Washington, DC · Title 11 DCMR (2016 Zoning Regulations)
Permits low to moderate-desnity development including detached dwellings, rowhouses, and low-rise apartments in the vicinity of the U.S. Naval Observatory Note: certain grandfathered, site-specific uses may apply to individual parcels (for example, a chancery in existence on September 22, 1978 under Subtitle U §202(f), or a multiple dwelling on specific squares in existence as of December 14, 2015 under §301.1(l)). These depend on parcel-specific facts; verify with the DC Office of Zoning.
Figures marked official zoning GIS record come from the jurisdiction's own zoning map layer, not from the text of the code. That record is dated and linked above, and it is a summary of the ordinance rather than the ordinance itself — where a standard is banded or was recently amended, the code text governs. Figures citing a section are quoted from the code directly.
By-right FAR varies by building type: All Other Buildings & Structures 0.9
Read from District of Columbia Zoning Regulations of 2016 (Title 11 DCMR), effective through 2026-04-03. Amendments adopted after that date (most recent 2026-07-17) are not yet reflected.
How complete is this market? Across 134,966 parcels we answer 93.9% of the 6 questions this site is built to answer, each with a source you can check. The rest are shown as “not recorded” rather than filled in — we would rather be short than wrong.
Permitted uses in RA-1/NO
AllowedSingle-family dwelling (detached, semi-detached, or row) Detached and semi-detached single-family are matter-of-right; row dwellings require BZA special exception. Subtitle U §201.1(a) + §421.1.
ConditionalResidential flat New residential flat requires BZA special exception (only detached/semi-detached single-family is matter-of-right). Subtitle U §421.1.
ConditionalMultiple dwelling (apartment house) New apartment house requires BZA special exception review. Subtitle U §401.1(d) (excluded from matter-of-right in RA-1/RA-6) + §421 (new residential developments).
Not AllowedHotel in existence as of May 16, 1980 §401.1(d) reads “(d) Except for the RA-1 zones:”, so the matter-of-right multiple-dwelling and 1980-hotel provisions do not reach the RA-1 zones.
ConditionalAccessory dwelling (in an existing accessory building) May require BZA special exception as new residential development in RA-1/RA-6. Subtitle U §301.1(c) + §421.
AllowedBoarding house (up to 8 persons) Stays of 90+ days; no in-unit cooking. Subtitle U §301.1(h).
AllowedHome occupation Accessory; resident-operated, up to 4 clients/day. Subtitle U §410.1(e)/§251.
ConditionalContinuing care retirement community Special exception in the RA-1 zones. Subtitle U §420.1(j).
ConditionalEmergency shelter Matter-of-right, §202.1(i): “(i) Emergency shelter of not more than four (4) persons, not including resident supervisors or staff and their families” In the R zones the special exception is §203.1(i): “(i) Emergency shelter use for five (5) to fifteen (15) persons, not including resident supervisors or staff and their families” In the RA zones it is §420.1(g): “(g) Emergency shelter use for five (5) to twenty-five (25) persons, not including resident supervisors or staff and their families”
ConditionalHealth care facility / medical clinic Up to 6 persons matter-of-right (§202.1(k)/§301.1(l)); 9–300 by special exception (§203.1(j)).
ConditionalChild, elderly, or daytime-care center Smaller facilities matter-of-right (§202.1(g)/§401.1(c),(g)/§301.1(n)); larger by special exception (§203(h)).
ConditionalReligious or institutional group residence and uses Up to 15 persons matter-of-right (§201.1(b)/§202(k)); over 15 by special exception (§203(c),(p)).
AllowedCommunity or recreation center, park, playground, or pool Conditions on lighting and parking. Subtitle U §202.1(n)/§401.1(f).
AllowedPublic education building or public school (including collocation) Subtitle U §202(n),(o).
ConditionalPrivate school (with staff residences) Subtitle U §203(m).
AllowedGovernment (local) use or mass transit facility Subtitle U §202.1(j),(r).
AllowedReuse of a former DC public school building Per §252 conditions. Subtitle U §202(s)/§252.
AllowedPrivate club with sleeping accommodations Subtitle U §401.1(b).
ConditionalArt gallery or museum Board of Zoning Adjustment conditions. Subtitle U §420.1(b).
ConditionalPerforming arts / live theater (existing theater) Subtitle U §203(l).
ConditionalCommunity service center Subtitle U §320.1(b).
ConditionalCommercial or nonresidential adjunct (in a hotel or apartment house) Subtitle U §420.1(e): “(e) Commercial adjuncts to a hotel containing less than one hundred (100) rooms or suites subject to the following ...”; and §420.1(h): “(h) Nonresidential adjunct uses as an accessory use within an apartment house, consisting of the sale of foods, drugs, and sundries and personal services designed to serve the tenants' daily living needs subject to the following ...”
AllowedAgricultural use (large or residential, excluding private stable) Subtitle U §202(c),(d).
ConditionalPrivate stable Accessory use. Subtitle U §203(n).
AllowedCommunity solar facility Roof array matter-of-right; ground array has conditions (larger = special exception §203(f)). Subtitle U §201.1(c).
AllowedCar-sharing spaces (up to 2, unimproved lot) Subtitle U §202(e).
AllowedPrivate garage (principal use, up to 2 cars) Subtitle U §202.1(m).
ConditionalParking (principal or off-site accessory) Subtitle U §203(k).
Not AllowedParking garage (principal use) A principal-use parking garage (on a lot other than an alley lot) is permitted only in RA-5, by special exception; not permitted in other RA zones. Subtitle U §420.1(i).
ConditionalUtility use Subtitle U §202/§203(q).
AllowedTemporary use (construction office; fair, circus, or carnival) Time-limited. Subtitle U §202(p),(q).
ConditionalChancery Special exception in most RA zones (§203(b)); matter-of-right in RA-4/RA-5 (§401.2).
Not AllowedCorner store Not permitted in RA zones. Subtitle U §401.1(a) (excluded) / §420.1(d).
Not AllowedDrive-through accessory to any use Not permitted. Subtitle U §420.1(f).
"Conditional" means the use generally requires a public hearing or special-exception approval — a very different timeline and risk profile from a by-right permit.
This is the zone. What about the parcel?
Zone rules are the starting point — the answer for a specific property also depends on lot
size, overlays, existing improvements and site conditions. Run a free address lookup to see
what applies to one property.
Every development standard on this page shows where it came from. Figures cited to a section are quoted from Title 11 DCMR itself and verified word for word against the code text. Figures linked to an official zoning GIS record come from the DC Office of Zoning's own mapped zoning data, which is dated and re-queryable but is a summary of the code rather than the code — where a standard is banded or recently amended, the ordinance text governs. Anything we cannot source is shown as “not recorded” rather than filled in. Use permissions follow Subtitle U.