Title 50 — Motor and Non-Motor Vehicles and Traffic.

This part may be cited as the “District of Columbia Traffic Act, 1925.”

For the purposes of this chapter, the term: (1) “Alcohol” means a liquid, gas, or solid, containing ethanol from whatever source or by whatever processes produced, whether or not intended for human consumption. (2) “All-terrain vehicle” or “ATV” means any motor vehicle with not l…

(a) The Mayor is authorized and empowered to make, modify, repeal, and enforce rules relating to and concerning the following: (1) The control of traffic and the movement of traffic; (2)(A) The length, weight, height, and width of vehicles; and (B) The brakes, horns, lights, muff…

(a) The Mayor shall promulgate regulations governing the PMD, including: (1) Exempting the personal mobility device from the regulations governing motor vehicles; (2) Establishing a registration process, such as, for example, requiring that each PMD bear a serial number, valid re…

(a) No vehicle shall be operated at a greater rate of speed than permitted by the regulations adopted under the authority of this part. (b) A person shall be guilty of reckless driving if the person drives a vehicle upon a highway carelessly and heedlessly in willful or wanton di…

A personal mobility device shall not be operated: (1) In the District if it has not been validly registered, unless it is validly registered in another jurisdiction, when required by applicable law of that jurisdiction, and bears readily visible evidence of being registered. (2) …

(a) No person shall operate at any time an all-terrain vehicle or dirt bike on public property including any public space in the District. (b) All-terrain vehicles or dirt bikes shall not be registered with the Department of Motor Vehicles. (c) Any individual violating any provis…

(a) For any motor vehicle moving infraction, as defined in Chapter 26 of Title 18 of the District of Columbia Municipal Regulations, committed by the driver within a work zone, during any time when traffic is regulated or restricted through or around the zone, when work is actual…

(a) A bicyclist may cross at an intersection while following the pedestrian traffic control signal for the bicyclist’s direction of travel unless otherwise directed by traffic signs or traffic control devices. (b) A bicyclist may cross an intersection where a leading pedestrian i…

Repealed Repealed.

(a) Within 180 days of April 20, 2013, the Mayor shall establish an Ignition Interlock Device Program applicable to persons who have been convicted of an offense pursuant to § 50-2206.11, § 50-2206.12, or § 50-2206.14, note, or any succeeding emergency act establishing those sect…

(a) For the purposes of this section, the term: (1) “Law enforcement officer” means a sworn member of the Metropolitan Police Department or a sworn member of any other police force operating in the District of Columbia. (2) “Signal” means a communication made by hand, voice, or t…

(a) Any person who operates or who is in physical control of a vehicle within the District who knows or has reason to believe that his or her vehicle has been in a collision shall immediately stop and: (1) Where another person is injured, call or cause another to call 911 or call…

(a) Any person who operates or who is in physical control of a vehicle within the District who knows or has reason to believe that an object likely to cause damage has detached from, fallen, or flown from his or her vehicle shall immediately stop and: (1) Where another person is …

The individual in charge of any garage or repair shop to which is brought any motor vehicle which shows evidence of having been involved in an accident or struck by bullets shall report to a police station within 24 hours after such motor vehicle is received, giving the make of t…

Nothing contained in this part shall be construed to interfere with the exclusive charge and control prior to March 3, 1925, committed to the Director of the National Park Service over the park system of the District, and he or she is hereby authorized and empowered to make and e…

(a) The provisions of the act entitled “An Act regulating the speed of automobiles in the District of Columbia, and for other purposes,” approved June 29, 1906 (34 Stat. 621, ch. 3615), and, in so far as they relate to the regulation of vehicles or vehicle traffic in the District…

If any provision of this part is declared unconstitutional, or the applicability thereof to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the validity of the remainder of the part and the applicability of such provision to other persons and circumstances shall not be affected there…

The Mayor, pursuant to subchapter I of Chapter 5 of Title 2, may issue rules regarding towing and impoundment of vehicles in connection with enforcement of the District’s parking restrictions and to establish the amount of, and implement a system for collecting, a vehicle conveya…

Any person aggrieved by the assessment of any tax imposed by § 50-2201.03(j) may, within 6 months from the date the person entitled to a certificate of title was notified of the amount of such tax, appeal to the Superior Court of the District of Columbia in the same manner and to…

The Mayor of the District of Columbia may enter into an interstate agreement with the Commonwealth of Virginia or with the State of Maryland, or with both, pursuant to which the parties to such agreement may assist each other in the enforcement of its laws relating to traffic (in…

The employee of the Department of Transportation who is charged with the immediate responsibility for, and exercises supervision over, the issuance of tags and certificates of title and the registration of motor vehicles and trailers shall be known as the Registrar of Titles and …

After June 28, 1944, no part of any District of Columbia appropriations shall be available for any expense for or incident to the issuance of congressional tags except to those persons set out in § 50-2201.03, including the Speaker and the Vice President.

Each Senator, member of the House of Representatives, and other individual who is authorized by law to be issued a congressional tag for his automobile shall, upon application therefor, be entitled to be issued a duplicate tag bearing the same number.

Reserved for future codification.

(a) The driver of a vehicle shall stop and remain stopped to allow a pedestrian to cross the roadway within any marked crosswalk, or unmarked crosswalk at an intersection, when the pedestrian is upon the lane, or within one lane approaching the lane, on which the vehicle is trave…

(a) A motor vehicle driver shall be prohibited from passing to the left and pulling in front of a bus to make a right turn when the bus is at a bus stop at an intersection to receive or discharge passengers; the vehicle shall stay or merge behind the bus to effect its turn. (b) A…

The District Department of Transportation shall develop and implement a plan to create and post special signs with the following or substantially similar notation: “D.C. Law: Failure to stop for pedestrians in crosswalk punishable by $250 fine”. The signs shall be posted at selec…

Within 180 days of May 1, 2013, the Mayor shall post signs identifying the entire District as a strict traffic enforcement zone and warning that automated cameras are used to enforce a wide range of moving violations. The signs shall be posted throughout the District, in location…

(a) By November 1, 2013, the Mayor shall complete a District-wide assessment that evaluates the speed limits on the District’s arterials and other streets. The report of the assessment shall include the criteria used for assessing the speed limits. Upon its completion, the assess…

Repealed Repealed.

Any person who, by the operation of any vehicle in a careless, reckless, or negligent manner, but not wilfully or wantonly, shall cause the death of another, including a pedestrian in a marked crosswalk, or unmarked crosswalk at an intersection, shall be guilty of a felony, and s…

The crime of negligent homicide defined in § 50-2203.01 shall be deemed to be included within every crime of manslaughter charged to have been committed in the operation of any vehicle, and in any case where a defendant is charged with manslaughter committed in the operation of a…

In any prosecution under § 50-2203.01 or § 50-2203.02, whether the defendant was driving at an immoderate rate of speed shall not depend upon the rate of speed fixed by law for operating such vehicle.

Repealed Repealed.

Repealed Repealed.

Repealed Repealed.

For the purposes of this subchapter, the term: (1) “Active metabolite” means an active form of a drug after it has been processed by the body. (2) “Alcohol” means a liquid, gas, or solid, containing ethanol from whatever source or by whatever processes produced, whether or not in…

No person shall operate or be in physical control of any vehicle in the District: (1) While the person is intoxicated; or (2) While the person is under the influence of alcohol or any drug or any combination thereof.

No person shall operate or be in physical control of any commercial vehicle in the District: (1) While the person is intoxicated; or (2) While the person is under the influence of alcohol or any drug or any combination thereof.

(a) Except as provided in subsections (b) and (c) of this section, a person violating any provision of § 50-2206.11 or § 50-2206.12 shall upon conviction for the first offense be fined $1,000, or incarcerated for not more than 180 days, or both; provided, that: (1) A 10-day manda…

No person shall operate or be in physical control of any vehicle in the District while the person’s ability to operate or be in physical control of a vehicle is impaired by the consumption of alcohol or any drug or any combination thereof.

(a) Except as provided in subsections (b) and (c) of this section, a person violating § 50-2206.14 shall upon conviction for the first offense be fined $500, or incarcerated for not more than 90 days, or both. (b) A person violating any provision of § 50-2206.14 when the person h…

(a) No person shall operate or be in the physical control of any horse-drawn vehicle while under the influence of alcohol or any drug or any combination thereof. (b) A person violating the provisions of this section shall, upon conviction, shall be fined not more than the amount …

A person violating any provision of § 50-2206.12 shall, in addition to any applicable penalty under section § 50-2206.13, be subject to an additional 5 day mandatory-minimum term of incarceration.

(a) A person convicted of any offense under this part who, at the time of operation or physical control of the vehicle had a minor, other than him or herself, in the vehicle, shall, in addition to any applicable penalty under this part: (1) Be fined a minimum of $500 and not more…

No person shall operate or be in physical control of any watercraft in the District: (1) While the person is intoxicated; or (2) While the person is under the influence of alcohol or any drug or any combination thereof.

(a) Except as provided in subsections (b) and (c) of this section, a person violating any provision of § 50-2206.31 shall upon conviction for the first offense be fined $1,000, or incarcerated for not more than 180 days, or both. (b) A person violating any provisions of § 50-2206…

No person shall operate or be in physical control of any watercraft in the District while the person’s ability to operate a watercraft in the District is impaired by the consumption of alcohol or any drug or any combination thereof.

(a) Except as provided in subsections (b) and (c) of this section, a person violating § 50-2206.33 shall upon conviction for the first offense be fined $250, or incarcerated for not more than 30 days, or both. (b) A person violating § 50-2206.33 when the person has a prior offens…