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Title 2 — The CongressRelease 119-73not60

§1969 Regulation of Traffic by Capitol Police Board

Title 2 › Chapter 29— CAPITOL POLICE › Subchapter II— POWERS AND DUTIES › § 1969

Last updated Apr 3, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Capitol Police Board, made up of the Senate Sergeant at Arms, the House Sergeant at Arms, and the Architect of the Capitol, is the only group that controls vehicle and other traffic on the United States Capitol Grounds. The Board can make rules about moving, parking, impounding vehicles, and speed limits, and can enforce those rules. Violators can be fined up to $300 or jailed for up to 90 days. Rules in the District of Columbia Traffic Act of 1925 that give specific penalties still apply on the Capitol Grounds. Cases for breaking the Board’s rules are tried in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia and are brought by the Corporation Counsel or their assistants. The Board must write its traffic rules and can change them later. Until the Board’s rules take effect, D.C. traffic rules apply on the Grounds. New Board rules must be printed in a D.C. daily newspaper and wait 10 days after that before they start, except urgent rules about parking, traffic routing, or street closings can start immediately if clear signs are posted where they apply. The cost to publish notices comes from the Capitol Police “Uniforms and Equipment” funds. The Mayor of D.C., or people the Mayor names, must help the Board make and update the rules if asked.

Full Legal Text

Title 2, §1969

The Congress — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)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)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)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)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

Apr 3, 2026

Release point: 119-73not60