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AI Laws in District of Columbia
As of 2026-08-12, AI Laws USA tracks 14 AI rules in District of Columbia: 8 state-level rules and 6 county or city rules. Federal AI protections apply statewide on top of these — see the federal page. Each entry links to its official source.
District of Columbia state-level AI rules (8)
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In effect
NCAI Res. NC-24-008 (Digital Sovereignty)
National Congress of American Indians · Effective 2024-11-15 · NCAI Resolution #NC-24-008 (2024)
Defines tribal digital sovereignty as tribes' sovereign authority over physical and virtual network infrastructure and data — acquisition, storage, transmission, access, use. Explicitly notes that AI tools can circumvent tribal data collection protocols.
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In effect
NCAI Res. SAC-22-026 (Emerging Tech)
National Congress of American Indians · Effective 2022-11-04 · NCAI Resolution #SAC-22-026 (2022)
NCAI resolution addressing how emerging technologies including AI can circumvent tribal data collection protocols without proper consent. Reinforces tribal authority over data flowing through AI systems.
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In effect
NCAI Res. KAN-18-011 (IDS)
National Congress of American Indians · Effective 2018-06-04 · NCAI Resolution #KAN-18-011 (2018)
First collective NCAI resolution supporting U.S. tribes' exercise of Indigenous data sovereignty — the principle that tribes have inherent authority over data about their citizens, lands, and resources. Foundation document for tribal restrictions on AI training data and government data sharing.
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In effect
DC AG Schwalb senior AI-fraud unit
DC · Effective 2025-04-18 · D.C. Code § 28-3904; DC OAG Consumer Alert (Apr. 18, 2025)
The DC Attorney General announced an Elder Justice Initiative focused on AI-enabled scams targeting older Washingtonians — voice-clone grandparent scams, tech-support fraud using AI chatbots, and AI romance scams. The office uses DC's Consumer Protection Procedures Act and the Elder Financial Exploitation Act to investigate.
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In effect
DC DOI AI Bulletin
DC · Effective 2024-05-21 · DC DISB Bulletin 24-IB-002-05/21 (2024-05-21)
The DC Department of Insurance adopted the NAIC Model Bulletin on Use of Artificial Intelligence Systems by Insurers. Insurers licensed in DC must maintain a written AI program with governance, risk-management, testing, third-party-AI oversight, and documentation controls. The bulletin operationalizes existing unfair-trade-practice and unfair-discrimination law as applied to insurers' AI use cases — underwriting, pricing, claims, fraud detection, and marketing.
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In effect
DC Bar Op. 388 (GenAI)
DC · Effective 2024-04-24 · D.C. Bar Op. 388 (Apr. 24, 2024)
DC lawyers using generative AI must understand the tools they use, supervise AI output, protect client confidentiality, communicate with clients about AI, comply with billing rules, and avoid the unauthorized practice of law by AI chatbots.
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In effect
Mayor's Order 2024-028: Articulating DC's Artificial Intelli
District of Columbia · Effective 2024-02-08 · Mayor's Order 2024-028: Articulating DC's Artificial Intelligence Values and Establishing Artificial Intelligence Strategic Benchmarks
Mayor Bowser's order defines six AI values (clear benefit to the people, safety & equity, accountability, transparency, sustainability, and privacy & cybersecurity), establishes an AI Advisory Group and AI Taskforce, and requires District agencies to verify AI-values alignment before deploying any AI tool.
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Proposed / pending
OCTO AI/ML Governance Policy
District of Columbia · Effective 2024-02-08 · OCTO AI/ML Governance Policy
The Office of the Chief Technology Officer's governance policy establishes rules for the responsible and secure use of AI/ML in DC government, requiring written agency-director approval before using agency data with AI, cybersecurity and business risk assessments, use of only OCTO-approved platforms, data-classification restrictions, and continuous monitoring.
County and city AI rules in District of Columbia (6)
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In effect
DC AI Training Mandate
Washington, DC · Effective 2025-04-01 · OCTO Responsible AI Training Program (effective 2025)
DC became the first major US city to mandate Responsible AI training for all DC government employees and contractors, delivered by OCTO with InnovateUS to operationalize the DC AI Values and OCTO AI/ML Governance Policy.
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In effect
DC AI Values Mayor's Order
Washington, DC · Effective 2024-02-08 · D.C. Mayor's Order 2024-028 (Feb. 8, 2024)
Mayor Bowser's order requires DC government agencies to check any AI deployment against six AI Values: clear benefit to the people, safety and equity, accountability, transparency, sustainability, and privacy and cybersecurity. It created an AI Taskforce, set deadlines including a mandatory AI procurement handbook, and requires every agency to submit an AI strategic plan in cohorts through October 2026.
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In effect
MPD Unmanned Aircraft Systems Program (General Order 803.09)
Washington, DC (Metropolitan Police Department) · Effective 2024-06-01 · MPD Unmanned Aircraft Systems Program (General Order 803.09)
The DC Metropolitan Police Department launched its UAS program in June 2024 under General Order 803.09, prohibiting facial recognition and weaponization and barring targeting based on protected characteristics.
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Proposed / pending
DC SDAA (B24-0558)
Washington, DC · B24-0558 (DC Council, 2021; reintroduced)
DC's Stop Discrimination by Algorithms Act would bar algorithmic decision-making that discriminates in housing, employment, education, credit, healthcare, insurance. Mandates annual bias audits, consumer notice, disclosure; private right of action with civil penalties up to $10,000 per violation. Pending across DC Council sessions since 2021.
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Proposed / pending
DC SDAA (B25-0114)
Washington, DC · D.C. Council B25-0114 (proposed)
A DC Council bill that would ban using algorithms to discriminate based on race, sex, age, or disability in important life decisions such as employment, housing, credit, insurance, and education, and would require notice and audits.
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Expired
DC Algorithm Bill (not enacted)
Washington, DC · D.C. Council B24-0558 (2021); B25-0114 (2023) (not enacted)
A proposed DC law that would ban businesses from using algorithms that discriminate based on protected traits in decisions about jobs, housing, credit, insurance, and education, and would require annual bias audits and consumer disclosures. Despite multiple introductions since 2021, it has never been enacted — DC residents rely on federal protections.
District of Columbia city guides
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