District of Columbia Administrative Code

HEIGHT (D-8) The maximum permitted building height, not including the penthouse or rooftop structure, in the D-8 zone shall be as follows: Street Right-of-Way Width Maximum Permitted Building Height, Not Including Penthouse or Rooftop Structure Greater than or equal to 110 ft. 13…

FRONT BUILD-TO (D-8) With the exception of a building fronting on Independence Avenue, S.W. and subject to the Independence Avenue Sub-Area regulations in Subtitle I § 618, a building in the D-8 zone is subject to the front build-to regulations in Subtitle I § 203. SOURCE: Final …

FRONT SETBACK (D-8) A front setback shall not be required for a building in the D-8 zone except when otherwise subject to the front setback regulations Subtitle I § 618 for a building fronting on Independence Avenue, S.W. SOURCE: Final Rulemaking published at 63 DCR 2447, 3041 (M…

USES (D-8) A building meeting the requirements of Subtitle I § 575.2 is governed by the use regulations in Subtitle I, Chapter 3 and may generate or receive credits pursuant to Subtitle I, Chapters 8 and 9. SOURCE: Final Rulemaking published at 63 DCR 2447, 3041 (March 4, 2016 – …

SPECIAL EXCEPTION (D-8) All proposed uses, new buildings, and new structures, or any proposed exterior renovation to any existing buildings or structures that would result in an alteration of the existing exterior design, shall be subject to review and approval by the Zoning Comm…

INTRODUCTION This chapter contains zoning regulations intended, to assist in achieving goals established by the Comprehensive Plan, Small Area Plans, or prior versions of this subtitle for specific geographic locations within the area encompassed by the downtown zones. Each sub-a…

GENERAL USE REQUIREMENTS FOR BUILDINGS ON PRIMARY AND SECONDARY DESIGNATED STREET SEGMENTS FIGURE I § 601(a): ILLUSTRATION OF DESIGNATED PRIMARY STREET SEGMENTS FIGURE I § 601(b): ILLUSTRATION OF DESIGNATED SECONDARY STREET SEGMENTS The use requirements in Subtitle I § 601 shall …

GENERAL DESIGN REQUIREMENTS FOR BUILDINGS ON PRIMARY AND SECONDARY DESIGNATED STREET SEGMENTS With the exception of buildings devoted entirely to residential uses, or to theaters, historically designated buildings, or places of worship, the following design requirements shall app…

BUILDINGS ON DESIGNATED TERTIARY STREETS: GENERAL USE AND DESIGN REQUIREMENTS Figure I § 603.1 illustrates the designated tertiary street segments: FIGURE I § 603.1: ILLUSTRATION OF DESIGNATED TERTIARY STREET SEGMENTS There are no use regulations specific to frontage on any desig…

GEOGRAPHIC SUB-AREAS IN DOWNTOWN The following table lists the geographic sub-areas of downtown and their corresponding sections: TABLE I § 604: GEOGRAPHIC SUB-AREAS OF DOWNTOWN AND SECTION REFERENCE Sub-Areas of Downtown Section Capitol Security Subtitle I § 605 Downtown Retail …

CAPITOL SECURITY SUB-AREA The objectives of the Capitol Security Sub-Area are to protect public safety and the security of those using the properties within the U.S. Capitol complex and associated office buildings and libraries. The general location of the Capitol Security Sub-Ar…

DOWNTOWN RETAIL CORE SUB-AREA The objectives of the Downtown Retail Core Sub-Area are to create the highest concentrations of retail, arts, and street-activating uses within the D zones, to achieve continuous provision of these uses, employ design standards that ensure buildings …

DOWNTOWN ARTS SUB-AREA The objectives of the Downtown Arts Sub-Area are to create strong arts and-entertainment corridors including a spine of theaters, movie theaters, restaurants, nightclubs, and arts-related retail uses along E Street from 6th to 14th Street, N.W.; and a pedes…

PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE SUB-AREA The objectives of the Pennsylvania Avenue Sub-Area are to maintain Pennsylvania Avenue as a mixed-use monumental but lively street with additional height on its north side and active ground floor uses to bridge the downtown with the National Mall and …

CHINATOWN SUB-AREA The objectives of the Chinatown Sub-Area are to protect and enhance downtown's only ethnic cultural area by maintaining and expanding the existing concentration of retail uses emphasizing Chinese or Asian cultural and community facilities, as well as merchandis…

MASSACHUSETTS AVENUE CORRIDOR AND MT. VERNON SQUARE SUB-AREA The objectives of the Massachusetts Avenue Corridor and Mt. Vernon Square Sub-Area are to encourage a boulevard and park-like openness for the Massachusetts Avenue corridor, linking the Capitol to the embassy district t…

MOUNT VERNON TRIANGLE (MVT) SUB-AREA The objective of the Mount Vernon Triangle Sub-Area is to promote the development of ground floor level retail, service, food and beverage and entertainment uses that serve the immediate and nearby neighborhoods, as well as the Convention Cent…

MOUNT VERNON TRIANGLE PRINCIPAL INTERSECTION AREA SUB-AREA The objective of the Mount Vernon Triangle Principal Intersection Sub-Area is to require uses and building design that provide a focal point for food and beverage, entertainment, and accessory uses in the Mount Vernon Tri…

BLAGDEN ALLEY RESIDENTIAL TRANSITION SUB-AREA The objective of the Blagden Alley Residential Transition Sub-Area is to ensure a height transition between the medium density, primarily commercial, public and lodging uses south of M Street and the more residential uses on the north…

LOWER CONNECTICUT AVENUE CORRIDOR SUB-AREA The objective of the Lower Connecticut Avenue Corridor Sub-Area is to support the continued concentration of active, high-quality ground floor retail uses along the Connecticut Avenue corridor between K Street, N.W. and Dupont Circle. Th…

NORTH OF MASSACHUSETTS AVENUE (NOMA) SUB-AREA The objective of the North of Massachusetts Avenue (NoMA) Sub-Area is to further the transition of the former light industrial area into a high-density commercial and residential neighborhood with a concentration of ground floor level…

M AND SOUTH CAPITOL STREETS SUB-AREA The objectives of the M and South Capitol Streets Sub-Area are to ensure the preservation of the historically important axial view of the Capitol Dome and further the development of a high-density mixed-use corridor north of the Capitol Gatewa…

NORTH CAPITOL STREET CORRIDOR SUB-AREA The objective of the North Capitol Street Corridor Sub-Area is to ensure the preservation of the historically important axial view of the Capitol Dome. The general location of the North Capitol Street Corridor Sub-Area is one (1) or both sid…

INDEPENDENCE AVENUE The objective of the Independence Avenue Sub-Area is to protect the viewshed of the National Mall. The general location of the Independence Avenue Sub-Area is the property with frontage on the designated tertiary street of Independence Avenue, S.W., between 2n…

INTRODUCTION TO DESIGN REVIEW REGULATIONS The purpose of this chapter is to identify the D zones that require developments to undergo design review and the triggers for the requirement. SOURCE: Final Rulemaking published at 63 DCR 2447, 3041 (March 4, 2016 – Part 2). District of …

ZONING COMMISSION REVIEW OF BUILDINGS, STRUCTURES, AND USES The provisions of Subtitle I, Chapter 7 apply to a new building or structure or building addition that has frontage on a designated street segment within the M and South Capitol Streets Sub-Area, the Independence Avenue …

INTRODUCTION TO THE CREDIT SYSTEM 800.1 Within the D zones, market forces or other conditions may favor the development of one (1) type of use over another in an area at any given time. To help ensure the provision of the range of uses essential to a successful downtown, Subtitle…

ACTIONS THAT GENERATE CREDITS In the D-3 through D-8 zones, credits shall be generated by: The development of residential gross floor area, where either none is required or where the new residential gross floor area exceeds the minimum on-site residential requirements in Subtitle…

GENERATION OF CREDITS BY RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT 802.1 Except as provided in Subtitle I § 802.3, credits may be generated by a residential use in a building for which construction began after January 18, 1991 located in a D-4-R, D-5-R, or D-6-R zone to the extent the residential …

GENERATION OF CREDITS BY ARTS USES For a building in the Downtown Arts Sub-Area regulated by Subtitle I § 607, arts use developed in a new or existing building on or after the effective date of this title may generate credits for new arts use GFA or FAER that exceeds the minimum …

GENERATION OF CREDITS BY PREFERRED USES Within the Downtown Retail Core, Downtown Arts, and Chinatown Sub-Areas, one (1) credit shall be generated for each square foot of gross floor area permanently set-aside for a child development center, child development home, or CBE on or a…

ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF RESIDENTIAL, ARTS, AND PREFERRED USE CREDITS No credits generated by residential, arts, or preferred uses may be transferred unless the generation of credits has been acknowledged by the Zoning Administrator by a covenant filed with the Zoning Administrator and …

GENERATION AND CERTIFICATION OF CREDITS FOR TDR OR CLD CONVERSION 806.1 Any Unallocated TDR or CLD Rights as described in Subtitle I § 800.3, or as considered such under Subtitle I § 800.5 shall convert to credits at a rate of one-to-one (1:1). The conversion of Unallocated TDR a…

GENERATION AND CERTIFICATION OF CREDITS FOR HISTORIC PRESERVATION The purpose of this section is to: Preserve the unique character and fabric of historic landmarks and historic districts in the D zones; Encourage the retention and enhancement of historic buildings, together with …

GENERAL REQUIREMENTS AND RESTRICTIONS Subject to the limitations of this chapter, credits generated by the actions described in Subtitle I, Chapter 8 may be used to: Reduce the amount of gross floor area of the residential use required in a building located in the D-4-R, D-5-R, o…

TRANSFER OF CREDITS Ownership of credits as acknowledged by the Zoning Administrator through a covenant required pursuant to Subtitle I, § 805 (for residential, arts, or preferred uses) and Subtitle I § 807 (for historic preservation) hereinafter collectively referred to as the “…

RETRANSFER OF CREDITS Except as provided in Subtitle I § 901.9, ownership of credits transferred pursuant to a Certificate of Credit Transfer may be retransferred by the owner of such credits at any time to any entity or individual for use on property owned by such entity or indi…

100 GENERAL PROVISIONS 100.1 Subtitle J is to be read and applied in addition to the regulations included in: (a) Subtitle A, Authority and Applicability; (b) Subtitle B, Definitions, Rules of Measurement, and Use Categories; (c) Subtitle C, General Rules; and (d) Subtitle U, Use…

101 PURPOSE AND INTENT 101.1 The Production, Distribution, and Repair (PDR) zones provide for the following: (a) Heavy commercial and light manufacturing activities employing large numbers of people and requiring some heavy machinery under controls that minimize any adverse effec…

[REPEALED] SOURCE: Final Rulemaking published at 63 DCR 2447, 3163 (March 4, 2016 – Part 2); as amended by Final Rulemaking published at 70 DCR 011297 (August 25, 2023). District of Columbia Municipal Regulations Zoning Regulations of 2016: Production, Distribution, and Repair (P…

[REPEALED] SOURCE: Final Rulemaking published at 63 DCR 2447, 3163 (March 4, 2016 – Part 2); as amended by Final Rulemaking published at 70 DCR 011297 (August 25, 2023). District of Columbia Municipal Regulations Zoning Regulations of 2016: Production, Distribution, and Repair (P…

[REPEALED] SOURCE: Final Rulemaking published at 63 DCR 2447, 3163 (March 4, 2016 – Part 2); as amended by Final Rulemaking published at 70 DCR 011297 (August 25, 2023). District of Columbia Municipal Regulations Zoning Regulations of 2016: Production, Distribution, and Repair (P…

105 [REPEALED] SOURCE: Final Rulemaking published at 63 DCR 2447, 3163 (March 4, 2016 – Part 2); as amended by Final Rulemaking published at 67 DCR 3776 (April 3, 2020); as amended by Final Rulemaking published at 70 DCR 011297 (August 25, 2023). District of Columbia Municipal Re…

[REPEALED] SOURCE: Final Rulemaking published at 63 DCR 2447, 3163 (March 4, 2016 – Part 2); as amended by Final Rulemaking published at 68 DCR 013834 (December 24, 2021); as amended by Final Rulemaking published at 70 DCR 011297 (August 25, 2023). District of Columbia Municipal …

200 DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS 200.1 The development standards of this chapter shall apply to all Production, Distribution, and Repair (PDR) zones except as changed by a geographically modified zone. 200.2 The development standards regulate the bulk of buildings and other structures a…

201 DENSITY 201.1 Except as provided elsewhere in this title, the maximum permitted floor area ratio (FAR) shall be as set forth in the following table: TABLE J § 201.1: MAXIMUM PERMITTED FLOOR AREA RATIO Zones Maximum FAR For Subtitle J § 201.2 Use Categories Maximum FAR For Sub…

[RESERVED] SOURCE: Final Rulemaking published at 63 DCR 2447, 3163 (March 4, 2016 – Part 2); as amended by Final Rulemaking published at 64 DCR 22 (January 6, 2017); as amended by Final Rulemaking published at 70 DCR 011297 (August 25, 2023). District of Columbia Municipal Regula…

203 HEIGHT 203.1 Except as provided elsewhere in this title, the maximum permitted height of buildings or structures, not including a penthouse or rooftop structure, shall be as set forth in this section. 203.2 The maximum permitted height of buildings or structures, except as pr…

[RESERVED] SOURCE: Final Rulemaking published at 63 DCR 2447, 3163 (March 4, 2016 – Part 2); as amended by Final Rulemaking published at 70 DCR 011297 (August 25, 2023). District of Columbia Municipal Regulations Zoning Regulations of 2016: Production, Distribution, and Repair (P…

205 PENTHOUSE AND ROOFTOP STRUCTURE 205.1 The maximum permitted height of a penthouse or rooftop structure shall be as set forth in the following table: TABLE J § 205.1: MAXIMUM PENTHOUSE AND ROOFTOP STRUCTURE HEIGHT AND NUMBER OF STORIES Zones Maximum Height Maximum Number of St…