Title 28, Commercial Instruments and Transactions. [Enacted title]

(a) [Repealed]. (b) A violation of this subchapter, or any rule issued pursuant to the authority of this subchapter, is an unfair or deceptive trade practice pursuant to § 28-3904(kk). (c) The rights and remedies available under this section are cumulative to each other and to an…

For the purposes of this subchapter, the term: (1) “Consumer” means an individual who resides in the District of Columbia. (2) "Credit report" means any written, oral, or other communication of any information by a credit reporting agency bearing on a consumer's creditworthiness,…

(a) A credit reporting agency shall place a security freeze on a consumer’s credit report if a consumer, providing proper identification, makes a request to the credit reporting agency by certified mail. In addition, on or before January 31, 2009, a credit reporting agency shall …

Each time a credit reporting agency provides a consumer with a copy of the consumer’s credit report under section 609 of the Fair Credit Reporting Act, approved October 26, 1970 (84 Stat. 1131; 15 U.S.C. § 1681g ), the credit reporting agency shall include the following notice wi…

(a) A credit reporting agency that discovers a security breach of credit information in violation of a security freeze shall provide written notice to the affected consumer of the security breach of credit information in accordance with Subchapter II [of this chapter]. (b) If a c…

(a)(1) If a consumer reports in good faith that the consumer has experienced financial hardship resulting directly or indirectly from a public health emergency declared pursuant to § 7-2304.01, a credit reporting agency maintaining a file on the consumer shall accept and include …

(a) To protect personal information from unauthorized access, use, modification, disclosure, or a reasonably anticipated hazard or threat, a person or entity that owns, licenses, maintains, handles, or otherwise possesses personal information of an individual residing in the Dist…

When a person or entity experiences a breach of the security of the system that requires notification under § 28-3852(a) or (b), and such breach includes or is reasonably believed to include a social security number or taxpayer identification number, the person or entity shall of…

The Attorney General for the District of Columbia, pursuant to [Chapter 5 of Title 2], may issue rules to implement the notification provisions pursuant to § 28-3852(b-1).

(a) As used in this chapter, the term — (1) “person” means an individual, firm, corporation, partnership, cooperative, association, or any other organization, legal entity, or group of individuals however organized; (2) "Consumer" means: (A) When used as a noun, a person who, oth…

(a) The Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection shall be the principal consumer protection agency of the District of Columbia government and shall carry out the purposes of this chapter. (b) Repealed. (c) The Director of the Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection…

(a) The Department, in its discretion, may: (1) receive and investigate any consumer complaint and initiate its own investigation of deceptive, unfair, or unlawful trade practices against consumers where the: (i) amount in controversy totals $250 or more; or (ii) case, or cases, …

(a) It shall be a violation of this chapter for any merchant to engage in an unfair, deceptive, or abusive trade practice, whether or not any consumer is in fact misled, deceived, or damaged thereby. Without limiting the general application of the foregoing, it is an unfair, dece…

*NOTE: This section was created by emergency legislation that will expire on January 18, 2027.* A merchant providing broadband internet access who complies with the broadband consumer label requirements of 47 C.F.R. § 8.1 as those requirements existed on January 1, 2026, shall be…

(a) A case is begun by filing with the Department a complaint plainly describing a trade practice and stating the complainant’s (and, if different, the consumer’s) name and address, the name and address (if known) of the respondent, and such other information as the Director may …

(a) The Office of Consumer Protection is established within the Department. The Office of Consumer Protection shall: (1) Inform the public and the business community of existing laws, regulations, and guidelines concerning consumer rights and standards of fair treatment; (2) Coor…

If any provision of this chapter, or the application thereof to any person or circumstance, is held invalid, the remainder of this chapter, and the application of such provision to other persons not similarly situated or to other circumstances, shall not be affected.

(a) Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, if the Attorney General for the District of Columbia has reason to believe that any person has used, is using, or intends to use any method, act, or practice in violation of [§§] 28-3803, 28-3805, 28-3807, 28-3810, 28-3811…

(a)(1) In the course of an investigation to determine whether to seek relief under § 28-3909, the Attorney General for the District of Columbia may: (A) Subpoena witnesses; (B) Administer oaths; (C) Examine an individual under oath; (D) Require sworn answers in writing to written…

The Department shall, in coordination with the Office of the Attorney General, submit 2 plans to the Council: (1) A detailed plan for fiscal year 2006 on the steps that the Department shall take in providing consumer protection education in the District, including the disseminati…

The Mayor may issue rules necessary to carry out this chapter. Rules proposed pursuant to this section shall be submitted to the Council for a 45-day period of review, excluding Saturdays, Sundays, legal holidays, and days of Council recess. If the Council does not approve or dis…

As used in this chapter, the term — (1) “audiologist” means any person who has at least a master’s degree in audiology and meets the requirements of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association Certificate of clinical competence or the equivalent in the determination of the B…

The Office shall: (1) issue and renew certificates of registration to engage in the business of fitting and selling of hearing aids, as provided in section 28-4003; and (2) implement and enforce the provisions of this chapter by utilizing the powers, procedures and sanctions of t…

(a) It is unlawful for a person to engage in the practice of fitting and selling of hearing aids without having first obtained a certificate of registration from the Office under the provisions of this chapter. (b) Nothing in this chapter shall prohibit a corporation, partnership…

(a) No registrant shall fit, offer for sale, or sell a hearing aid to: (1) A minor under 18 years of age unless, within the preceding 6 months, the minor has had a hearing test evaluation; and: (A) Received a medical clearance by an otolaryngologist, which shall be required for a…

(a) Each hearing aid sale shall be accompanied by a receipt that includes: (1) the name, address, and signature of the purchaser; (2) the date of consummation of the sale; (3) the name and address of the regular place of business, the number of the certificate of registration, an…

(a) In addition to those practices prohibited under section 28-3904, the Office may deny the application for a certificate of registration or may suspend or revoke the certificate of registration of any hearing aid dealer issued pursuant to this chapter or may refuse to issue a r…

The provisions of this chapter are severable, and if any provision, sentence, clause, section or part is held illegal, invalid, unconstitutional or inapplicable to any person or circumstances, such holding shall not affect or impair any of the remaining provisions, sentences, cla…

For the purposes of this chapter, the term: (1) “Assistive device dealer” means an individual or entity that is in the business of selling assistive technology devices, including a manufacturer who sells assistive technology devices directly to consumers. (2) “Assistive device le…

(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law or express warranty furnished by the manufacturer, the manufacturer shall be deemed to have warranted that for a period of one year from date of 1st delivery to the consumer the assistive technology device, when used as intended, wil…

An assistive technology device returned due to nonconformity under the provisions of this chapter shall not be sold or leased unless full disclosure in writing of the reason for the return is made to any prospective consumer.

(a) In addition to any other remedies otherwise available to a consumer, a consumer who suffers loss as a result of any violation of this chapter may bring an action to recover damages. The court shall award a consumer who prevails in an action twice the amount of any pecuniary l…

(a) For the purposes of this chapter, the term: (1) "Goods and services" shall include: (A) Consumer goods and services used, bought, or rendered primarily for personal, family, or household purposes; (B) Essential medical supplies and services used for the care, cure, mitigation…

(a) Except as provided in subsection (a-1) of this section, it shall be unlawful for any person to charge more than that person's normal retail price for any goods or services sold during an emergency resulting from a natural disaster declared pursuant to subsection (b) of this s…

(a) It shall be unlawful for any person to purchase goods in quantities greater than those specified by the Mayor or the federal government during a public emergency declared pursuant to § 7-2304, or during an emergency resulting from a natural disaster declared pursuant to § 28-…

(a)(1) A violation of § 28-4102(a) or § 28-4102.01 shall be a civil infraction for purposes of Chapter 18 of Title 2. (2) For each violation of § 28-4102(a) or § 28-4102.01, civil fines, penalties, and fees in an amount not more than $1,000 may be imposed by the Mayor, pursuant t…

(a) No person or company shall conduct or offer to conduct radon screening, testing, or mitigation in the District for a fee unless the person who performs the service has been: (1) Listed as proficient by the Environmental Protection Agency to offer radon screening, testing, or …

(a) The Mayor may issue rules to implement this chapter, including rules establishing radon screening, testing, or mitigation programs in the District that are in compliance with any recommendations or guidelines published by the United States Environmental Protection Agency. If …

A civil fine, penalty, or fee may be imposed as a sanction for an infraction of the provisions of this act [chapter], or any rule promulgated pursuant to this act, in accordance with Chapter 18 of Title 2.

(a) As used in this chapter, the term “person” includes an individual, corporation, business trust, partnership, business association, or any other legal entity. (b) The purpose of this chapter is to promote the unhampered freedom of commerce and industry throughout the District …

Every contract, combination in the form of a trust or otherwise, or conspiracy in restraint of trade or commerce all or any part of which is within the District of Columbia is declared to be illegal.

It shall be unlawful for any person to monopolize, attempt to monopolize, or combine or conspire with any other person or persons to monopolize any part of trade or commerce, all or any part of which is within the District of Columbia.

(a) Labor of a human being is not a commodity or an article of commerce. Nothing contained in this chapter shall be construed to forbid the existence and operation of labor, agricultural or horticultural organizations, instituted for the purpose of mutual help, and not having cap…

(a) Whenever the Attorney General has reason to believe that any person may be in possession, custody, or control of any documentary material, or may have any information, relevant to a civil antitrust investigation, the Attorney General may, prior to the institution of a proceed…

Every person who violates section 28-4502 or 28-4503 shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and, on conviction thereof, shall be punished by a fine of not more than the amount set forth in [§ 22-3571.01], or by imprisonment not exceeding one (1) year, or both. The Attorney General sha…

(a)(1) Whenever the District government is injured in its business or property by a violation of this chapter, the Attorney General may, without prejudice to the right of the District to bring similar or identical actions under any other statute, bring a civil action, in the name…