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District of Columbia car accident law: deadlines, fault and your claim

In DC you have three years to sue after most crashes, but a driver even slightly at fault can recover nothing. Pedestrians and cyclists get a softer rule; District claims need notice in six months.

Last reviewed By the Editorial team 6 min read

General information, not legal advice. Talk to a licensed attorney in your state.

Quick answer

In the District of Columbia you generally have 3 years from the crash to sue for injuries or vehicle damage, and 2 years from the date of death for a wrongful death claim. DC is one of the few places that still uses Contributory negligence. An older rule, still used in a few places, under which any fault of your own can bar you from recovering anything. Glossary: if your own carelessness helped cause the crash, even a little, you can be barred from recovering anything. Pedestrians, cyclists and other vulnerable road users get a softer rule, and a claim against the District government needs written notice to the Mayor within 6 months.

District of Columbia law at a glance

Checked against official sources · October 2026

ClaimDeadline or ruleThe law
Injury3 yearsD.C. Code § 12-301(a)(8)
Vehicle or property damage3 yearsD.C. Code § 12-301(a)(3)
Wrongful death2 yearsfrom the date of deathD.C. Code § 16-2702
Shared faultContributory Contributory negligenceD.C. common law; limited by D.C. Law 21-167 (D.C. Code § 50-2204.52)

A pedestrian, cyclist or other 'vulnerable user' (as defined in D.C. Code § 50-2204.51) hit by a motor vehicle is barred only if their own negligence was a proximate cause and greater than all defendants' combined negligence.

Key facts

Injury lawsuit deadline
3 yearsD.C. Code § 12-301(a)(8)
Vehicle damage deadline
3 yearsD.C. Code § 12-301(a)(3)
Wrongful death deadline
2 years, from the date of deathD.C. Code § 16-2702
Fault rule
Contributory negligenceSofter rule for pedestrians and cyclists
Notice to the District government
Within 6 monthsD.C. Code § 12-309
Minimum liability insurance
$25,000 / $50,000 / $10,000Per person / per crash / property
Insurance system
At-fault, with optional PIP60 days to choose PIP benefits
Traffic deaths in DC, 2024
47IIHS count
D.C. Bar referral service
MyDCLawyerFree online matching

Filing deadlines in the District of Columbia#

DC's Statute of limitations. The law that sets the last day to file a lawsuit. After it passes, a court will usually dismiss the case, however strong it is. Glossary for most crash lawsuits is 3 years, and the clock usually starts on the day of the crash.

ClaimDeadlineLaw
Personal injury3 yearsD.C. Code § 12-301(a)(8)
Damage to your vehicle or other property3 yearsD.C. Code § 12-301(a)(3)
Wrongful death2 years from the date of deathD.C. Code § 16-2702
Claim against the District governmentWritten notice within 6 monthsD.C. Code § 12-309
Claim against a federal agencyWritten claim within 2 years28 U.S.C. § 2401(b)

For an injured child, the deadline generally does not run while the injured person is under 18; the usual time limit then starts when they turn 18. This tolling rule comes from D.C. Code § 12-302.

A crash with a District vehicle, or one blamed on a District street, needs a Notice of claim. A written notice that must be sent to a city, county or state agency before you can sue it, often within a few months. Glossary before any lawsuit. D.C. Code § 12-309 calls for written notice to the Mayor giving the approximate time, place, cause and circumstances of the injury or damage; a written report by the Metropolitan Police Department can count as notice. Many vehicles on DC streets belong to federal agencies instead. Those claims follow the Federal Tort Claims Act, which needs a written claim to the agency within 2 years.

How fault is shared in the District of Columbia#

DC still follows the old common-law rule of contributory negligence. If a court finds that your own carelessness was a cause of the crash, you generally recover nothing from the other driver, even if they were far more to blame. A related doctrine, Last clear chance. An exception to contributory negligence. An injured person who was partly at fault may still recover if the other party saw, or should have seen, their danger and had the time and ability to avoid the harm but did not. Glossary, can sometimes help an injured person whose own carelessness put them in danger, when the other driver had the final chance to avoid the crash.

DC law softens the rule for pedestrians and for "vulnerable users," meaning people on a bicycle, motorcycle, motorized bicycle, scooter, skateboard, electric mobility device, all-terrain vehicle, dirt bike or similar device. Under D.C. Code § 50-2204.52, their own negligence bars recovery only if it was a cause of the injury and was greater than the combined negligence of all the defendants. The rule comes from a 2016 law, and the list of covered devices was amended in 2021.

Try the fault-rule explainer to see how DC compares with the states, and the pedestrian accident guide for claims by people on foot.

Insurance in the District of Columbia#

DC drivers must carry liability insurance of at least $25,000 per person and $50,000 per crash for injuries, plus $10,000 for property damage. Other coverages:

  • Uninsured motorist coverage. Required: $25,000/$50,000 bodily injury and $5,000 property damage. The Insurance Information Institute estimates that 23.1% of DC drivers were uninsured in 2023, against 15.4% nationally.
  • Underinsured motorist coverage. Must be offered; can be rejected (no written rejection required).
  • Personal injury protection (PIP). Coverage under your own policy that pays medical bills and some lost income after a crash, whoever caused it. Glossary. Must be offered; optional. If you buy it, medical and rehabilitation benefits must be at least $50,000.

DC is not a no-fault state, but PIP gives drivers a no-fault option. If you have PIP and are hurt, you have 60 days after the crash to tell your insurer whether you are taking PIP benefits. Taking them limits your right to sue the other driver, as explained below. If you make no choice in time, the ordinary at-fault rules apply. Questions about an insurer can go to the DC Department of Insurance, Securities and Banking at (202) 727-8000.

After a crash in the District of Columbia#

Under D.C. Code § 50-2201.05c, a driver in a collision must stop immediately; if anyone is hurt, call 911, stay until police arrive and give your identifying information to police and the injured person. If only property was damaged, the driver must give their information to the owner or, if the owner is not there, to police or 911 along with the crash location.

To get a copy of the Metropolitan Police Department's report, request the crash report (PD-10) from MPD's Public Documents Section by email, by mail or in person by appointment. Only a party to the crash, or someone acting for one such as a lawyer, can request it. A copy is free for the people involved and their lawyers. You need a government photo ID and the report number if you have it; MPD says mailed requests take about six weeks. The police report guide explains how to read a report and fix errors.

Special rules in the District of Columbia#

The PIP election. Choosing PIP benefits works like a no-fault Serious injury threshold. A rule in some no-fault states that lets you sue the at-fault driver for pain and suffering only if your injury meets a legal definition of serious, or a dollar level of medical bills. Glossary. After electing PIP, you can still sue the at-fault driver only for one of these: substantial permanent scarring or disfigurement; a substantial, medically demonstrable permanent impairment that significantly affects work or usual daily activities; an impairment that prevents usual daily activities for more than 180 continuous days; or medical, rehabilitation or work-loss costs above the PIP benefits available. If the victim dies, survivors can still bring a claim.

Federal and District vehicles. Who owns the other vehicle decides the process: a District vehicle triggers the six-month notice rule, while a federal one follows the federal claim process.

Crashes on DC roads#

IIHS counted 47 motor vehicle crash deaths in the District in 2024, or 6.7 per 100,000 people. The national rate was 11.5 per 100,000 people. IIHS classed 38% of DC's crash deaths as speeding-related.

Finding a lawyer in the District of Columbia#

The D.C. Bar runs MyDCLawyer, a free online lawyer referral service at mydclawyer.org that matches your problem with DC-licensed lawyers. The D.C. Bar also points to the Bar Association of the District of Columbia's referral service, which offers a one-hour consultation for a small fee. Any lawyer practicing in DC must be licensed there; you can confirm a license in the D.C. Bar's Find a Member directory. See how to check a lawyer's license for what to look for.

Questions people ask

What is the statute of limitations for a car accident in DC?

Generally 3 years from the crash for injuries and vehicle damage, and 2 years from the date of death for wrongful death. A claim against the District government also needs written notice to the Mayor within 6 months.

Is DC a no-fault state?

No. DC is an at-fault jurisdiction, but drivers can buy personal injury protection. A person with PIP has 60 days after a crash to choose PIP benefits, and that choice limits the right to sue unless the injury is serious or costs exceed the PIP benefits.

Can I recover damages if I was partly at fault in DC?

Usually not if you were a driver. Under contributory negligence, any fault of your own that helped cause the crash can bar your claim. Pedestrians and vulnerable users, such as cyclists, are barred only if their negligence was greater than that of all the defendants combined.

Does DC's pedestrian and cyclist rule cover scooters and motorcycles?

Yes. The law covers people using a bicycle, motorcycle, motorized bicycle, scooter, skateboard, electric mobility device, all-terrain vehicle, dirt bike or similar device. It applies when they collide with a motor vehicle or another vulnerable user.

How do I file a claim against the DC government after a crash?

Give written notice to the Mayor within 6 months, stating the approximate time, place, cause and circumstances. A written MPD report made in the regular course of duty can also count as notice.

How do I get a police crash report in DC?

Request the PD-10 from MPD's Public Documents Section by email, mail or in person by appointment. It is free for the people involved and their lawyers.

Sources

  1. Council of the District of Columbia, D.C. Code § 50-2204.52 — contributory negligence limit for pedestrians and vulnerable users
  2. Council of the District of Columbia, D.C. Law 21-167 — the 2016 law behind the pedestrian and vulnerable-user rule
  3. Council of the District of Columbia, D.C. Code § 31-2406 — required liability, uninsured and underinsured coverage
  4. District of Columbia Bar, Hiring a Lawyer — MyDCLawyer, the Bar Association of the District of Columbia referral service and license checks
  5. Council of the District of Columbia, D.C. Code § 12-301(a)(8) — as of October 2026
  6. Council of the District of Columbia, D.C. Code § 16-2702 — as of October 2026
  7. Code of the District of Columbia, § 12-309 — as of October 2026
  8. Code of the District of Columbia, § 31-2405 — as of October 2026
  9. U.S. Code (GPO), 28 U.S.C. § 2401(b) — as of October 2026
  10. Code of the District of Columbia, § 12-302(a) — as of October 2026
  11. Code of the District of Columbia, § 50-2204.51 — as of October 2026
  12. Insurance Information Institute, Facts + Statistics: Uninsured motorists — as of October 2026
  13. Code of the District of Columbia, § 31-2404 — as of October 2026
  14. Code of the District of Columbia, § 50-2201.05c — as of October 2026
  15. Metropolitan Police Department, Request an Accident Report (PD-10) or Incident/Offense Report (PD-251) — as of October 2026
  16. DC Department of Insurance, Securities and Banking, Auto Insurance — as of October 2026
  17. IIHS, Fatality Facts 2024: State by state — as of June 2026

Last reviewed October 29, 2026 by the Accident Claim Facts editorial team. Found an error? Tell us.

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