District of Columbia Age of Consent Laws: Statutes and Reporting

Whoever, being at least 4 years older than a child, engages in a sexual act with that child or causes that child to engage in a sexual act shall be imprisoned for any term of years or for life and, in addition, may be fined not more than the amount set forth in § 22-3571.01. However, the court may impose a prison sentence in excess of 30 years only in accordance with § 22-3020 or § 24-403.01(b-2). For purposes of imprisonment following revocation of release authorized by § 24-403.01(b)(7), the offense defined by this section is a Class A felony.

Official text (excerpt) · last checked 2026-07-30 · Read the full text in our law library · Verify at github.com

Also relied on in: Age of Consent Laws by State: Statutes, Protections and Reporting

Whoever, being at least 4 years older than a child, engages in sexual contact with that child or causes that child to engage in sexual contact shall be imprisoned for not more than 10 years and, in addition, may be fined in an amount not more than the amount set forth in § 22-3571.01.

Official text (excerpt) · last checked 2026-07-30 · Read the full text in our law library · Verify at github.com

Whoever, being 18 years of age or older, is in a significant relationship with a minor, and engages in a sexual act with that minor or causes that minor to engage in a sexual act shall be imprisoned for not more than 15 years and may be fined not more than the amount set forth in § 22-3571.01, or both.

Official text (excerpt) · last checked 2026-07-30 · Read the full text in our law library · Verify at github.com

Any teacher, counselor, principal, coach, or other person of authority in a secondary level school who engages in a sexual act with a student under the age of 20 years enrolled in that school or school system, or causes that student to engage in a sexual act, shall be imprisoned for not more than 10 years, fined not more than the amount set forth in § 22-3571.01, or both.

Official text (excerpt) · last checked 2026-07-30 · Read the full text in our law library · Verify at github.com

(a) Whoever, being at least 4 years older than a child or being in a significant relationship with a minor, (1) takes that child or minor to any place for the purpose of committing any offense set forth in §§ 22-3002 to 22-3006 and §§ 22-3008 to 22-3009.02, or (2) seduces, entices, allures, convinces, or persuades or attempts to seduce, entice, allure, convince, or persuade a child or minor to engage in a sexual act or contact shall be imprisoned for not more than 5 years or may be fined not more than the amount set forth in § 22-3571.01, or both. (b) Whoever, being at least 4 years older than the purported age of a person who represents himself or herself to be a child, attempts (1) to seduce, entice, allure, convince, or persuade any person who represents himself or herself to be a child to engage in a sexual act or contact, or (2) to entice, allure, convince, or persuade any person who represents himself or herself to be a child to go to any place for the purpose of engaging in a sexual act or contact shall be imprisoned for not more than 5 years or may be fined not more than the amount set forth in § 22-3571.01, or both.

Official text (excerpt) · last checked 2026-07-30 · Read the full text in our law library · Verify at github.com

Whoever, being 18 years of age or older, is in a significant relationship with a minor and engages in a sexual contact with that minor or causes that minor to engage in a sexual contact shall be imprisoned for not more than 7 1/2 years and may be fined not more than the amount set forth in § 22-3571.01, or both.

Official text (excerpt) · last checked 2026-07-30 · Read the full text in our law library · Verify at github.com

Any teacher, counselor, principal, coach, or other person of authority in a secondary level school who engages in sexual conduct with a student under the age of 20 years enrolled in that school or school system, or causes that student to engage in sexual conduct, shall be imprisoned for not more than 5 years, fined not more than the amount set forth in § 22-3571.01, or both.

Official text (excerpt) · last checked 2026-07-30 · Read the full text in our law library · Verify at github.com

(a) Whoever, being 18 years of age or older and more than 4 years older than a child, or being 18 years of age or older and being in a significant relationship with a minor, engages in sexually suggestive conduct with that child or minor shall be imprisoned for not more than 180 days, or fined not more than the amount set forth in § 22-3571.01, or both. (1) A person convicted of misdemeanor sexual abuse of a child or minor who has 3 or more prior convictions for misdemeanor sexual abuse of a child or minor shall be fined no more than the amount set forth in § 22-3571.01, or incarcerated for no more than 3 years, or both. (2) In addition to a violation of this section, a person shall be considered as having prior convictions for misdemeanor sexual abuse of a child or minor if that person has been previously convicted of a violation of a crime under the laws of any other jurisdiction that involved conduct that would, if committed in the District of Columbia, constitute a violation of this section, or conduct that is substantially similar to conduct prosecuted under this section.

Official text (excerpt) · last checked 2026-07-30 · Read the full text in our law library · Verify at github.com

(a) It is unlawful for a person to arrange to engage in a sexual act or sexual contact with an individual (whether real or fictitious) who is or who is represented to be a child at least 4 years younger than the person, or to arrange for another person to engage in a sexual act or sexual contact with an individual (whether real or fictitious) who is or who is represented to be a child of at least 4 years younger than the person. For the purposes of this section, arranging to engage in a sexual act or sexual contact with an individual who is fictitious shall be unlawful only if the arrangement is done by or with a law enforcement officer. (b) A person who violates subsection (a) of this section shall be imprisoned for not more than 5 years, fined not more than the amount set forth in § 22-3571.01, or both.

Official text (excerpt) · last checked 2026-07-30 · Read the full text in our law library · Verify at github.com

(a) Neither mistake of age nor consent is a defense to a prosecution under §§ 22-3008 to 22-3010.01, prosecuted alone or in conjunction with charges under § 22-3018 or § 22-403. (b) Marriage or domestic partnership between the defendant and the child or minor at the time of the offense is a defense, which the defendant must establish by a preponderance of the evidence, to a prosecution under §§ 22-3008 to 22-3010.01, prosecuted alone or in conjunction with charges under § 22-3018 or § 22-403, involving only the defendant and the child or minor.

Official text (excerpt) · last checked 2026-07-30 · Read the full text in our law library · Verify at github.com

(a) Any person who is found guilty of an offense under this subchapter may receive a penalty up to 1 1/2 times the maximum penalty prescribed for the particular offense, and may receive a sentence of more than 30 years up to, and including life imprisonment without possibility of release for first degree sexual abuse or first degree child sexual abuse, if any of the following aggravating circumstances exists: (1) The victim was under the age of 13 years at the time of the offense; (2) The victim was under the age of 18 years at the time of the offense and the actor had a significant relationship to the victim; (3) The victim sustained serious bodily injury as a result of the offense; (4) The defendant was aided or abetted by 1 or more accomplices; (5) The defendant is or has been found guilty of committing sex offenses against 2 or more victims, whether in the same or other proceedings by a court of the District of Columbia, any state, or the United States or its territories; or (6) The defendant was armed with, or had readily available, a pistol or other firearm (or imitation thereof) or other dangerous or deadly weapon.

Official text (excerpt) · last checked 2026-07-30 · Read the full text in our law library · Verify at github.com

For the purposes of this chapter: (1) “Actor” means a person accused of any offense proscribed under this chapter. (2) “Bodily injury” means injury involving loss or impairment of the function of a bodily member, organ, or mental faculty, or physical disfigurement, disease, sickness, or injury involving significant pain. (3) “Child” means a person who has not yet attained the age of 16 years. (4) “Consent” means words or overt actions indicating a freely given agreement to the sexual act or contact in question. Lack of verbal or physical resistance or submission by the victim, resulting from the use of force, threats, or coercion by the defendant shall not constitute consent. (4A) “Domestic partner” shall have the same meaning as provided in § 32-701(3). (4B) “Domestic partnership” shall have the same meaning as provided in § 32-701(4). (5) “Force” means the use or threatened use of a weapon; the use of such physical strength or violence as is sufficient to overcome, restrain, or injure a person; or the use of a threat of harm sufficient to coerce or compel submission by the victim. (5A) “Minor” means a person who has not yet attained the age of 18 years.

Official text (excerpt) · last checked 2026-07-30 · Read the full text in our law library · Verify at github.com

(a) It is unlawful for an individual or a business knowingly to recruit, entice, harbor, transport, provide, obtain, or maintain by any means a person who will be caused as a result to engage in a commercial sex act knowing or in reckless disregard of the fact that the person has not attained the age of 18 years. (b) In a prosecution under subsection (a) of this section in which the defendant had a reasonable opportunity to observe the person recruited, enticed, harbored, transported, provided, obtained, or maintained, the government need not prove that the defendant knew that the person had not attained the age of 18 years.

Official text (excerpt) · last checked 2026-07-30 · Read the full text in our law library · Verify at github.com

(a) Any person who knows, or has reasonable cause to believe, that a child is a victim of sexual abuse shall immediately report such knowledge or belief to the police. For the purposes of this subchapter, a call to 911, or a report to the Child and Family Services Agency, shall be deemed a report to the police. (b) Any person who is or has been a victim of sexual abuse is not required to report pursuant to subsection (a) of this section if the identity of the alleged perpetrator matches the identity of the victim’s abuser. (c) No legally recognized privilege, except for the following, shall apply to this subchapter: (1) A lawyer or a person employed by a lawyer is not required to report pursuant to subsection (a) of this section if the lawyer or employee is providing representation in a criminal, civil, or delinquency matter, and the basis for the knowledge or belief arises solely in the course of that representation.

Official text (excerpt) · last checked 2026-07-30 · Read the full text in our law library · Verify at github.com

(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of the law, and except as provided in § 22-3571.02, a defendant who has been found guilty of an offense under the District of Columbia Official Code punishable by imprisonment may be sentenced to pay a fine as provided in this section. (b) An individual who has been found guilty of such an offense may be fined not more than the greatest of: (1) $100 if the offense is punishable by imprisonment for 10 days or less; (2) $250 if the offense is punishable by imprisonment for 30 days, or one month, or less but more than 10 days; (3) $500 if the offense is punishable by imprisonment for 90 days, or 3 months, or less but more than 30 days; (4) $1,000 if the offense is punishable by imprisonment for 180 days, or 6 months, or less but more than 90 days; (5) $2,500 if the offense is punishable by imprisonment for one year or less but more than 180 days; (6) $12,500 if the offense is punishable by imprisonment for 5 years or less but more than one year; (7) $25,000 if the offense is punishable by imprisonment for 10 years or less but more than 5 years; (8) $37,500 if the offense is punishable by imprisonment for 15 years or less but more than…

Official text (excerpt) · last checked 2026-07-30 · Read the full text in our law library · Verify at github.com

Also relied on in: District of Columbia Audio Recording Laws: Complete Legal Guide, District of Columbia Phone Call Recording Laws: Consent Rules and Interstate Calls, District of Columbia Recording Laws (2026): One-Party Consent Rules

For the purposes of this chapter, the term: (1) “Agency” means the Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency for the District of Columbia, established pursuant to § 24-133 or, until that agency assumes its duties, the Trustee appointed under § 24-132(a). (2) “Attends school” means being enrolled on a full-time or part-time basis in any type of public or private educational institution. (A) “Committed a registration offense” means: (i) Was convicted or found not guilty by reason of insanity of a registration offense; or (ii) Was determined to be a sexual psychopath under §§ 22-3803 through 22-3811. (B) A person is not deemed to have committed a registration offense for purposes of this chapter, if the disposition described in subparagraph (A) of this paragraph has been reversed or vacated, or if the person has been pardoned for the offense on the ground of innocence. (4) “Court” means the Superior Court of the District of Columbia.

Official text (excerpt) · last checked 2026-07-30 · Read the full text in our law library · Verify at github.com

Also relied on in: District of Columbia Video Recording Laws: What You Need to Know, District of Columbia Voyeurism Laws: Hidden Camera Penalties and Privacy Rights

(a) Except as set forth in subsection (b) of this section, the registration period shall start when a disposition described in § 22-4001(3)(A) occurs and continue until the expiration of any time being served on probation, parole, supervised release, conditional release, or convalescent leave, or 10 years after the sex offender is placed on probation, parole, supervised release, conditional release, or convalescent leave, or is unconditionally released from a correctional facility, prison, hospital or other place of confinement, whichever is latest, except that: (1) The Agency may give a sex offender credit for the time the sex offender was registered in another jurisdiction; (2) The Agency may deny a sex offender credit for any time in which the sex offender is detained, incarcerated, confined, civilly committed, or hospitalized and for any time in which a sex offender was registered prior to a revocation of probation, parole, supervised release, conditional release, or convalescent leave; and (3) The registration period is tolled for any time the sex offender fails to register or otherwise fails to comply with the requirements of this chapter.

Official text (excerpt) · last checked 2026-07-30 · Read the full text in our law library · Verify at github.com