Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV)
95 M Street SW
Washington, DC 20024
(202) 727-5000 | www.dmv.dc.gov
Metropolitan Police Department Headquarters
300 Indiana Avenue, NW 5th Floor
Washington, DC 20001
(202) 727-4218 | www.mpdc.dc.gov
District Department of Transportation
55 M Street, SE, Ste. 400
Washington, DC 20003
(202) 673-6813 | www.ddot.dc.gov
Every application shall contain the owner’s full name, address, Driver’s license number, date of birth, description of vehicle (including make, model, year, type of body, VIN, weight, and whether new or used), odometer statement, date of purchase, and from whom it was purchased.
A certificate of title is valid for the life of the vehicle, as long as the title is held by the owner to whom the title is assigned.
If a certificate of title is lost, stolen, or destroyed, a vehicle owner shall make an application for a duplicate title.
An owner has 4 days after selling a vehicle to execute and deliver an assignment and warranty of title to the transferee.
Mobile home must be titled the same as motor vehicles.
The application shall contain the name of the applicant’s insurance company, the policy number, the applicant’s signature, and other things the DMV may require.
Applicants can request 1- or 2-year registrations.
Applicants must secure the title to a vehicle prior to registering it.
Upon completion of the application, the applicant shall receive 1 registration card and 2 registration plates.
Registration renewal is online only.
There is no period of grace for late registration.
All trailers are to be registered, and the procedures are the same as for other motor vehicles.
Non-residents may operate a vehicle in the District for 30 continuous days before registering and can extend that period for an additional 180 days by paying a fee.
Non-residents may also purchase a reciprocity sticker that allows that person to operate a vehicle in the District for 180 days. A non-resident may only purchase 1 such sticker per year.
Military personnel may maintain registration in home state.
Class A: Non-commercial passenger vehicle.
Class B: Commercial vehicle, tractor, and passenger-carrying vehicle for hire having a seating capacity of at least 8 passengers.
Class C: Trailers.
Class D: Motorcycle.
Class E: Motorized Bicycle.
Class F: Historic Motor Vehicle.
Motor vehicles and trailers are required to have emissions tested biennially. New vehicles that have a certificate of origin, pre-1968 vehicles and zero emission vehicles, are exempt from the emissions test process.
OBD is utilized as part of the state emissions inspection process.
Vehicles that fail inspection will receive a rejection sticker and will be permitted to use the vehicle for 20 days in order to have the necessary repairs made to bring the vehicle into compliance.
Visit the District of Columbia Department of Motor Vehicles for more information on D.C. emissions inspection program.
Safety inspections are no longer required for private vehicles but are still required for commercial vehicles
| Automobile | Motorcycle | Duplicates | ||||||
| Title Fee | Registration Fee | Title Fee | Registration Fee | Plate Fee | Registration Fee | Driver’s License Fee | Title Fee | Special Plates |
| $26.00 | Below 3,500 lbs: $72.00; 3,500 or above: $115.00 – $155.00 | $26.00 | $52.00 | $10.00 | $20.00 | $20.00 | $26.00 | $100.00 |
License plates shall be disbursed at the time of registration.
All vehicles other than motorcycles and trailers shall have 2 reflectorized license plates, 1 on the front and 1 on the rear of the vehicle.
Registration validation stickers shall be displayed on the plates, with the month sticker applied to the lower left corner and the year sticker in the lower right.
The color scheme for license plates is red and blue on white.
Personalized license plates are available for a fee.
Plates and special windshield I.D. cards for disabled drivers are available from the DMV.
A transferor must remove the license plates from the vehicle at the time of transfer, and has 5 days to return them to the DMV.
A registrant who wishes to transfer license plates from 1 vehicle to another must apply for a transfer within 5 days of acquiring the new vehicle.
License plates may not be transferred from 1 owner to another.
Personalized plates may be transferred for a fee, but only to a surviving spouse, from a joint ownership of a vehicle to a sole ownership, and from a sole ownership to a joint ownership.
A driving test, vision test (20/40 visual acuity required), and written knowledge test are required for an initial Driver’s license.
Drivers previously licensed to drive in another jurisdiction may skip the driving test unless they have failed the District’s driving test within 6 months or are at least 75 years of age.
Applicants at least 75 years of age are limited to 3 examinations within a year.
Applicants for a learner’s permit must pass the vision and written tests.
An applicant must have a visual acuity of at least 20/40 in 1 eye, and no worse than 20/70 in the other eye, with or without corrective lenses.
The inspection sticker shall be placed in the lower right-hand corner of the windshield.
To comply with emissions standards, failing vehicle owners must make at least $450 in repairs before receiving conditional approval.
The District has a system of graduated licensing for teen drivers.
At 16, teens are eligible for a learner’s permit. During this stage, teens must be supervised by a parent or guardian at all times.
After holding the learner’s permit for 6 months, teen drivers are eligible for an intermediate license.
Teens are eligible for a full, unrestricted license at 18.
In the District, all license applicants must hold a learner’s permit for 6 months, regardless of age.
Each application shall include the applicant’s full name, date of birth, sex, social security number, address, and brief physical description of the applicant.
Applicants for a learner’s permit or driver’s license must display a birth certificate and social security card or other documentary evidence of the date of birth and social security number of the applicant, but an applicant for a renewal license or an applicant with a valid out-of-state license need only show a social security card.
Applicants under the age of 18 must have consent from a parent or guardian.
Each license shall include the licensee’s full name, address, social security number, date of birth, physical description, expiration date, a distinguishing number assigned to the licensee, and a signature of the licensee.
Each license will also contain an imprinted photograph of the licensee, with a profile of the licensee if under 21 years of age, and a frontal photograph if the licensee is 21 years of age.
Driver’s licenses shall expire on the licensee’s birth date occurring in the 8th year of the license term.
Any subsequent renewals may be renewed for up to an 8-year period ending on the licensee’s birth date.
For every other renewal, an applicant may renew by mail, so long as he or she certifies that he or she meets the visual requirements, and that there has been no change in his or her physical condition.
Licensees who have reached the age of 70 have the following renewal requirements: at age 70 or the nearest renewal date thereafter, the applicant shall complete the eye test and may be required to pass the reaction test, and must show a physician’s certification that the applicant is physically and mentally competent to operate a motor vehicle.
Each person applying for a renewal must pass a vision test.
Commercial Licenses:
Non-Commercial Licenses:
The use of a hand-held cell phone and text messaging while driving are prohibited. Drivers with learner’s permits and school bus drivers are prohibited from using cell phones of any type while driving. Distracted driving in general, which is defined as inattentive driving while operating a motor vehicle, is prohibited.
Emergency cell number is 727-6161. Citizen band radio channel 9 is monitored for emergency calls.
No prohibition on wearing of headsets while driving.
The District of Columbia has no move over law.
Seat belts are required for the driver and all passengers age 16 and older.
Violation of the seat belt law is a standard offense.
Riding in the bed of a pickup truck is prohibited, except for employees on duty.
Children ages 8 until 16 are required to be restrained in a child restraint or seat belt.
Children under age 8 are required to be restrained in a child restraint.
Violation of the child restraint law is a standard offense.
All drivers must stop between 15 and 50 feet of a railroad crossing before safely crossing it, in any of the following circumstances:
A clearly visible electric or mechanical signal gives warning of an approaching train,
A crossing gate is lowered or human flagman gives a signal of an approaching train,
A train approaching within 1,500 feet emits an audible signal and is an immediate hazard, or
An approaching train is plainly visible and in hazardous proximity to the crossing.
A driver of any vehicle shall stop the vehicle at least 15 feet from a school bus when its warning light is flashing, unless the vehicle is on the other side of a divided median.
All school buses shall be painted national school bus chrome.
Modification of original bumper height is permitted.
Headlights are required to be on when visibility is less than 500 feet.
Hazard light use is permitted.
Tire chain usage is permitted for hazardous weather or other related incidents only, but may not damage the highway surface.
Studded tires are permitted October 15 to March 15.
All vehicles other than minivans must have the following light transmittance: the front windshield and the front side windows: 70% light transmittance.
All minivans must have the following light transmittance: the rear windshield and the rear side windows: 50% light transmittance; the front windshield and the front side windows: 55% light transmittance; the rear windshield and the rear side windows: 35% light transmittance; and no tint on the windshield may come down lower than 5 inches from the top.
No television equipment shall be installed in or on any motor vehicle in a location where the reception would be visible to the operator of the vehicle.
Radar detectors are not permitted.
Signs, posters, or other non-transparent materials may not be placed on any window unless authorized by the District.
Brakes are required on both wheels.
Passengers may not ride on a motorcycle unless there is a seat designed for 2 people, or another seat, along with footrests and handgrips, is firmly attached to the rear or side of the motorcycle.
A helmet is required on each person operating or riding on a motorcycle.
No person shall operate a motorcycle unless he or she wears goggles or a face shield.
Motorcycles must have 1 or 2 headlamps; 1 tail lamp and 1 stop lamp; and 1 red rear reflector.
Motorcycle helmets are required for all riders.
Applicants for a motorcycle license must fulfill the same requirements as applicants for motor vehicles.
The types of licenses are Class M: Motorcycle; Class N: Moped.
Motorcycle operators are not subject to the minimum insurance liability requirements.
The maximum noise level for a motorcycle is 83 decibels.
Registration required.
At speeds between 25-35 mph, the headlamp must be visible for 200 feet.
Minimum age to ride a moped is 16. Mopeds must have a headlamp that meets the following requirements: a) at speeds less than 25 mph, the headlamp must be visible for 100 feet; b) at speeds of at least 35 mph, the headlamp must be visible for 300 feet.
The following safety equipment is required: headlight, taillight, stop light, license plate light, ignition lock, horn, brakes, muffler, chain guard, and rearview mirror.
Total length: 55 feet; trailer length: not specified; width: not available; height: 13 feet 6 inches.
Brakes shall be placed on all wheels, except for trailers not exceeding 3,000 lbs., so long as the total weight on and including the wheels of the trailer does not exceed 40% of the GVW of the towing vehicle, and the combination of vehicles can meet the state stopping requirements.
Each trailer in excess of 3,000 lbs. shall be equipped with brakes acting on all wheels that will be applied automatically and promptly, and remain applied for at least 15 minutes upon breakaway from the towing vehicle.
There shall be a manually controlled device for applying and releasing the brakes that is readily operable by a person seated in the driving seat.
Any time a vehicle is being towed by use of a hitch, safety chains shall also be used to secure the vehicles.
Trailers have the same headlamp and tail lamp requirements as other motor vehicles.
Each trailer 3,000 lbs. or less must have 2 rear reflectors, and if the towing vehicle’s stop light is obscured, 2 stop lights.
Each trailer or semitrailer exceeding 3,000 lbs. must have 2 front clearance lamps, 2 side marker lamps on each side, 2 rear clearance lamps, 2 reflectors, and 2 stop lights.
Each pole trailer exceeding 3,000 lbs. must have 1 side marker lamp and 1 clearance lamp on each side, and 2 reflectors on the rear.
Must see 200 feet to rear.
N/A.
N/A.
Crashes are required to be reported when property damage exceeds $250.00.
The deadline to file a report is 5 days.
Mandatory recognition of AAA arrest bond certificates up to $200 with specified exemptions
Compulsory motor vehicle insurance.
The minimum insurance coverage required is $25,000 for injury to any 1 person, $50,000 for injury to more than 1 person, and $10,000 for personal property damage.
The District has a non-resident service of process law, which allows a person to serve papers against a non-resident with the District for any action that arises out of the non-resident’s use of a vehicle while in the District.
N/A.
Bicycle helmets are required for riders under age 16.
There is no law for the safe passage of bicycles by motor vehicles.
The District of Columbia is party to the Non-Resident Violator Compact.
No person shall park a vehicle in a roadway other than parallel with the edge of the roadway headed in the direction of lawful traffic movement. Vehicles shall be parked within 12 inches of the curb. Vehicles shall not be parked on a roadway to advertise for sale. Parking is prohibited at all of the following: within an intersection; on a crosswalk; upon any bridges, viaducts, freeways, highway tunnels, ramps leading to and from each, medians, safety zones, and traffic islands.
