Failure to pay fare or to present valid transfer; entry by rear door prohibited.
D.C. Code § 35-252
in effect35-252. Failure to pay fare or to present valid transfer; entry by rear door prohibited.
(a)
Except in emergency circumstances, no person shall knowingly:
(1)
Take the following actions without paying the established fare or presenting a valid transfer:
(A)
Board a public or private passenger vehicle for hire, including vehicles owned or operated by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority ("WMATA");
(B)
Board a rail transit car owned or operated by WMATA; or
(C)
Enter or leave the fare-paid area of a rail transit station owned or operated by WMATA; or
(2)
Board a public or private passenger vehicle for hire, including vehicles owned or operated by WMATA, through the rear exit door, unless so directed by an employee or agent of the carrier.
(b)
A person who is stopped by an individual authorized to issue notices of infractions under § 35-254(a)(3) for violating subsection (a) of this section shall, upon request, inform that authorized individual of his or her true name and address for the purpose of including that information on a notice of infraction; provided, that no person shall be required to possess or display any documentary proof of his or her name or address in order to comply with the requirements of this section.
(Sept. 23, 1975, D.C. Law 1-18, § 3; as added, Feb. 22, 1978, D.C. Law 2-40, § 2(c), 24 DCR 3344; May 3, 2019, D.C. Law 22-310, § 4(b), 66 DCR 1395; June 8, 2024, D.C. Law 25-175, § 35(a), 71 DCR 2732.)
Source: Council of the District of Columbia (code.dccouncil.gov)URL: https://code.dccouncil.gov/us/dc/council/code/sections/35-252Fetched: 10/21/2026