Title 6, Housing and Building Restrictions and Regulations.

(a) The Construction Codes shall control: (1) Matters concerning the construction, reconstruction, alteration, addition, repair, removal, demolition, use, location, equipment, occupancy, and maintenance of all buildings, structures, and premises in the District, whether existing …

The Construction Codes shall be construed to secure their expressed intent, which is to ensure public safety, health, and welfare by regulating and governing the conditions and maintenance of premises, buildings, and structures, and mechanical, plumbing, fuel gas and electrical e…

(a) If conflict arises between the provisions of this chapter and the D.C. Supplement, the Model Codes, or their reference standards, the provisions of this chapter shall take precedence. (b) If conflict arises between the D.C. Supplement, the Model Codes, and their reference sta…

(a)(1) The Building Code Official is authorized to administer and enforce the provisions of this chapter, including provisions regarding the Construction Codes, building permits, and certificates of occupancy, and all regulations issued pursuant to this chapter. (2) In regulating…

(a) The Mayor shall allow qualified third party plan reviewers to review construction documents, or components of construction documents, and certify their compliance with the Construction Codes. (b) The Mayor may promulgate rules to establish the minimum qualification requiremen…

(a) The Mayor shall allow the Department to accept reports of inspection by qualified third party inspectors for work performed pursuant to a building permit. (b) The Mayor may promulgate rules to establish the minimum qualification requirements for third party inspectors, the se…

(a) There is established as a special fund the Expedited Building Permit Review Program Fund ("Fund"), which shall be administered by the Director of the Department in accordance with subsection (c) of this section. (b) Revenue from fees imposed by the Department for the expedite…

(a) Except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, any person who violates any of the provisions of the Construction Codes or orders issued under the authority of the Construction Codes shall, upon conviction, be subject to a fine not to exceed $2000, or imprisonment not t…

(a) Except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, the Office of Zoning Administrator administrative fee for the issuance of compliance letters shall be as follows: (1) Zoning compliance letter for a single lot: $25. (2) Zoning compliance letter for all other requests: $10…

(a) Whenever it appears that any person, association, or business entity has engaged, is engaged, or is about to engage in acts or practices constituting a violation or infraction of any provision or orders issued under the Construction Codes, the Office of the Attorney General f…

An applicant may be denied a building permit by the Mayor for a period of: (1) Ten years from the date of final order on a criminal conviction against the applicant for a Construction Code or zoning regulations crime; (2) Three years after receipt of 5 or more stop work orders by…

The editorial standards for numbering, grammar, and style required by the District of Columbia Office of Documents Act, § 2-612(5), shall not apply to the Construction Codes. The Construction Codes shall be consolidated by the District of Columbia Office of Documents into a singl…

(a) All future amendments, supplements, and editions of the Construction Codes shall be adopted only upon authority of the government of the District of Columbia. The Mayor may issue rules to amend the Construction Codes and to adopt new supplements and editions of the Model Code…

(a) By June 1, 2013, and at least once every 3 years thereafter, the Mayor, in consultation with the Green Building Advisory Council, shall submit to the Council, for approval, revisions to the Construction Codes that shall incorporate as many significant green building practices…

(a) Repealed. (b) All newly constructed or substantially renovated District-occupied buildings that include at least one publicly accessible restroom shall provide on each floor level where there is a publicly accessible restroom: (1) At least one diaper-changing station that is …

(a)(1) No later than July 1, 2027, the Department of Buildings shall promulgate rules amending the Construction Codes to allow for a single entrance and egress stairway to serve multifamily residential buildings up to 6 stories above grade plane or high-rise buildings. (2) For pu…

*NOTE: This section includes amendments by emergency legislation that will expire on November 11, 2026. To view the text of this section after the expiration of all emergency and temporary legislation affecting this section, click this link: Permanent Version.* (a) On January 1 o…

*NOTE: This section includes amendments by emergency legislation that will expire on October 28, 2026. To view the text of this section after the expiration of all emergency and temporary legislation, click this link: Past Permanent Version.* For the purposes of this chapter, the…

*NOTE: This section includes amendments by emergency legislation that will expire on October 28, 2026. To view the text of this section after the expiration of all emergency and temporary legislation, click this link: Past Permanent Version.* (a)(1) This subsection shall apply to…

(a) This section shall apply to all privately-owned buildings and projects with at least 50,000 square feet of gross floor area. (b)(1) All new construction and substantial improvement of nonresidential projects, including projects involving real property acquired by a real prope…

(a) For building permits issued after January 1, 2022, all new construction or substantial improvement of commercial buildings and multi-unit buildings that have 3 or more automobile off-road parking spaces shall include electric vehicle make-ready infrastructure to accommodate t…

(a) The Mayor shall verify compliance with the requirements of this chapter as specified in §§ 6-1451.02 and 6-1451.03 through: (1) An agency of the District government; or (2) Third-party entities which meet criteria to be established by the Mayor by rulemaking within 180 days o…

(a) Beginning January 1, 2012, an applicant governed by § 6-1451.03(a) shall provide a financial security, which shall be due prior to receipt of a certificate of occupancy. (b)(1) The financial security requirement of subsection (a) of this section may be fulfilled by: (A) Evide…

(a) There is established as a special fund the Green Building Fund ("Fund"), which shall be administered by the Mayor in accordance with subsection (c) of this section. The purpose of the Fund is to streamline administrative green building processes, improve sustainability perfor…

(a) There is established as a special fund the Benchmarking Enforcement Fund (“Fund”), which shall be administered by the Mayor in accordance with subsection (c) of this section. (b) Penalties collected pursuant to § 6-1451.03(c)(2)(D) shall be deposited in the Fund. (c) Money in…

(a) A green building fee is established to fund the implementation of this chapter and the Green Building Fund. (b) Upon March 8, 2007, the green building fee shall be established by increasing the building permit fees in effect at the time in accordance with the following schedu…

(a) DOEE shall provide the central coordination and technical assistance to District agencies and instrumentalities in the implementation of the provisions of this chapter. (b) Within 90 days after March 8, 2007, the Mayor shall establish a Green Building Advisory Council to moni…

(a)(1) The Mayor may, in unusual circumstances and only upon a showing of good cause, grant an exemption from any of the requirements of this chapter based on: (A) Substantial evidence of a practical infeasibility or hardship of meeting a required green building standard; (B) A d…

(a) The Mayor, pursuant to subchapter I of Chapter 5 of Title 2 [§ 2-501 et seq.], may issue rules to implement the provisions of this chapter. (b) The Mayor may issue proposed rules to adopt another rating system, in whole or in part. Proposed rules to adopt another rating syste…

*NOTE: This section includes amendments by emergency legislation that will expire on October 28, 2026. To view the text of this section after the expiration of all emergency and temporary legislation, click this link: Past Permanent Version.* *NOTE: This section includes amendmen…

The Council establishes the following economic development zones, which shall be eligible for tax and other development incentives: (1) The Alabama Avenue economic development zone, which is bordered on the north by the east side of Fort Stanton Park, S.E., and Suitland Parkway, …

(a) The Mayor may recommend as an economic development zone eligible for tax and other development incentives any area within the District of Columbia in which exists pervasive poverty, unemployment, or general economic distress as evidenced by 1 or more of the following factors:…

(a) Any improved real property located within an economic development zone shall be qualified for tax and other development incentives if: (1) The qualification is recommended by the Mayor and approved by the Council, by resolution; (2) The real property is classified as Class 3 …

(a) Any incorporated or unincorporated business entity that has a place of business located within an economic development zone shall be qualified for tax incentives if: (1) The qualification is recommended by the Mayor and approved by the Council, by resolution; (2) The business…

Nothing in this chapter shall be construed as creating in any person, corporation, unincorporated association, partnership, or other entity any right or entitlement to the tax and other development incentives established by this chapter.

The Mayor shall, pursuant to subchapter I of Chapter 5 of Title 2, issue rules to implement the provisions of this chapter.