District of Columbia Administrative Code

ALLEY LOTS The following development standards shall apply to buildings on alley lots in D zones: A building or structure shall not exceed the lesser of thirty feet (30 ft.) or three (3) stories, including the penthouse, as measured from the ground level of a building wall fronti…

PLANNED UNIT DEVELOPMENTS A planned unit development (PUD) in the D zones shall be subject to the following provisions in addition to those of Subtitle X, Chapter 3: The PUD shall be granted only for projects that are superior in achieving the objectives and policies of the Centr…

PARKING REQUIREMENTS AND STANDARDS Vehicle parking spaces are not required in D zones, other than areas west of the centerline of 20th Street, N.W. Vehicular parking shall be subject to the requirements, permission, and conditions of Subtitle C, Chapter 7. Car-sharing spaces may …

LOADING REQUIREMENTS Loading is required in all D zones, based on the square footage of uses, and is subject to the requirements, permissions, and conditions in Subtitle C, Chapter 9. SOURCE: Final Rulemaking published at 63 DCR 2447, 3041 (March 4, 2016 – Part 2). District of Co…

PENTHOUSES OR ROOTOP STRUCTURES Penthouses and rooftop structures shall be subject to the regulations of Subtitle C, Chapter 15, and the height and story limitations specified in each zone of this subtitle. SOURCE: Final Rulemaking published at 63 DCR 2447, 3041 (March 4, 2016 – …

INTRODUCTION The purpose of regulating use categories in D zones is to allow for an appropriate mix of residential, office, lodging, retail, service, entertainment, cultural, and other uses. This chapter provides general regulations concerning uses permitted in D zones where such…

REQUIRED USES The provision of residential use is required in a D zone with an “R”-suffix. A property with frontage on a designated primary or secondary street segment is subject to the use requirements in Subtitle I, Chapter 6 for the sub-area in which the designated street fron…

USES PERMITTED AS A MATTER OF RIGHT Unless otherwise noted in this subtitle, use permissions, including uses permitted as a matter of right, as a special exception, or as an accessory use, and uses not permitted, shall be in accordance with the MU-Use Group F of Subtitle U, Chapt…

USES PERMITTED BY SPECIAL EXCEPTION The uses in this section shall be permitted as a special exception if approved by the Board of Zoning Adjustment under Subtitle X, Chapter 9, subject to the following applicable provisions: Unless otherwise permitted as a matter of right, anima…

USES NOT PERMITTED The following uses shall not be permitted as a matter of right or as a special exception in the D-1-R zone: Lodging; Office use; Firearms sales; and Sexually-oriented business establishments. The following uses shall not be permitted as a matter of right or as …

GENERAL RESIDENTIAL USE REQUIREMENTS Unless otherwise reduced or exempted by the provisions of this subtitle, a building in the D-1-R zone shall provide the minimum amount of required residential FAR on site. Unless otherwise reduced or exempted by the provisions of this subtitle…

USES ON ALLEY LOTS A use on an alley lot or in a building on an alley lot in the D-1-R zone shall be subject to the use regulations in Subtitle U § 600, and is not eligible to generate or receive credits otherwise enabled by Subtitle I, Chapters 8 and 9. SOURCE: Final Rulemaking …

DRIVE- THROUGH No vehicular drive-through is permitted on a lot in any D zone. SOURCE: Final Rulemaking published at 63 DCR 2447, 3041 (March 4, 2016 – Part 2). District of Columbia Municipal Regulations Zoning Regulations of 2016: Downtown (D) Zones 11-I DCMR § 400 AUTHORITY: DC…

VEHICULAR ENTRANCES In a D zone, a vehicular entrance to a garage or loading area shall be permitted on the face of a building adjacent to a public street only if the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) permits access to the garage entrance or loading area directly from …

SECURITY GRILLES Security grilles over windows or doors in a building or structure in any D zone shall have at least seventy percent (70%) transparency in order to reduce the aesthetic impact on the street and, for retail streets, to ensure clear sight lines for pedestrians into …

OPEN ARCADE If an open arcade is provided in the D-3 through D-8 zones, it shall extend the length of the entire block frontage, or shall connect with an open arcade in an abutting building in such fashion as to provide a continuous walkway. SOURCE: Final Rulemaking published at …

ADDITIONAL DESIGN-BASED REQUIREMENTS AND PERMISSIONS A building on a lot with frontage on a designated street segment is subject to the regulations in Subtitle I, Chapter 6 for the sub-area in which it is located. SOURCE: Final Rulemaking published at 63 DCR 2447, 3041 (March 4, …

4900 GENERAL PROVISIONS 4900.1 The provisions of this chapter govern the height and bulk of public school buildings. SOURCE: Final Rulemaking published at 67 DCR 3776 (April 3, 2020). District of Columbia Municipal Regulations Zoning Regulations of 2016: Downtown (D) Zones 11-I D…

4901 DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS 4901.1 The specific standards of this chapter shall govern public schools; in the absence of specific standards, the development standards for the zone in which the building or structure is proposed shall apply. SOURCE: Final Rulemaking published at 67 …

4902 PENTHOUSES OR ROOFTOP STRUCTURES 4902.1 Penthouses and rooftop structures shall be subject to the regulations of Subtitle C, Chapter 15, and to the height and story limitations specified in each zone of this subtitle; provided that public schools shall be permitted a mechani…

4903 REAR YARD 4903.1 In the case of a lot proposed to be used by a public school that abuts or adjoins along the rear lot line a public open space, recreation area, or reservation, no rear yard shall be required. SOURCE: Final Rulemaking published at 67 DCR 3776 (April 3, 2020).…

4904 SIDE YARD 4904.1 In the case of a lot proposed to be used by a public school that abuts or adjoins a public open space, recreation area, or reservation on a side lot line, no side yard shall be required. SOURCE: Final Rulemaking published at 67 DCR 3776 (April 3, 2020). Dist…

4905 SPECIAL EXCEPTION 4905.1 Exceptions to the development standards of this chapter for public schools shall be permitted as a special exception if approved by the Board of Zoning Adjustment under Subtitle X, Chapter 9. SOURCE: Final Rulemaking published at 67 DCR 3776 (April 3…

INTRODUCTION This chapter contains additional regulations that apply within a specific zone and that, in conjunction with the location-based sub-area regulations in Subtitle I, Chapter 6, supplement or modify the general development, use, and design regulations in Subtitle I, Cha…

PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVE (D-1-R) The purpose of the D-1-R zone is to require the provision of high-density housing, with a limited amount of commercial use only on or below the ground floor. SOURCE: Final Rulemaking published at 63 DCR 2447, 3041 (March 4, 2016 – Part 2). District o…

DENSITY – FLOOR AREA RATIO (FAR) (D-1-R) The maximum permitted FAR for a building in the D-1-R zone shall be 6.0. Each lot in the D-1-R zone shall provide the equivalent of at least 2.0 FAR of residential use before any non-residential uses may be permitted on the lot. Unless oth…

HEIGHT (D-1-R) The maximum permitted building height, not including the penthouse or rooftop structure, in the D-1-R zone shall be ninety feet (90 ft.). If a building exceeds ninety feet (90 ft.) in height, its frontage on Mount Vernon Square or on Massachusetts Avenue between No…

FRONT BUILD-TO (D-1-R) A building in the D-1-R zone shall meet the front build-to requirements of Subtitle I § 203. SOURCE: Final Rulemaking published at 63 DCR 2447, 3041 (March 4, 2016 – Part 2). District of Columbia Municipal Regulations Zoning Regulations of 2016: Downtown (D…

FRONT SETBACK (D-1-R) A front setback shall not be required for a building in the D-1-R zone. SOURCE: Final Rulemaking published at 63 DCR 2447, 3041 (March 4, 2016 – Part 2). District of Columbia Municipal Regulations Zoning Regulations of 2016: Downtown (D) Zones 11-I DCMR § 50…

USES (D-1-R) A building in the D-1-R zone is subject to the use regulations in Subtitle I, Chapter 3 and is not eligible to generate or receive credits otherwise enabled by Subtitle I, Chapters 8 and 9. If a non-residential use is permitted in the D-1-R zone, it shall be located …

DESIGN (D-1-R) A building in the D-1-R zone fronting on a designated primary or secondary street shall be subject to the design regulations in Subtitle I § 602. SOURCE: Final Rulemaking published at 63 DCR 2447, 3041 (March 4, 2016 – Part 2). District of Columbia Municipal Regula…

PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVE (D-2) The purposes of the D-2 zone are to accommodate high-density housing with a limited amount and type of commercial use on only the ground floor and to ensure the scale of new development is compatible with the scale of the historic areas in the vicinity…

DENSITY – FLOOR AREA RATIO (FAR) (D-2) Residential density is subject to the Inclusionary Zoning requirements and bonuses of Subtitle C, Chapter 10. The maximum permitted FAR for a building in the D-2 zone shall be 6.0 for a building not subject to Inclusionary Zoning and 7.2 FAR…

HEIGHT (D-2) 510.1 The maximum permitted building height, not including the penthouse or rooftop structure, in the D-2 zone shall be one hundred feet (100 ft.) for a building subject to Inclusionary Zoning by Subtitle C, Chapter 10, and ninety feet (90 ft.) for all other building…

FRONT BUILD-TO (D-2) A building in the D-2 zone is not subject to front build-to regulations. SOURCE: Final Rulemaking published at 63 DCR 2447, 3041 (March 4, 2016 – Part 2). District of Columbia Municipal Regulations Zoning Regulations of 2016: Downtown (D) Zones 11-I DCMR § 51…

FRONT SETBACK (D-2) A front setback shall not be required for a building in the D-2 zone. SOURCE: Final Rulemaking published at 63 DCR 2447, 3041 (March 4, 2016 – Part 2). District of Columbia Municipal Regulations Zoning Regulations of 2016: Downtown (D) Zones 11-I DCMR § 512 AU…

USES (D-2) A building in the D-2 zone is subject to the use regulations in Subtitle I, Chapter 3 and is not eligible to generate or receive credits otherwise enabled by Subtitle I, Chapters 8 and 9. SOURCE: Final Rulemaking published at 63 DCR 2447, 3041 (March 4, 2016 – Part 2).…

DESIGN (D-2) A building in the D-2 zone with frontage on a designated primary or secondary street shall meet the design requirements in Subtitle I § 602. SOURCE: Final Rulemaking published at 63 DCR 2447, 3041 (March 4, 2016 – Part 2). District of Columbia Municipal Regulations Z…

PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVE (D-3) The purposes of the D-3 zone are to promote high-density development of commercial and mixed uses in the eastern portion of the District’s traditional downtown and, through height restrictions, to respond to federal concerns for the security of the nea…

DENSITY – FLOOR AREA RATIO (FAR) (D-3) The maximum permitted FAR for a building in the D-3 zone shall be 9.0, which can be achieved: If all FAR is residential; If all FAR exceeding the non-residential density permitted in Subtitle I § 516.3 is residential; or If conditions (a) or…

HEIGHT (D-3) 517.1 The maximum permitted building height, not including the penthouse or rooftop structure, in the D-3 zone; (a) Shall be one hundred ten feet (110 ft.), subject to review and restrictions pertinent to the Capitol Security Sub-Area regulated by Subtitle I § 605, f…

FRONT BUILD-TO (D-3) A building in the D-3 zone shall meet the front build-to requirements of Subtitle I § 203. SOURCE: Final Rulemaking published at 63 DCR 2447, 3041 (March 4, 2016 – Part 2). District of Columbia Municipal Regulations Zoning Regulations of 2016: Downtown (D) Zo…

FRONT SETBACK (D-3) A front setback shall not be required for a building in the D-3 zone. SOURCE: Final Rulemaking published at 63 DCR 2447, 3041 (March 4, 2016 – Part 2). District of Columbia Municipal Regulations Zoning Regulations of 2016: Downtown (D) Zones 11-I DCMR § 519 AU…

USES (D-3) A building in the D-3 zone is subject to the use regulations in Subtitle I, Chapter 3 and may generate or use credits in accordance with Subtitle I, Chapters 8 and 9. SOURCE: Final Rulemaking published at 63 DCR 2447, 3041 (March 4, 2016 – Part 2). District of Columbia…

DESIGN (D-3) A building in the D-3 zone with frontage on a designated primary or secondary street shall meet the design requirements in Subtitle I § 602. SOURCE: Final Rulemaking published at 63 DCR 2447, 3041 (March 4, 2016 – Part 2). District of Columbia Municipal Regulations Z…

REVIEW REQUIREMENTS (D-3) A new building or building addition that would be taller than ninety feet (90 ft.) above its measuring point, or that would have a balcony, terrace, or roof deck where the top of surface on which a person would stand is more than ninety feet (90 ft.) abo…

PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVE (D-4) The purpose of the D-4 zone is to promote high-density development of commercial and mixed uses in areas with a concentration of federal and infrastructure uses. SOURCE: Final Rulemaking published at 63 DCR 2447, 3041 (March 4, 2016 – Part 2). District…

DENSITY – FLOOR AREA RATIO (FAR) (D-4) Residential density is subject to the Inclusionary Zoning requirements and bonuses of Subtitle C, Chapter 10. The maximum permitted FAR for a building in the D-4 zone shall be 7.8, which can be achieved: If all FAR is residential and accesse…

HEIGHT (D-4) With the exception of a building meeting the requirements of Subtitle I § 525.2, the maximum permitted building height, not including the penthouse or rooftop structure, in the D-4 zone shall be ninety feet (90 ft.), unless the building does not have frontage on a st…

FRONT BUILD-TO (D-4) A building in the D-4 zone is not subject to front build-to regulations, unless it fronts on South Capitol Street and is subject to the regulations in Subtitle I §§ 616.7 or 616.8 for a designated tertiary street segment. SOURCE: Final Rulemaking published at…