2 Within the area of the NC Overlay District, notwithstanding the provisions of § 2117.8(c), no driveway providing access from any des…

1304 SPECIAL EXCEPTIONS (NC) 1304.1 Exceptions from the requirements of this chapter shall be permitted only as a special exception, if approved by the Board of Zoning Adjustment after public hearing, in accordance with § 3104, and subject to the following requirements: (a) The e…

1305 PLANNED UNIT DEVELOPMENT GUIDELINES (NC) 1305.1 In the NC Overlay District, the matter-of-right height, penthouse, and floor area ratio limits shall serve as the guidelines for planned unit developments. SOURCE: Final Rulemaking published at 36 DCR 7616, 7620 (November 3, 19…

1306 CLEVELAND PARK NEIGHBORHOOD COMMERCIAL OVERLAY DISTRICT (CP) 1306.1 The Cleveland Park Neighborhood Commercial (CP) Overlay District is applied to a compact geographic area surrounding the Cleveland Park Metrorail Station and within the Cleveland Park Historic District, comp…

1307 WOODLEY PARK NEIGHBORHOOD COMMERCIAL OVERLAY DISTRICT (WP) 1307.1 The Woodley Park Neighborhood Commercial (WP) Overlay District is applied to a compact geographic area surrounding the Woodley Park/Zoo Metrorail station, comprising those lots zoned C-2-A in Squares 2202 and …

1308 MACOMB-WISCONSIN NEIGHBORHOOD COMMERCIAL OVERLAY DISTRICT (MW) 1308.1 The Macomb-Wisconsin Neighborhood Commercial (MW) Overlay District applies to the neighborhood commercial area near and extending from the intersection of Macomb Street and Wisconsin Avenue, N.W., comprisi…

1309 EIGHTH STREET SOUTHEAST NEIGHBORHOOD COMMERCIAL OVERLAY DISTRICT (ES) 1309.1 The Eighth Street Southeast Neighborhood Commercial (ES) Overlay District is applied to a compact geographic area along Eighth Street, S.E., near the entrance to the Navy Yard, comprising those prop…

1310 TAKOMA NEIGHBORHOOD COMMERCIAL OVERLAY DISTRICT (TK) 1310.1 The Takoma Neighborhood Commercial Overlay District (TK) applies to Squares 3188 and 3278 in their entirety, and certain lots and portions of lots zoned C-2-A on: (a) Square 3187 along the frontages of Blair Road an…

1320 H STREET NORTHEAST NEIGHBORHOOD COMMERCIAL OVERLAY DISTRICT (HS) 1320.1 The H Street Northeast Neighborhood Commercial Overlay District (HS) applies to all lots fronting onto H Street, N.E. from 2nd Street to 15th Street, N.E. and zoned C-2-A, C-2-B, C-2-C, C-3-A, or C-3-B, …

1321 HS OVERLAY HOUSING SUB-DISTRICT (HS-H) 1321.1 The purpose of the housing sub-district is to encourage housing. 1321.2 The floor area ratio for new construction in the HS-H Sub-district may not exceed 0.5 FAR for non-residential uses, except as provided in § 1321.3. 1321.3 Ne…

1322 HS OVERLAY RETAIL SUB-DISTRICT (HS-R) 1322.1 The HS Overlay Retail Sub-district is intended to encourage retail uses. 1322.2 For the purposes of §§ 1322.3 and 1326.1(a), preferred uses in the HS-R Sub-district are: (a) Antique store; (b) Apparel and accessories shop; (c) App…

1323 HS OVERLAY ARTS SUB-DISTRICT (HS-A) 1323.1 The HS Overlay Arts Sub-district is intended to encourage arts and entertainment uses. 1323.2 For the purposes of §§ 1320.3(c), 1323.4 and 1326.1(a), preferred uses are: (a) Art center; (b) Art gallery; (c) Art or performing arts sc…

1324 DESIGN REQUIREMENTS (HS) 1324.1 The design requirements of §§ 1324.2 through 1324.16 shall apply to any lot in the HS Overlay District for which a building permit was applied after October 25, 2004. 1324.2 Buildings shall be designed and built so that not less than seventy-f…

1325 SPECIAL EXCEPTION REQUIREMENTS (HS) 1325.1 The buildings, structures, and uses listed in § 1320.4 and exceptions from the requirements of the H Street Overlay District shall be permitted as a special exception if approved by the Board of Zoning Adjustment after public hearin…

1326 PLANNED UNIT DEVELOPMENT AND INCLUSIONARY ZONING PROVISIONS (HS) 1326.1 A planned unit development (PUD) in the HS Overlay District shall be subject to the following provisions in addition to those of Chapter 24 of this Title: (a) The additional height and floor area above t…

1327 GEORGIA AVENUE COMMERCIAL OVERLAY DISTRICT (GA) 1327.1 The Georgia Avenue Commercial (GA) Overlay District applies to all properties zoned C-2-A and/or C-3-A along both sides of Georgia Avenue, N.W., from the north side of the intersection of Georgia Avenue and Kenyon Street…

1328 DESIGN REQUIREMENTS (GA) 1328.1 The design requirements of §§ 1328.2 through 1328.11 shall apply to any lot in the GA Overlay District for which a building permit was applied for after December 11, 2006. 1328.2 Buildings shall be designed and built so that not less than seve…

1329 USE PROVISIONS (GA) 1329.1 The following uses are prohibited within the GA Overlay District: (a) Automobile and truck sales; (b) Automobile laundry; (c) Boat or marine sales; (d) Any use that includes a Drive-through; (e) Gasoline service station; (f) Liquor store; (g) Pawn …

1330 SPECIAL EXCEPTION (GA) 1330.1 The following uses are permitted by special exception within the GA Overlay District regardless of whether the use is permitted as a matter of right in the underlying zone, pursuant to §§ 3104 and 1304: (a) Fast food establishments including any…

1331 PLANNED UNIT DEVELOPMENT PROVISIONS (GA) 1331.1 A planned unit development (PUD) in the GA Overlay District shall be subject to the following provisions in addition to those of Chapter 24 of this Title: (a) Any additional height and floor area above that permitted as a matte…

1400 GENERAL PROVISIONS (RC) 1400.1 The Reed-Cooke (RC) Overlay District shall be applied to the portions of Squares 150, 2557, 2558, 2560, 2562, 2563, 2566, 2567, and 2572 in the Reed-Cooke Special Treatment Area, as defined in the Comprehensive Plan, 10 DCMR § 1127, that are zo…

1401 USE PROVISIONS (RC) 1401.1 The following uses shall be prohibited in the RC Overlay District: (a) Antenna tower in excess of twenty feet (20 ft.) in height; (b) Any use prohibited in the CR District by § 602.1, except a parking lot as permitted by § 1403.2; (c) Assembly hall…

1402 HEIGHT AND BULK PROVISIONS (RC) 1402.1 The maximum height permitted in the RC Overlay District shall not exceed forty feet (40 ft.) plus roof structure as defined in this title; provided, that in the RC/C-2-B Overlay District, a maximum height of fifty feet (50 ft.), plus ro…

1403 SPECIAL EXCEPTIONS (RC) 1403.1 An exception from the requirements of this chapter shall be permitted only if granted by the Board of Zoning Adjustment as a special exception pursuant to § 3104 after a public hearing, and subject to the following criteria: (a) The use, buildi…

1500 PREAMBLE 1500.1 Miscellaneous Overlay Districts are created to implement the Comprehensive Plan and other public policy goals and objectives. 1500.2 The Miscellaneous Overlay Districts include, but are not limited to, those overlay districts that are applied to a specific sm…

1501 DUPONT CIRCLE OVERLAY DISTRICT (DC) 1501.1 The Dupont Circle area is a unique resource to the District of Columbia that must be preserved and enhanced. Strong protections are needed to retain its low scale, predominately residential character, independent small retail busine…

1502 GENERAL PROVISIONS (DC) 1502.1 The DC Overlay District is mapped in combination with the underlying Commercial, Special Purpose, Mixed Use, and Residence Districts and not instead of the underlying zone districts. 1502.2 Except as specifically provided in § 1502.3 and in oth…

1503 PLANNED UNIT DEVELOPMENT (DC) 1503.1 In the DC Overlay District, the matter-of-right building height, penthouse height, and floor area ratio limits shall serve as the maximum permitted building height, penthouse height, and floor area ratio for a planned unit development. 15…

1504 PLANNED UNIT DEVELOPMENT EVALUATION STANDARDS (DC) 1504.1 Planned unit development applications for sites within the DC Overlay District shall be evaluated and approved, disapproved, or modified according to the standards in this section. These standards are inclusive, but n…

1505 LIMITATIONS ON DRIVEWAYS AND CURB CUTS (DC) 1505.1 No drive-through accessory to any use shall be permitted in the DC Overlay District. 1505.2 Within the area of the DC Overlay District, no driveway providing access from any designated roadway to required parking spaces or l…