2023 District of Columbia Code › Title 1 - Government Organization › Chapter 3 - Specified Governmental Authority › Subchapter II - Regulatory Authority › Part A - Police Regulations › § 1–303.01. Police regulations

§ 1–303.01. Police regulations.
The Council of the District of Columbia is hereby authorized and empowered to make and modify, and the Mayor of the District of Columbia is hereby authorized and empowered to enforce, usual and reasonable police regulations in and for said District as follows:
(1) For causing full inspection to be made, at any reasonable times, of the places where the business of pawnbroking, junk-dealing, or second-hand clothing business may be carried on.
(2) To regulate the storage of highly inflammable substances in the thickly populated portions of the District.
(3) Repealed.
(4) To establish and regulate the charges to be made by owners of hacks and hackney carriages of any kind whatsoever.
(5) To prohibit conducting droves of animals upon such streets and avenues as it may deem needful to public safety and good order.
(6) To regulate the keeping of dogs and fowls.
(7) To prohibit the deposit upon the street or sidewalks of fruit, or any part thereof, or other substance or articles that might litter the same, or cause injury to or impede pedestrians.
(8) To regulate or prohibit loud noises with horns, gongs, or other instruments, or loud cries, upon the streets or public places, and to prohibit the use of any fireworks or explosives within such portions of the District as it may think necessary to public safety.
(9) To prescribe reasonable penalties, including civil penalties, for the infraction of the regulations mentioned in §§ 1-303.01 and 1-303.02. The penalties may be enforced in any court or administrative tribunal of the District of Columbia having jurisdiction of minor offenses or civil infractions, and in the same manner that minor offenses or civil infractions are by law prosecuted or adjudicated and punished.
(Jan. 26, 1887, 24 Stat. 368, ch. 49, § 1; Mar. 3, 1925, 43 Stat. 1125, ch. 443, § 16; Sept. 13, 1961, 75 Stat. 498, Pub. L. 87-227, § 3; Oct. 5, 1985, D.C. Law 6-42, § 483, 32 DCR 4450; Mar. 8, 1991, D.C. Law 8-237, § 27, 38 DCR 314; Oct. 22, 2009, D.C. Law 18-71, § 12(a), 56 DCR 6619.)
Prior Codifications
1981 Ed., § 1-315.
1973 Ed., § 1-224.
Section References
This section is referenced in § 1-303.02, § 1-303.03, § 1-303.05, and § 1-303.43.
Effect of Amendments
D.C. Law 18-71 repealed par. (3), which had read as follows: “(3) To locate the places where licensed vendors on streets and public places shall stand, and change them as often as the public interests require, and to make all the necessary regulations governing their conduct upon the streets in relation to such business.”
Cross References
Environmental planning commission, see § 3-1001 et seq.
Mayor’s authority, supervision of pawnbrokers and other businesses, see § 5-117.02.
Removal of snow and ice, public property, see § 9-602.
Special licensing provisions, sellers of gasoline, kerosene, oils, fireworks, and explosives, see § 47-2814.
Specific licensing provisions, Council’s authority to regulate, modify, or eliminate licensing agreements, see § 47-2842.
Specific licensing provisions, secondhand dealers, see § 47-2837.
Temporary Legislation
Section 11(a) of D.C. Law 17-172 repealed par. (3).
Section 13(b) of D.C. Law 17-172 provided that the act shall expire after 225 days of its having taken effect.
Section 10(a) of D.C. Law 18-4 repealed par. (3).
Section 12(b) of D.C. Law 18-4 provided that the act shall expire after 225 days of its having taken effect.
New Implementing Regulations
Pursuant to this section, the following new regulations were adopted in 1978: The “District of Columbia Noise Control Act of 1977” (D.C. Law 2-53, Mar. 16, 1978, 24 DCR 5293) (as amended by D.C. Law 9-135, July 23, 1992, 39 DCR 4079) and the “Vendors Regulation Amendments Act of 1978” (D.C. Law 2-82, June 30, 1978, 24 DCR 9293).
Pursuant to this section, the following new regulations were adopted in 1979: The “District of Columbia Noise Control Amendments Act of 1979” (D.C. Law 3-17, Sept. 28, 1979, 26 DCR 229).
Pursuant to this section, the following new regulations were adopted in 1982: The “Taxicab Act of 1981” (D.C. Law 4-89, Mar. 31, 1982, 29 DCR 661).
Pursuant to this section, the following new regulations were adopted in 1982: The “Vendors Regulation Amendment Act of 1982” (D.C. Law 4-195, Mar. 10, 1983, 30 DCR 55).
Change in Government
This section originated at a time when local government powers were delegated to a Board of Commissioners of the District of Columbia (see Acts Relating to the Establishment of the District of Columbia and its Various Forms of Governmental Organization in Volume 1). Section 402(1) of Reorganization Plan No. 3 of 1967 (see Reorganization Plans in Volume 1) transferred all of the functions of the Board of Commissioners under this section to the District of Columbia Council, subject to the right of the Commissioner as provided in § 406 of the Plan. The District of Columbia Self-Government and Governmental Reorganization Act, 87 Stat. 818, § 711 ( D.C. Code, § 1-207.11), abolished the District of Columbia Council and the Office of Commissioner of the District of Columbia. These branches of government were replaced by the Council of the District of Columbia and the Office of Mayor of the District of Columbia, respectively. Accordingly, and also pursuant to § 714(a) of such Act ( D.C. Code, § 1-207.14(a)), appropriate changes in terminology were made in this section.