District of Columbia

GHSA maintains data on state laws surrounding a number of highway safety issues. Below is information regarding laws in the District of Columbia. For more information, consult the State Highway Safety Office.

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Bike helmets required?

Bicycle helmets required for all riders under 16.

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Motorcycle Helmet Required?

Universal helmet law enacted 1970.

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Length of Regular Renewal Cycle

5 years

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Provisions for Mature Drivers

70 and over: no electronic renewal; medical certification required

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Rural Interstates: Cars (MPH)

55

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Rural Interstates: Trucks (MPH)

55

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Urban Interstates: Cars (MPH)

n/a

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Urban Interstates: Trucks (MPH)

n/a

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Other Limited Access Roads: Cars (MPH)

n/a

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Other Limited Access Roads: Trucks (MPH)

n/a

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Increased penalty for high BAC

.20, .25 and .30

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Administrative license suspension on first offense

2-90 days or until deposition

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Limited driving privileges during suspension

Yes

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Ignition Interlocks

Mandatory for all convictions

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Open container laws

Yes

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Repeat Offender Laws

Yes

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Child Restraint Required

Under 2 yrs or under 40 lbs in rear-facing child restraint

2–3 yrs old and under 30 lbs in forward-facing child restraint in the back seat

Under 8 yrs old and under 57” tall in a child restraint or booster seat in the back seat

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Adult Safety Belt Permissible

8-15 yrs

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Full Privilege Minimum Age

18 years

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Learner Stage: Minimum Age (Years/Months)

16

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Learner Stage: Minimum Duration (Months)

6

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Learner Stage: Supervised Driving Hours (Night Hours in Parenthesis)

40 (10 in intermediate stage)

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Intermediate Stage: Minimum Age (Years/Months)

16 / 6

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Intermediate Stage: Nighttime Driving Restriction

September through June: 11 p.m. - 6 a.m. (Sun-Thurs); Midnight - 6 a.m. (Fri-Sat) July through August: midnight - 6 a.m.

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Intermediate Stage: Passenger Restrictions (Except Family, Unless Noted)

First 6 months: no passengers Thereafter: No more than 2 passengers under 21

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Type of Law

Primary

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Who is Covered?

16 and over

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In What Seat?

All

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Hand-Held Ban?

Yes. Primary law.

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All Cell Phone Ban? School Bus Drivers

Yes. Primary law.

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All Cell Phone Ban? Novice Drivers

Drivers with learner's permit. Primary law.

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Text Messaging Ban?

All drivers. Primary law.

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Speed Cameras: State Law

Permitted by district law

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Speed Cameras: Where Permitted

Citywide

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Red Light Cameras: State Law

Permitted by district law

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Red Light Cameras: Where Permitted

Citywide

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DUID Zero Tolerance or Per se Laws for Some Drugs

None

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Marijuana Possession and Use

Decriminalized and legal for recreational and medical use

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Marijuana Impaired Driving

None

Grants & Program Manager

The Governors Highway Association (GHSA) is seeking a full-time Grants & Program Manager. This individual is responsible for the day-to-day management of GHSA’s federal and private sector grant programs and the development, execution, and monitoring of Consultant Service Initiative (CSI) contracts. Duties include:

Program Coordinator, Mobility Safety

Overview

The mission of Student Outreach & Support (SOS) is to help students succeed at The George Washington University by connecting them to support resources, helping them develop plans of action to meet their goals, and navigating challenging circumstances. The SOS team aims to create an inclusive and welcoming environment to support students in building skills around self-awareness, self-advocacy, resilience, and navigating the university to maximize their GW experience.

DC Law Enforcement Liaison

Job Summary

Serving as the primary liaison between the Highway Safety Office, the DC Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), Federal law enforcement agencies, and local/regional law enforcement agencies, this new full-time position will lead planning, implementation, and evaluation of District-wide mobility safety enforcement efforts. This position will report to the Executive Director of the Washington DC Police Foundation.

D.C. Police Starting New Unit Dedicated to Street Traffic Safety

The District’s police department is dedicating five officers solely to street traffic enforcement, a new initiative responding to record-high fatalities on city streets, officials said Tuesday. Rick Birt, director of the city’s Highway Safety Office, said that with the right training and policies, “we can do traffic enforcement equitably.” He added that “the vast majority of residents want safe streets. … They want people to be out there changing behavior.”

GHSA, Ford Fund Provide Support for Safe Teen Mobility in Economically Disadvantaged Areas

GHSA and Ford Motor Company Fund, the philanthropic arm of the Ford Motor Company, are building upon a decades-long focus on youth traffic safety by awarding a total of $100,000 in grants to advance access to safe mobility for teens in underserved areas, even if a car isn’t part of their journey. Additionally, the Driving Skills for Life (DSFL) program, which provides free, advanced, hands-on driver education, is returning for a 21st year in 2024 with an expanded focus on protecting pedestrians, bicyclists, scooter riders and others outside the vehicle.

GHSA, Ford Fund Provide Support for Safe Teen Mobility in Economically Disadvantaged Areas

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 25, 2024

CONTACT: Adam Snider (GHSA), 202-580-7930, 202-365-8971 (after hours)
                   RoNeisha Mullen (Ford), 248-234-1365

Organizations provide $100,000 in grants to Montana and the District of Columbia, celebrate third decade of free, hands-on novice driver training program

Why Do We Have Right-on-Red, and is it Time to Get Rid of It?

Atlanta, Denver, Indianapolis, Washington, DC, Raleigh, North Carolina, and other major cities have recently proposed or passed laws banning it in parts of their busy downtowns or citywide. They believe it will protect people walking and biking amid the highest number of pedestrian fatalities in more than 40 years. Right turns on red “introduce extra movements into the intersection,” said Eric Dumbaugh, a professor in the department of urban and regional planning at Florida Atlantic University who studies traffic safety.

GHSA Acts on 'Dirty Little Secret' of US Distracted Driving

The US Governors Highway Safety Association has awarded two grants - of $87,500 each - to help reduce distracted driving in the District of Columbia and Washington state. Partnering with General Motors (GM), GHSA is awarding the money to the state highway safety office in DC and Washington to create and evaluate local distracted driving prevention programmes. Last year, the organisations awarded $210,000 in grants to seven SHSOs.

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