The District sets its own minimum wage well above the federal floor, requiring most private employers to pay at least $17.95 per hour with annual CPI adjustments under DC Code 32-1003.
DC Code 32-1003 establishes a minimum wage that has steadily climbed past $17 per hour and is indexed annually to the Washington-area CPI each July 1. The tipped credit applies but combined wages plus tips must reach the full minimum, and Initiative 82 phases out the tipped wage entirely by 2027. Employers must post DOES notices, keep three years of payroll records, and pay overtime at 1.5x. Federal preemption does not apply because the Fair Labor Standards Act expressly permits higher state and local minimums.
Underpayment triggers back wages plus liquidated damages of triple the unpaid amount, civil penalties, and DOES wage-theft investigations enforceable in DC Superior Court.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Washington, DC
Washington DC does not regulate lawn ornaments on private property through a specific ordinance. Statuary, religious displays, and decorative landscape eleme...
Washington, DC
Washington DC has no city ordinance specifically regulating inflatable holiday displays on private property. The primary city concerns are (1) public-space e...
Washington, DC
The District of Columbia does not impose specific install-by or take-down-by dates for holiday lights on private property. City-wide regulation is limited to...
Washington, DC
Washington DC requires Department of Buildings (DOB) permits for built-in outdoor kitchens that involve gas line installation, electrical work, plumbing, or ...
Washington, DC
Washington DC has no smoker-specific ordinance, but smokers and wood-fired ovens are open-flame cooking devices subject to IFC Section 308.1.4 in multi-famil...
Washington, DC
Washington DC adopts the International Fire Code (IFC) as the DC Fire Code (12-G DCMR). IFC Section 308.1.4 prohibits charcoal and other open-flame cooking d...
See how Washington's minimum wage preemption rules stack up against other locations.
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