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District of Columbia car accident laws
District of Columbia gives you three years to file a personal injury lawsuit (D.C. Code § 12-301(8)).
The legal minimum liability coverage in District of Columbia is $25,000 per injured person, $50,000 per crash and $10,000 for property (25/50/10).
If you were even slightly at fault for the crash, DC law can bar you from recovering anything on a negligence claim (contributory negligence).
Quoted from District of Columbia statutes and official pages, checked October 2, 2026 · not legal advice
The rules in one table
| Rule | District of Columbia | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Deadline to sue for an injury | Three years from the time the right to maintain the action accrues (negligence injury claims fall under the residual 'not otherwise specially prescribed' provision) | D.C. Code § 12-301(8) |
| Deadline for vehicle damage | Three years from the time the right to maintain the action accrues | D.C. Code § 12-301(3) |
| Deadline for a wrongful death claim | Two years after the death of the person injured | D.C. Code § 16-2702 |
| Claims against a government body | Written notice of the injury or damage must be given to the Mayor within six months; a Metropolitan Police Department report made in the regular course of duty counts as notice. | D.C. Code § 12-309(a) |
| Deadline to use your PIP coverage | Tell your PIP insurer within 60 days of the crash that you elect to receive PIP benefits. If you do not, the mandatory liability coverage applies instead of PIP. | D.C. Code 31-2405(a), (e), (g) |
| If you were partly at fault | contributory. If you were even slightly at fault for the crash, DC law can bar you from recovering anything on a negligence claim (contributory negligence). | Whiteru Estate v. WMATA (D.C. Cir. 2022) quoting Jarrett v. Woodward Bros., 751 A.2d 972, 985 (D.C. 2000) (common-law rule; no statute) |
| Minimum liability coverage | $25,000 per person / $50,000 per crash / $10,000 property | D.C. Code § 31-2406(b), (c) |
| Dog bites | one-bite (negligence). DC has no general strict-liability dog-bite statute; if a dog at large injures someone, the owner's lack of knowledge of the dog's vicious tendencies does not by itself excuse a finding of negligence. | D.C. Code § 8-1808(a)(2) |
Deadlines can be shorter or longer for minors, for injuries found later, and for claims against a government. A lawyer licensed in District of Columbia can tell you the date that applies to you.
Next steps after a District of Columbia crash
How to get a District of Columbia crash report (No fee for first-party requests; insurance companies pay $3 per PD-10 (MPD's reports overview page says $3 for all PD-10s)).
200 crash deaths in District of Columbia, 2020-2024, by county.
Check your deadline and a rough claim range
A filing date and a rough value range for District of Columbia. Both take under a minute.
Questions
How long do you have to sue after a car accident in District of Columbia?
Three years for an injury claim (D.C. Code § 12-301(8)) and three years for vehicle damage. Shorter notice rules can apply to claims against a government.
Can I recover if I was partly at fault in District of Columbia?
District of Columbia follows contributory. If you were even slightly at fault for the crash, DC law can bar you from recovering anything on a negligence claim (contributory negligence).
What is the minimum car insurance in District of Columbia?
The legal minimum liability coverage in District of Columbia is $25,000 per injured person, $50,000 per crash and $10,000 for property (25/50/10).
Sources
- Deadline to sue for an injury (D.C. Code § 12-301(8)): code.dccouncil.gov/us/dc/council/code/sections/12-301
Except as otherwise specifically provided by law, actions for the following purposes may not be brought after the expiration of the period specified below from the time the right to maintain the action accrues: [...] (8) for which a limitation is not otherwise specially prescribed— 3 years;
- Deadline for vehicle damage (D.C. Code § 12-301(3)): code.dccouncil.gov/us/dc/council/code/sections/12-301
Except as otherwise specifically provided by law, actions for the following purposes may not be brought after the expiration of the period specified below from the time the right to maintain the action accrues: [...] (3) for the recovery of damages for an injury to real or personal property— 3 years;
- Deadline for a wrongful death claim (D.C. Code § 16-2702): code.dccouncil.gov/us/dc/council/code/sections/16-2702
An action pursuant to this chapter shall be brought by and in the name of the personal representative of the deceased person, and within 2 years after the death of the person injured.
- Claims against a government body (D.C. Code § 12-309(a)): code.dccouncil.gov/us/dc/council/code/sections/12-309
(a) Except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, an action may not be maintained against the District of Columbia for unliquidated damages to person or property unless, within six months after the injury or damage was sustained, the claimant, his agent, or attorney has given notice in writing to the Mayor of the District of Columbia of the approximate time, place, cause, and circumstances of the injury or damage.
- Deadline to use your PIP coverage (D.C. Code 31-2405(a), (e), (g)): code.dccouncil.gov/us/dc/council/code/sections/31-2405
A victim shall notify the personal injury protection insurer within 60 days of an accident of the victim’s election to receive personal injury protection benefits.
- If you were partly at fault (Whiteru Estate v. WMATA (D.C. Cir. 2022) quoting Jarrett v. Woodward Bros., 751 A.2d 972, 985 (D.C. 2000) (common-law rule; no statute)): www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCOURTS-caDC-20-07087/pdf/USCOURTS-caDC-20-07087-0.
[t]he District of Columbia is one of the few jurisdictions in which the claimant's contributory negligence can act as a complete defense to the defendant's liability for negligence.
- Minimum liability coverage (D.C. Code § 31-2406(b), (c)): code.dccouncil.gov/us/dc/council/code/sections/31-2406
The minimum amount of property damage liability insurance coverage that a named insured shall purchase is $10,000 for property damage in any 1 accident. [...] The minimum amount of 3rd-party personal liability coverage that an insured shall purchase shall be $25,000 per person injured in any 1 accident and $50,000 for all persons injured in any 1 accident.
- Dog bites (D.C. Code § 8-1808(a)(2)): code.dccouncil.gov/us/dc/council/code/sections/8-1808
(2) If a dog injures a person while at large, lack of knowledge of the dog's vicious propensity standing alone shall not absolve the owner from a finding of negligence.
Read October 2, 2026. Laws and fees change; the linked page is the authority.