Title 22, Criminal Offenses and Penalties.

(a) A person being the owner or possessor or having charge or custody of a maimed, diseased, disabled, or infirm animal who abandons such animal, or leaves it to lie in the street or road, or public place, more than 3 hours after he or she receives notice that it is left disabled…

A person commits first degree sexual contact between a person and animal when the person knowingly causes another person to engage in sexual contact with an animal: (1) By means of debt bondage or making an explicit or implicit coercive threat; or (2) When, in fact, the other per…

A person commits first degree creating or distributing an obscene image of an animal when the person knowingly creates a photo, audio recording, video recording, or audiovisual recording that depicts a real person engaging in actual sexual contact with a real animal. A person com…

A person commits unlawful cat declawing if that person knowingly performs, or causes to be performed, a partial or complete onychectomy, phalangectomy, or tendonectomy procedure ("declawing"), by any means, on a cat, except when necessary for a veterinary purpose. A person convic…

(a) Upon conviction for a violation of § 22-1001, § 22-1002, § 22-1012.01, § 22-1012.02, or § 22-1012.03: (1) The person shall, in addition to any other penalties provided by law, forfeit the animal whose treatment was the basis of the conviction to the custody of the Washington …

In §§ 22-1001 to 22-1009, inclusive, and § 22-1011, the word “animals” or “animal” shall be held to include all living and sentient creatures (human beings excepted), and the words “owner,” “persons,” and “whoever” shall be held to include corporations and incorporated companies …

(a) A person commits the crime of cruelty to children in the first degree if that person intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly tortures, beats, or otherwise willfully maltreats a child under 18 years of age or engages in conduct which creates a grave risk of bodily injury to a …

Any person within the District of Columbia, of sufficient financial ability, who shall refuse or neglect to provide for any child under the age of 14 years, of which he or she shall be the parent or guardian, such food, clothing, and shelter as will prevent the suffering and secu…

(a)(1) It is unlawful for a person who is required to wear a device while incarcerated or committed, while subject to a protection order, or while on pretrial release, presentence release, predisposition release, supervised release, probation, or parole to: (A) Intentionally remo…

Whoever is convicted of an affray in the District shall be fined not more than the amount set forth in § 22-3571.01 or imprisoned not more than 180 days, or both.

(a) It is unlawful for a person, alone or in concert with others: (1) To crowd, obstruct, or incommode: (A) The use of any street, avenue, alley, road, highway, or sidewalk; (B) The entrance of any public or private building or enclosure; (C) The use of or passage through any pub…

It shall not be lawful for any person or persons to play the game of football, or any other game with a ball, in any of the streets, avenues, or alleys in the City of Washington; nor shall it be lawful for any person or persons to play the game of bandy, shindy, or any other game…

It shall not be lawful for any person or persons within the District of Columbia to throw any stone or other missile in any street, avenue, alley, road, or highway, or open space, or public square, or inclosure, or to throw any stone or other missile from any place into any stree…

It shall not be lawful for any person or persons to entice, induce, urge, or cause any dogs to engage in a fight in any street, alley, road, or highway, open space, or public square in the District of Columbia, or to urge, entice, or cause such dogs to continue or prolong such fi…

(a) If any owner or possessor of a fierce or dangerous dog shall permit the same to go at large, knowing said dog to be fierce or dangerous, to the danger or annoyance of the inhabitants, he shall upon conviction thereof, be punished by a fine not exceeding $5,000; and if such an…

It is unlawful for a person, in public, to make an obscene or indecent exposure of his or her genitalia or anus, to engage in masturbation, or to engage in a sexual act as defined in § 22-3001(8). It is unlawful for a person to make an obscene or indecent sexual proposal to a min…

It shall not be lawful for any person or persons within the limits of the District of Columbia to kindle or set on fire, or be present, aiding, consenting, or causing it to be done, in any street, avenue, road, or highway, alley, open ground, or lot, any box, barrel, straw, shavi…

For the purpose of § 22-1314.02, the term: (1) “Health professional” means a person licensed to practice a health occupation in the District pursuant to § 3-1201.01. (2) “Medical facility” includes a hospital, clinic, physician’s office, or other facility that provides health or …

(a) It shall be unlawful for a person, except as otherwise authorized by District or federal law, alone or in concert with others, to willfully or recklessly interfere with access to or from a medical facility or to willfully or recklessly disrupt the normal functioning of such f…

It shall not be lawful for any person or persons to set up or fly any fire balloon or parachute in or upon or over any street, avenue, alley, open space, public enclosure, or square within the limits of the City of Washington, under a penalty of not more than $10 for each and eve…

If any person shall drive or lead any horse, mule, or other animal, or any cart, wagon, or other carriage whatever on any of the paved or graveled footways in and on any of the public grounds belonging to the United States within the District of Columbia, or shall ride thereon, e…

(a) It shall be unlawful for any person or persons to willfully or knowingly give a false alarm of fire within the District of Columbia, and any person or persons violating the provisions of this subsection shall, upon conviction, be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor and be punished…

(a) In any place open to the general public, and in the communal areas of multi-unit housing, it is unlawful for a person to: (1) Intentionally or recklessly act in such a manner as to cause another person to be in reasonable fear that a person or property in a person’s immediate…

(a) A riot in the District of Columbia is a public disturbance involving an assemblage of 5 or more persons which by tumultuous and violent conduct or the threat thereof creates grave danger of damage or injury to property or persons. (b) Whoever willfully engages in a riot in th…

Effective with respect to conduct occurring on or after August 5, 1997, whoever in the District of Columbia knowingly and willfully obstructs any bridge connecting the District of Columbia and the Commonwealth of Virginia: (1) Shall be fined not less than $1,000 and not more than…

(a) It is unlawful to enter or be inside of the motor vehicle of another person without the permission of the owner or person lawfully in charge of the motor vehicle. A person who violates this subsection shall, upon conviction, be fined not more than the amount set forth in § 22…

Whoever having no title or color of title to the land affected shall maliciously cause to be recorded in the office of the Recorder of Deeds of the District of Columbia any deed, contract, or other instrument purporting to convey or to relate to any land in said District with int…

(a) Whoever falsely personates another person before any court of record or judge thereof, or clerk of court, or any officer in the District authorized to administer oaths or take the acknowledgment of deeds or other instruments or to grant marriage licenses or accepts domestic p…

Whoever falsely represents himself or herself to be a judge of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, notary public, police officer, or other public officer, or a minister qualified to celebrate marriage, and attempts to perform the duty or exercise the authority pertain…

It shall be unlawful for any person in the District of Columbia to falsely represent himself or herself as being an inspector of the Department of Human Services of said District, or an inspector of any department of the District government; and any person so offending shall be d…

It shall be a misdemeanor, punishable by imprisonment in the District jail or penitentiary not exceeding 180 days, or by a fine not more than the amount set forth in § 22-3571.01, for any person, not a member of the police force, to falsely represent himself as being such member,…

(a) The Metropolitan Police Department and the Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department shall have the sole and exclusive rights to have and use, in carrying out their respective missions, the official badges, patches, emblems, copyrights, descriptive or designating marks, …

(a) For the purposes of this section, the term: (1) "Female genital mutilation" means any procedure performed for non-medical reasons that involves partial or total removal of, or other injury to, the external female genitalia, including: (A) A clitoridectomy or the partial or to…

Whoever wilfully forges, or counterfeits, or makes use of any imitation calculated to deceive the public, though with colorable difference or deviation therefrom, of the private brand, wrapper, label, trademark, bottle, or package usually affixed or used by any person to or with …

Any person within the District of Columbia who, with intent to defraud, shall make, draw, utter, or deliver any check, draft, order, or other instrument for the payment of money upon any bank or other depository, knowing at the time of such making, drawing, uttering, or deliverin…

It shall be unlawful in the District of Columbia for any person, firm, association, corporation, or advertising agency, either directly or indirectly, to display or exhibit to the public in any manner whatever, whether by handbill, placard, poster, picture, film, or otherwise; or…

Prosecution under § 22-1511 shall be in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia upon information filed by the United States Attorney for the District of Columbia or an Assistant U.S. Attorney.

Any person, firm, or association violating any of the provisions of § 22-1511 shall upon conviction thereof, be punished by a fine of not more than the amount set forth in § 22-3571.01 or by imprisonment of not more than 60 days, or by both fine and imprisonment, in the discretio…

If any person shall fraudulently tamper with any box or wheel used or intended by the jury commission for the names of prospective jurors, or of prospective condemnation jurors or commissioners, or shall fraudulently tamper with the contents of any such box or wheel, or with any …

If any person shall within the District keep, set up, or promote, or be concerned as owner, agent, or clerk, or in any other manner, in managing, carrying on, promoting, or advertising, directly or indirectly, any policy lottery, policy shop, or any lottery, or shall sell or tran…

If any person shall, within the District of Columbia, knowingly have in his or her possession or under his control, any record, notation, receipt, ticket, certificate, bill, slip, token, paper, or writing, current or not current, used or to be used in violating the provisions of …

If any person shall knowingly permit, on any premises under his or her control in the District, the sale of any chance or ticket in or share of a ticket in any lottery or policy lottery, or shall knowingly permit any lottery or policy lottery, or policy shop on such premises, he …

(a) Whoever shall in the District set up or keep any gaming table, or any house, vessel, or place, on land or water, for the purpose of gaming, or gambling device commonly called A B C, faro bank, E O, roulette, equality, keno, thimbles, or little joker, or any kind of gaming tab…

(a) Any house, building, vessel, shed, booth, shelter, vehicle, enclosure, room, lot, or other premises in the District of Columbia, used or to be used in violating the provisions of § 22-1701 or § 22-1704, shall be deemed “gambling premises” for the purpose of this section. (b) …

Whoever shall in the District deal, play, or practice, or be in any manner accessory to the dealing or practicing, of the confidence game or swindle known as 3-card monte, or of any such game, play, or practice, or any other confidence game, play, or practice, shall be deemed gui…

All games, devices, or contrivances at which money or any other thing shall be bet or wagered shall be deemed a gaming table within the meaning of §§ 22-1704 to 22-1706; and the courts shall construe said sections liberally, so as to prevent the mischief intended to be guarded ag…