D.C. Reckless Driving Laws: Penalties, Points and Speed (2026)

In the District of Columbia, reckless driving is a criminal offense under D.C. Code 50-2201.04(b): driving a motor vehicle on any highway in the District at 20 miles per hour or more over the speed limit, or in any other manner that "displays a conscious disregard of the risk of causing property damage or bodily injury to any person." A first or second conviction carries up to 90 days in jail and a fine of up to $500, and a separate, heavier offense of aggravated reckless driving starts at 30 mph or more over the limit or when reckless driving causes an injury, a collision with another vehicle or $1,000 or more in damage.

Information last verified on 2026-10-25. This article has not been reviewed by a licensed lawyer.

Jurisdiction scope: This article covers District of Columbia law on reckless and aggravated reckless driving (D.C. Code 50-2201.04), criminal speeding under 18 DCMR 2200.12, driver points and license consequences in D.C. Code Title 50 and 18 DCMR chapter 3, aggressive driving, and driving without a valid permit. It does not cover DUI penalties (see District of Columbia DUI laws), homicide offenses (see District of Columbia manslaughter laws), leaving the scene of a crash (see District of Columbia hit-and-run laws), Maryland or Virginia law, federal property rules, or commercial-driver rules beyond a short note. For other states, see reckless driving laws by state.

What is reckless driving in D.C.?

D.C. Code 50-2201.04(b) defines the offense in two prongs:

"A person commits the offense of reckless driving if the person drives a motor vehicle on any highway in the District: (1) At a speed of 20 miles per hour or more in excess of the speed limit; or (2) In any other manner that displays a conscious disregard of the risk of causing property damage or bodily injury to any person." D.C. Code 50-2201.04(b)

The first prong is purely about speed. Driving 20 mph or more over the limit is reckless driving by itself, with no further showing about the driver's state of mind.

The second prong covers every other kind of dangerous driving. The test is "conscious disregard" of a risk of property damage or bodily injury. The section does not use the phrase "willful or wanton."

The section reaches driving "on any highway in the District." It does not separately mention parking lots or other private property.

Aggravated reckless driving

Subsection (c) creates a second, more serious offense:

"A person commits the offense of aggravated reckless driving if the person drives a motor vehicle on any highway in the District: (1) At a speed of 30 miles per hour or more above the speed limit; or (2) At a speed of 20 miles per hour or more above the speed limit, or in any other manner that displays a conscious disregard of the risk of causing property damage or bodily injury to any person, and (A) Causes bodily injury to any other person; (B) Collides with another motor vehicle; or (C) Causes $1,000 or more in property damage." D.C. Code 50-2201.04(c)

So aggravated reckless driving can be committed two ways: by speed alone (30 mph or more over the limit), or by reckless driving that ends in an injury to someone else, a collision with another motor vehicle, or at least $1,000 in property damage.

Is reckless driving a misdemeanor in D.C.? Penalties

Section 50-2201.04 does not attach a misdemeanor or felony label to either offense. It sets a maximum jail term for each, and the fine comes from the District's general fine schedule in D.C. Code 22-3571.01, which ties the maximum fine to the maximum jail term: $500 for offenses punishable by more than 30 days and up to 90 days, $1,000 for more than 90 days and up to 180 days, $2,500 for more than 180 days and up to one year, and $12,500 for more than one year and up to five years.

Under 50-2201.04(d) and (e):

• Reckless driving, first or second conviction: a fine of up to $500, up to 90 days in jail, or both.
• Reckless driving, third or later conviction within a 2-year period: a fine of up to $2,500, up to one year in jail, or both.
• Aggravated reckless driving, first or second conviction: a fine of up to $1,000, up to 180 days in jail, or both.
• Aggravated reckless driving, third or later conviction within a 2-year period: a fine of up to $12,500, up to 2 years in jail, or both.

Separately, 50-2201.04(g) lets the Attorney General bring a civil action in Superior Court against a driver suspected of violating the section, or against the vehicle, and seek unpaid fines, attorney's fees, suspension or revocation of the license or District driving privilege, and booting or towing and impoundment of the vehicle. Under 50-2201.04(g)(2), the Attorney General may not bring that action over a violation whose fine under the speed regulations adopted under subsection (a) is being contested or appealed, is not yet due, has been paid or is on a payment plan with timely payments, or against a person who is serving or has completed the criminal sentence for the violation.

Convictions from other states count. Section 50-2201.04(f) directs the court, when it looks for a prior reckless or aggravated reckless conviction, to include "convictions for any offense from another state or territory of the United States which, if committed in the District of Columbia, would constitute reckless driving or aggravated reckless driving, respectively."

Work zones

D.C. Code 50-2201.04c(a) raises fines for moving infractions committed in a work zone: a civil fine is doubled and, "in a criminal infraction case, the fine shall be one category higher than the penalty prescribed by law."

How fast is reckless driving in D.C.?

D.C. has a fixed speed line, and in fact three of them:

• 20 mph or more over the limit is reckless driving under 50-2201.04(b)(1).
• 30 mph or more over the limit is aggravated reckless driving under 50-2201.04(c)(1).
• More than 30 mph over the limit is also a separate criminal offense in the District's traffic regulations. 18 DCMR 2200.12 provides that a driver going "at a speed greater than thirty miles per hour (30 mph) in excess of the legal speed limit" shall, on conviction, be fined up to the 22-3571.01 amount or imprisoned up to 90 days, or both.

Rule 2200.12 has an exception for camera tickets: when an automated traffic enforcement system detects a vehicle more than 30 mph over the limit, "the owner shall be liable for the fine established in Section 2600 of this title," a civil fine rather than a criminal charge. For how the District's camera program works, see District of Columbia traffic camera tickets.

Below those lines, ordinary speeding is civil. 18 DCMR 2200.3 requires a speed that is "reasonable and prudent under the conditions," and 2200.11 makes a violation of the speed section a civil infraction "except where the offense constitutes reckless driving or a specific penalty is provided for the offense."

How many points is reckless driving in D.C.? License consequences

Driver points

The District's driver point schedule, 18 DCMR 303.2, assigns:

The point totals then drive license action under 18 DCMR 303. The Director "may" suspend a license at 8 or 9 points and "shall" suspend it at 10 points, and 18 DCMR 306.1 sets that point suspension at 90 days. At 12 points the Director "shall order the revocation" of the license (303.5). Points are deleted two years after they are assessed (303.8).

Because aggravated reckless driving carries 12 points on its own, one conviction reaches the 12-point total at which 303.5 requires revocation. A single reckless driving conviction (6 points) does not reach the 8-point discretionary line by itself.

A separate schedule in D.C. Code 50-2451, headed "Vehicle infraction points," assigns reckless driving 5 points and aggravated reckless driving 10 points. Those are vehicle infraction points, not the driver points in 18 DCMR 303.

Revocation and suspension for aggravated reckless driving

Several provisions deal with aggravated reckless driving specifically:

• 18 DCMR 301.1(d) lists, among offenses for which the Director "shall revoke the license," "Aggravated reckless driving or operating a motor vehicle while the ability to operate a motor vehicle is impaired by the consumption of intoxicating liquor involving personal injury." Under 18 DCMR 302.14, aggravated reckless driving "is grounds for suspension or revocation."
• D.C. Code 50-2206.55(a)(4) lists aggravated reckless driving among the convictions for which the Mayor "shall revoke" the operator's permit or privilege to drive. Section 6(c) of the 2024 STEER Act (D.C. Law 25-161) repeals 50-2206.55, and D.C. Law 26-55 makes that repeal apply as of January 1, 2027.
• D.C. Code 50-1301.37(a)(6) requires the DMV to suspend both the license and the registration of a person convicted of aggravated reckless driving, or who forfeited bond or collateral on that charge. The section still refers to aggravated reckless driving "as described in §50-2201.04(b-1)," the lettering used before the STEER Act moved the offense to subsection (c).

When this suspension applies. The Code's history for 50-1301.37 shows that D.C. Law 26-122, a temporary act effective May 21, 2026, makes the STEER Act's amendments to this section apply as of March 4, 2026. Law 26-122 expires 225 days after it took effect, but permanent D.C. Law 26-55, effective December 6, 2025, already provides that the same STEER Act section applies as of January 1, 2027.

Under D.C. Code 50-1301.38(a), reinstatement after that suspension requires the person to complete a 6-month period of license and registration suspension, provide and maintain proof of financial responsibility, and pay a $100 reinstatement fee. If the person was traveling 20 mph or more over the limit during the offense, the section also requires completion of enrollment in the Intelligent Speed Assistance Program under 50-2201.05a-1.

Length of revocation

18 DCMR 306.4 and 306.5 set minimum revocation periods for a revocation that is mandatory by law or made under the Department's discretionary authority: six months after a first offense, one year after a second, and two years after a third or later offense, except as the Intelligent Speed Assistance section (50-2201.05a-1(c)) provides.

Commercial drivers

For commercial license holders, federal rule 49 C.F.R. 383.51 treats reckless driving as a serious traffic violation: a second conviction within three years brings a 60-day disqualification from commercial driving and a third a 120-day disqualification, and a conviction in a personal vehicle counts only if it results in a revocation, cancellation or suspension of the license. The reckless driving laws by state hub covers the federal layer.

Is there careless driving in D.C.?

No. The District's traffic rules in 18 DCMR chapter 22 and the 18 DCMR 303 point schedule contain no offense named careless or negligent driving. The closest rule is the requirement in 18 DCMR 2200.3 to drive at a speed that is "reasonable and prudent under the conditions and having regard to the actual and potential hazards then existing," which is enforced through a civil fine under 2200.11.

Aggressive driving

D.C. Code 50-2204.01 makes it a violation to commit three or more listed traffic violations "at the same time or during a single and continuous period of driving within the course of one mile." The reckless driving section, 50-2201.04, is one of the listed violations. The penalty is "a fine of $200 and 2 traffic points," and the driver must complete DMV-approved traffic school within 90 days of the date the infraction is established; failing to complete it "shall result in the suspension of the driver's license."

Street racing and takeovers in D.C.

The District's traffic offenses in D.C. Code Title 50, chapter 22, subchapter I, and the traffic rules in 18 DCMR chapters 20, 22 and 24 contain no offense named racing, speed contest, drag racing, exhibition of speed, drifting or street takeover. Driving of that kind is measured against the general reckless driving section: its speed prongs (20 and 30 mph over the limit) and its conscious-disregard prong apply to any driving on a District highway.

Fleeing police in a reckless manner

D.C. Code 50-2201.05b(b)(2) covers a driver who flees a police officer and, while doing so, drives "in a manner that would constitute reckless driving under § 50-2201.04(b), or causes property damage or bodily injury." That driver faces a fine of up to the 22-3571.01 amount (up to $12,500 for this tier) or up to 5 years in prison, or both. Fleeing also carries 12 driver points under 18 DCMR 303.2.

Wet reckless in D.C.

The District's DUI subchapter, D.C. Code 50-2206.01 through 50-2206.59, contains no provision on a reckless driving plea in a case charged as DUI. Its definition of a "prior offense" in 50-2206.01(17) does not name reckless driving, and the only mention of reckless driving in the subchapter is aggravated reckless driving as a revocation ground in 50-2206.55(a)(4), a section the STEER Act repeals as of January 1, 2027. For impaired-driving penalties, see District of Columbia DUI laws.

Driving without a permit or after suspension in D.C.

The District separates driving with no permit at all, driving on a recently expired permit, not carrying the permit, and driving while suspended or revoked:

• Never obtained a permit. D.C. Code 50-1401.01(d) prohibits operating a motor vehicle without first obtaining an operator's, learner's or provisional permit. A violation is punishable by a fine of up to the 22-3571.01 amount ($500 at the 90-day tier) or up to 90 days in jail.
• Permit expired for 90 days or less. Under 50-1401.01(d-1), a person driving on a District permit expired for not more than 90 days is subject to a civil fine of not more than $100 and "shall not be subject to the criminal penalties" in subsection (d).
• Not carrying the permit. Subsection (c) sets a fine of not less than $10 nor more than $50.
• Driving while suspended or revoked. D.C. Code 50-1403.01(e) provides that a person who drives during a suspension or revocation shall, "for each such offense," be fined up to the 22-3571.01 amount ($2,500 at the one-year tier) or imprisoned for not more than one year, or both. It also carries 12 driver points.

Under 50-1403.02(a-1), the Mayor may delay issuing an operator's permit to someone without a valid permit who is convicted of driving without a permit or driving after revocation or suspension.

D.C. reckless driving offenses at a glance

Fine maximums in the table come from the tiers in D.C. Code 22-3571.01, which link the fine to the offense's maximum jail term. For how the District grades offenses more broadly, see District of Columbia felony and misdemeanor classes.

When reckless driving causes a death

D.C. Code 50-2203.01 separately makes it a felony to cause a death by operating a vehicle "in a careless, reckless, or negligent manner, but not wilfully or wantonly"; see District of Columbia manslaughter laws.

Recent changes to D.C. reckless driving law

• STEER Act (D.C. Law 25-161, effective April 20, 2024). Rewrote 50-2201.04, which now defines reckless driving and aggravated reckless driving and sets the penalty tiers above; that rewrite took effect once the Fiscal Year 2025 Budget Support Act removed its funding condition, first by emergency act (D.C. Act 25-506, effective July 15, 2024) and then permanently (D.C. Law 25-217, effective September 18, 2024). Other STEER sections, which apply as of January 1, 2027 under D.C. Law 26-55, repeal 50-2206.55, change "a pedestrian" to "any person" in the negligent homicide section (50-2203.01), and rewrite 50-1403.01, moving the driving-after-suspension penalty (still up to one year) to a new subsection (f).
• D.C. Law 26-55 (December 6, 2025). Amended the lead-in of 50-2201.04(c)(2), adding "or in any other manner that displays a conscious disregard of the risk of causing property damage or bodily injury to any person" to the aggravated offense, so reckless driving by conduct, not only by speed of 20 mph or more over, can become aggravated when it causes an injury, a collision with another vehicle or $1,000 in damage.
• 18 DCMR 2200.12 (February 21, 2025). The criminal speeding rule was amended by a final rulemaking published at 72 DCR 001689.
• D.C. Law 26-122 (temporary, effective May 21, 2026). Applies the STEER Act's license-and-registration suspension for aggravated reckless driving (50-1301.37(a)(6)) as of March 4, 2026, and expires 225 days after it took effect. Permanent D.C. Law 26-55 already provides that STEER Act section 3, which includes that suspension, and sections 4(d), 4(f), 5 and 6 apply as of January 1, 2027.

Related District of Columbia laws

• Reckless driving laws by state
• District of Columbia DUI laws
• District of Columbia manslaughter laws
• District of Columbia felony and misdemeanor classes
• District of Columbia traffic camera tickets
• District of Columbia expungement laws

This article is general legal information about District of Columbia law, not legal advice. For a specific situation, contact a lawyer licensed in the District of Columbia, or the DC Department of Motor Vehicles for license and points questions.

Last updated: 2026-10-25.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is reckless driving a misdemeanor in D.C.?

D.C. Code 50-2201.04 makes reckless driving a criminal offense without a class label. A first or second conviction carries up to 90 days in jail, a fine up to $500, or both; a third within 2 years carries up to one year and up to $2,500.

How fast is reckless driving in D.C.?

Driving 20 mph or more over the speed limit is reckless driving under D.C. Code 50-2201.04(b)(1), and 30 mph or more over is aggravated reckless driving under 50-2201.04(c)(1). More than 30 mph over is also criminal speeding under 18 DCMR 2200.12.

What is aggravated reckless driving in D.C.?

It is driving 30 mph or more over the limit, or reckless driving that causes bodily injury to another person, a collision with another motor vehicle or $1,000 or more in property damage (50-2201.04(c)). A first or second conviction carries up to 180 days and a fine up to $1,000.

How many points is reckless driving in D.C.?

Reckless driving is 6 points and aggravated reckless driving 12 points under 18 DCMR 303.2. At 10 points the license must be suspended for 90 days, and at 12 points it must be revoked; points come off after two years.

Does aggravated reckless driving suspend your license in D.C.?

Its 12 points reach the total at which 18 DCMR 303.5 requires revocation, and 18 DCMR 301.1(d) requires revocation when it involves personal injury. D.C. Code 50-1301.37(a)(6) also requires suspension of license and registration, a rule that has applied since March 4, 2026 under temporary D.C. Law 26-122 and that permanent D.C. Law 26-55 applies as of January 1, 2027.

Do out-of-state reckless driving convictions count in D.C.?

Yes, for repeat penalties. Section 50-2201.04(f) tells the court to count convictions from another state or territory for conduct that would be reckless or aggravated reckless driving in the District.

Does D.C. have careless driving?

No. The District's traffic rules and point schedule contain no careless-driving offense. The closest rule is the reasonable-and-prudent speed requirement in 18 DCMR 2200.3, enforced by a civil fine.

Does D.C. have a wet reckless?

The District's DUI subchapter, D.C. Code 50-2206.01 to 50-2206.59, contains no provision on a reckless driving plea in a DUI case, and its prior-offense definition does not name reckless driving.

Is street racing illegal in D.C.?

The District's traffic offense sections and DCMR traffic rules contain no offense named racing or street takeover. Such driving is measured against the reckless driving section, whose speed and conscious-disregard prongs apply to any driving on a District highway.

What is the penalty for driving without a license in D.C.?

Driving without ever obtaining a permit carries up to 90 days or a fine up to $500 (50-1401.01(d)). A District permit expired 90 days or less brings only a civil fine up to $100, and driving while suspended or revoked carries up to one year (50-1403.01(e)).