Question 1:  How can I get a hard copy of the District of Columbia Register?

Answer:  The Office of Documents and Administrative Issuances ended publication of the hard copy of the District of Columbia Register in 2010. The Office does not stock hard copies of any previously published District of Columbia Register for sale.

Question 2:  Who should I call if I need clarification on the District of Columbia Municipal Regulations?  

Answer: The District of Columbia Office of Documents and Administrative Issuances publishes the Municipal Regulations promulgated by District of Columbia agencies. The Office does not interpret the regulations. To get regulation clarifications, call (202) 727-5090 to be directed to the agency responsible for interpreting the regulations.

Question 3:  Where can I find a copy of the District of Columbia Register?

Answer:  Online editions of the District of Columbia Register from April 2003 to July 23, 2010 are available on the Office of the Secretary website. 

Online versions of the District of Columbia Register from October 2, 2009 to present are available on the District of Columbia Municipal Regulations website. Searching by "DCR Issues" displays the District of Columbia Register by year and date.

Hard copies of the District of Columbia Register from 1954 to September 2009 are available at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Library’s Washingtoniana Division, 901 G St. NW, Washington, District of Columbia  20001, Telehone: (202) 727-0321.

Question 4:  Is the District of Columbia Register published on public holidays?

Answer:  The Office of Documents and Administrative Issuances publishes the District of Columbia Register every Friday, but if Friday is a public holiday, the District of Columbia Register will be published one day earlier (Thursday). 

Question 5: What documents are printed in the District of Columbia Register?

Answer:  The District of Columbia Register includes the following:

•  Council of the District of Columbia acts, laws and resolutions;
•  Council of the District of Columbia notices;
•  Notices of emergency, proposed and final regulations (agency rulemakings)
•  Notices of public hearings; and
•  Documents of general public interest.

Question 6:  Where can I find text of District of Columbia Laws published before April 2003?

Answer:  The Legislative Services Division of the Council of the District of Columbia maintains all official documents and records of Council actions. You can request copies of District of Columbia Laws past and present by contacting the Office of Legislative Services at (202) 724-8050 or [email protected].

District of Columbia Laws are also available beginning with Council Period 8 (1989) on the Council of the District of Columbia website.

Question 7:  Where can I find the District of Columbia Municipal Regulations online? 

Answer: The District of Columbia Municipal Regulations are available online on the District of Columbia Municipal Regulations website. Searching by "Title" allows you to access the regulations by title, subtitle, chapter, and section.

Question 8:  How can I find Mayor’s Orders?

Answer:  Mayor’s Orders beginning with January 1973 are available at the District of Columbia Municipal Regulations website. If you know the number of the Order that you are looking for, you can find it by entering the number (with the four-digit year) in the “By Order Number" field in the Search Mayor’s Orders section. If you do not know the Order number, but know the subject matter, you may search the text of all Mayor’s Orders in the “Full Text Search” section of the website. If you are looking for a Commissioners’ or Commissioner’s Order from 1954 through 1972, call (202) 727-5090 or email [email protected] for assistance.

Question 9:  How do I know if a Mayor’s Order is still in effect?

Answer: The Administrative Issuances Specialist in the Office of Documents and Administrative Issuances maintains a list of Mayor’s Orders that are no longer in effect. You may call (202) 727-5090 or email [email protected]. You may also search Mayor’s Orders on the District of Columbia Municipal Regulations website; searching the text of the Orders by "Number" will show every subsequent Order referring to it.