District of Columbia, DC Animal Ordinances: Wildlife Feeding (2026)

DC addresses wildlife feeding through multiple overlapping rules. DC Department of Parks and Recreation regulations (DCMR 19-700 et seq.) prohibit feeding wildlife in DPR parks and on recreation center grounds. The National Park Service regulates its own federal lands (Rock Creek Park, the Mall, etc.). For private property, DC Code section 8-2004 (the Rodent Control Act) targets conditions that harbor or attract rats, and intentional feeding of rats, pigeons, or other commensal animals can trigger an abatement order from the DC Health Rodent and Vector Control Division. Although deer are relatively uncommon in DC compared to Virginia and Maryland, NPS conducts deer management in Rock Creek Park, and feeding deer on adjacent private property creates habituation problems. Bird feeding is legal on private property but bird feeders that produce significant seed spillage causing rat infestation are considered a public health nuisance. Feral cat colony feeding is permitted under DC's Trap-Neuter-Return program administered by the Humane Rescue Alliance with DC Health coordination. Beekeepers must follow separate apiary rules under DC Code 8-1201.