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State Laws & Funding
District of Columbia
Below is a list of the key highway safety laws in the District of Columbia. For more information, contact the D.C. Office of Highway Safety.
| No state law |
Sources: National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) and State Highway Safety Offices.
| Handheld Ban | All Cell Phone Ban | Text Messaging Ban | Crash Data |
||||||
| School Bus Drivers | Novice Drivers | All Drivers | School Bus Drivers | Novice Drivers | |||||
| Yes (Primary) |
Yes (Primary) |
Learners Permit (Primary) |
Yes (Primary) |
Covered under all driver ban | Yes | ||||
Sources: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and State Highway Safety Offices.
| Child Restraint Required unless indicated, # refers to Yrs.(Lbs.) |
Adult Safety Belt Permissible unless indicated, # refers to Yrs.(Lbs.) |
Maximum Fine 1st Offense |
| <7 | 8 - 15 | $75 + points |
Sources: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and State Highway Safety Offices.
| Per Se Laws for Drugs (Forbidding Prohibited Substances in Driver's Body) | DEC/DRE Programs (Providing Law Enforcement Training) |
| Re-establishing | |
Source: State Highway Safety Offices.
| Admin. License Suspen- sion on 1st Offense |
Limited Driving Privileges During Suspension | Inc. Penalty for High BAC | Open Container Laws | Repeat Offender Laws | Vehicle and License Plate Sanctions | Ignition Interlocks | Alcohol Exclusion Laws Limiting Treatment Opportunity | |
| 2-90 days or until disposition | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Discretion- ary |
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Sources: Ensuring Solutions to Alcohol Problems, Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) and State Highway Safety Offices.
| Learner Stage | Intermediate Stage | Full Privilege Min. Age (Yrs./Mos.) |
Required Supervised Driving Hours (Night Hours) |
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| Min. Age (Yrs./ Mos.) |
Min. Dura- tion (Mos.) |
Min. Age (Yrs./Mos.) |
Night- time Driving Restriction |
Passenger Restriction* (* family members exempt) |
|||
| 16 | 6 | 16 / 6 | Sept. to June 11 p.m. - 6 a.m. (Su-Th); midnight - 6 a.m. (Fr-Sa) July-Aug midnight - 6 a.m. |
First 6 mos.–no pass. unless supervised by >21-yr. old driver*; thereafter–no more than 2 pass. <21* | 18 | 50 (40 in learner stage; 10 at night in intermediate stage) | |
Sources: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and State Highway Safety Offices.
| Motorcyclists | Bicyclists | ||
| Universal Helmet Law (Year Enacted) | Partial Law | Universal Helmet Law Repealed | |
| 1970 | <16 | ||
Sources: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and State Highway Safety Offices.
| Length of Regular Renewal Cycle (Yrs.) | Provisions for Mature Drivers |
| 5 | >70 require letter from physician attesting to competency to drive and vision test; may require reaction test |
Sources: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and State Highway Safety Offices.
| Type of Law | Who is Covered (Yrs.) | In What Seat | Maximum Fine 1st Offense |
| Primary | >16 | All | $50 |
Sources: Insurance Institute for Highway and State Highway Safety Offices.
| Permitted on Sidewalks/Bicycle Paths | Permitted on Roads | Helmets Required | Minimum Age | Pedestrian Laws Apply |
| Sidewalks (except in central business district) | 16 | |||
Sources: Segway LLC and State Highway Safety Offices.
| Checkpoints Conducted? | Comments |
| Yes | Once or twice a month |
Sources: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and State Highway Safety Offices.
| Rural Interstates | Urban Interstates | Other Limited Access Roads | |||
| Cars (mph) |
Trucks (mph) |
Cars (mph) |
Trucks (mph) |
Cars (mph) |
Trucks (mph) |
| N/A | N/A | 55 | 55 | N/A | N/A |
Sources: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and State Highway Safety Offices.
| State Law | Violations | Location | Citation Issued To / Liability |
Image / Privacy | Penalties (Traditional Penalties) | Defenses |
| Permitted | Moving infractions | Various | Registered owner | Not addressed | $75; no points ($75; 2 points) |
Driver not owner; yielding to emergency vehicle; funeral procession or responding to officer direction |
Sources: National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and State Highway Safety Offices.
| Multiple of Original Fine | Violations Affected | Workers Must Be Present | |
| No data | |||
Sources: National Work Zone Safety Information Clearinghouse and State Highway Safety Offices.