Title 2, The CongressRelease 119-110
§1969 Regulation of Traffic by Capitol Police Board
Title 2 › CHAPTER 29 — CAPITOL POLICE › SUBCHAPTER II — POWERS AND DUTIES › § 1969
Summary
Gives the Capitol Police Board exclusive control over all vehicle and other traffic on the United States Capitol Grounds. The Board is made up of the Senate Sergeant at Arms, the House Sergeant at Arms, and the Architect of the Capitol. The Board can make and enforce traffic rules, set parking and impound rules, and limit speeds. It may punish rule-breakers with up to a $300 fine or up to 90 days in jail. Rules covered by the District of Columbia Traffic Act of 1925 still follow the penalties in that Act. Court cases go to the Superior Court of the District of Columbia and are started by the Corporation Counsel of D.C. or an assistant. The Board must publish new rules in a D.C. daily newspaper and wait 10 days after publication before the rules take effect. Rules about parking, rerouting traffic, or closing streets can start right away if clear signs are posted where they apply. Printing or posting costs come from the “Uniforms and Equipment, Capitol Police” fund. The Mayor of D.C., or someone the Mayor chooses, must help the Board write or change these rules when asked.
Full Legal Text
Title 2, §1969
The Congress, Source: USLM XML via OLRC
(a)Exclusive charge and control of all vehicular and other traffic
The Capitol Police Board, consisting of the Sergeant at Arms of the United States Senate, the Sergeant at Arms of the House of Representatives, and the Architect of the Capitol, shall have exclusive charge and control of the regulation and movement of all vehicular and other traffic, including the parking and impounding of vehicles and limiting the speed thereof, within the United States Capitol Grounds; and said Board is authorized and empowered to make and enforce all necessary regulations therefor and to prescribe penalties for violation of such regulations, such penalties not to exceed a fine of $300 or imprisonment for not more than ninety days. Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this section those provisions of the District of Columbia Traffic Act of 1925, as amended, for the violation of which specific penalties are provided in said Act, as amended, shall be applicable to the United States Capitol Grounds. Prosecutions for violation of such regulations shall be in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, upon information by the Corporation Counsel of the District of Columbia or any of his assistants.
(b)Promulgation of regulations
Regulations authorized to be promulgated under this section shall be promulgated by the Capitol Police Board and such regulations may be amended from time to time by the Capitol Police Board whenever it shall deem it necessary: Provided, That until such regulations are promulgated and become effective, the traffic regulations of the District of Columbia shall be applicable to the United States Capitol Grounds.
(c)Printing of regulations and effective dates
All regulations promulgated under the authority of this section shall, when adopted by the Capitol Police Board, be printed in one or more of the daily newspapers published in the District of Columbia, and shall not become effective until the expiration of ten days after the date of such publication, except that whenever the Capitol Police Board deems it advisable to make effective immediately any regulation relating to parking, diverting of vehicular traffic, or the closing of streets to such traffic, the regulation shall be effective immediately upon placing at the point where it is to be in force conspicuous signs containing a notice of the regulation. Any expenses incurred under this subsection shall be payable from the appropriation “Uniforms and Equipment, Capitol Police”.
(d)Cooperation with Mayor of District of Columbia
It shall be the duty of the Mayor of the District of Columbia, or any officer or employee of the government of the District of Columbia designated by said Mayor upon request of the Capitol Police Board, to cooperate with the Board in the preparation of the regulations authorized to be promulgated under this section, and any future amendments thereof.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Editorial Notes
References in Text
The District of Columbia Traffic Act of 1925, referred to in subsec. (a), is act Mar. 3, 1925, ch. 443, 43 Stat. 1119, as amended, which is not classified to the Code. Codification Section was classified to section 212b of former Title 40, prior to the enactment of Title 40, Public Buildings, Property, and Works, by Pub. L. 107–217, § 1, Aug. 21, 2002, 116 Stat. 1062.
Amendments
1973—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 93–198, § 739(g)(6), struck out “, except on those streets and roadways shown on the map referred to in section 193a of this title as being under the jurisdiction and control of the Commissioner of the District of Columbia”. 1947—Subsec. (b). Act
July 11, 1947, § 1, struck out reference to six months after
July 31, 1946, as the time for promulgation of
Regulations
and authorized amendment of
Regulations
. Subsec. (c). Act July 11, 1947, § 2, authorized certain traffic
Regulations
to be effective immediately upon placing conspicuous signs containing notice of
Regulations
at the places affected thereby and inserted provision for payment of expenses.
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Change of Name
“District of Columbia Court of General Sessions” changed to “Superior Court of the District of Columbia” pursuant to Pub. L. 91–358, which provided that such change is effective first day of seventh calendar month which begins after
July 29, 1970. Pub. L. 87–873, § 1, Oct. 23, 1962, 76 Stat. 1171 and Pub. L. 88–60, § 1,
July 8, 1963, 77 Stat. 77, both redesignated the “Municipal Court for the District of Columbia” as the “District of Columbia Court of General Sessions”.
Effective Date
of 1973 Amendment Pub. L. 93–198, title VII, § 771(d), Dec. 24, 1973, 87 Stat. 836, provided that the amendment made by Pub. L. 93–198 is effective on Jan. 2, 1975, if a majority of the registered qualified electors in the District of Columbia voting on the charter issue in the charter referendum accepted the charter set out in title IV of Pub. L. 93–198, Dec. 24, 1973, 87 Stat. 785. The charter was approved by the voters on May 7, 1974.
Executive Documents
Transfer of Functions
Except as otherwise provided in Reorg. Plan No. 3, of 1967, functions of Board of Commissioners of District of Columbia transferred to Commissioner of District of Columbia by section 401 of Reorg. Plan No. 3 of 1967. Office of Commissioner of District of Columbia, as established by Reorg. Plan No. 3 of 1967, abolished as of noon Jan. 2, 1975, by Pub. L. 93–198, title VII, § 711, Dec. 24, 1973, 87 Stat. 818, and replaced by office of Mayor of District of Columbia by section 421 of Pub. L. 93–198. Accordingly, “Mayor” substituted in subsec. (d) for “commissioner”.
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
2 U.S.C. § 1969
Title 2, The Congress
Last Updated
Sep 22, 2026
Release point: 119-110