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Washington DC Bicycle Parking Code, Without the Legal Jargon

Reviewed against the DC Zoning Regulations on June 2, 2026. Washington DC sets its bicycle parking rules in the Zoning Regulations of 2016, Subtitle 11-C, Chapter 8, with the required amounts in Table C 802.1. Requirements change and vary by use and building size. Always confirm the current regulations with the DC Office of Zoning and Department of Buildings at permit time. This is planning guidance, not legal or permit advice.

Short answer

Washington DC sets bicycle parking minimums in its Zoning Regulations, Subtitle 11-C, Chapter 8, and the amounts are in Table C 802.1. For an apartment building, the long-term requirement is 1 space for each 3 dwelling units and the short-term requirement is 1 space for each 20 dwelling units. The requirement kicks in for residential uses with 8 or more dwelling units (and non-residential uses with 4,000 square feet or more). Long-term spaces go inside the building; short-term spaces go near the entrance.

Long-term versus short-term in Washington DC

DC writes the two types into the code with specific siting rules:

  • Long-term (Section 805) is the secure, all-day storage for residents and employees. “All required long-term bicycle parking spaces shall be located within the building of the use requiring them,” no lower than the first cellar or first complete below-grade parking level and no higher than the first above-grade level, provided as racks or lockers “in a parking garage or a bicycle storage room.”
  • Short-term (Section 804) is the visitor parking. It has to be on the same lot or on public space within 20 feet, and “within one-hundred and twenty feet (120 ft.) of a primary entrance,” provided as bicycle racks.

Both are required for most uses, and the amounts are set separately in Table C 802.1.

What Washington DC requires for multifamily

For residential uses with eight or more dwelling units, the minimums come from Table C 802.1. The exact text:

Residential use Long-term spaces Short-term spaces
Residential apartment 1 space for each 3 dwelling units 1 space for each 20 dwelling units
Residential, multiple dwelling unit 1 space for each 3 dwelling units 1 space for each 20 dwelling units
Residential house / single dwelling unit / flat None None

Source: DC Zoning Regulations, Subtitle 11-C, Table C 802.1. The trigger is in Section 802.1: “All residential uses with eight (8) or more dwelling units and non-residential uses with four thousand square feet (4,000 sq. ft.) or more of gross floor area shall provide bicycle parking spaces as follows.” Residential counts are calculated on dwelling units, not floor area (Section 803.1), and “calculations … that result in a fractional number of one-half (0.5) or more shall be rounded up” (Section 803.3).

The Washington DC wrinkle: the 8-unit trigger and the in-building rule

Two DC-specific things shape the layout. First, the requirement only applies to residential uses with 8 or more dwelling units, so small buildings are out and the rule lands on real multifamily. Second, the long-term spaces have to be inside the building, between the first below-grade parking level and the first above-grade level, in a parking garage or a dedicated bicycle storage room. That siting rule means a DC long-term bike room is a designed, in-building space, not an afterthought in a back lot. There is also a scaling rule: “After the first fifty (50) bicycle parking spaces are provided for a use, additional spaces are required at one-half (0.5) the ratio,” and no property has to provide more than 100 short-term spaces.

What Washington DC requires for commercial uses

Table C 802.1 sets non-residential ratios by gross floor area (a sample):

Use Long-term spaces Short-term spaces
Office 1 for each 2,500 sq. ft. 1 space for each 40,000 sq. ft.
Retail 1 for each 10,000 sq. ft. 1 space for each 3,500 sq. ft.
Eating and drinking establishment 1 for each 10,000 sq. ft. 1 space for each 3,500 sq. ft.

Source: Table C 802.1. Non-residential uses are subject to the requirement at 4,000 square feet or more of gross floor area. Pull the exact row for the use.

Design standards Washington DC writes into the code

Chapter 8 sets the standards that decide whether a space counts. Required long-term bicycle parking is located within the building, in a parking garage or a bicycle storage room, between the first below-grade and first above-grade level, provided as racks or lockers (Section 805). Required short-term spaces are within 120 feet of a primary entrance, in a well-lit location viewable from the building, provided as racks (Section 804). The rack design standards (Section 801) require racks spaced a minimum of 30 inches (thirty inches) on center, a 48-inch (forty-eight inch) minimum aisle, and a rack that allows locking the frame and one wheel. Every required space “shall be accessible without moving another bicycle” (Section 801.4).

What the multifamily number looks like in practice

Take a 120-unit apartment building (a residential apartment use, above the 8-unit trigger).

  • Long-term: 1 per 3 dwelling units, so 120 / 3 = 40 long-term spaces, inside the building as racks or lockers in a garage or bike storage room.
  • Short-term: 1 per 20 dwelling units, so 120 / 20 = 6 short-term spaces in racks within 120 feet of a primary entrance.

That is 46 bicycle spaces, with 40 in a designed in-building long-term room. Because the long-term count (40) is under 50, the after-50 half-ratio scaling does not kick in here. A 40-space in-building room still pays off from high-density racks, especially given DC’s vertical siting limits between the first below-grade and first above-grade levels.

How Washington DC relates to the region and the California cities

As a federal district, DC sets its bicycle parking directly in its Zoning Regulations; there is no statewide CALGreen-equivalent above it. DC’s structure is distinctive for its hard in-building siting rule and the after-50-spaces half-ratio. If you work across jurisdictions, treat each one’s code as its own; for the California framework, see our California multifamily bike parking overview, and for the city-by-city set, the bike parking codes by city hub.

Where each type goes in a Washington DC building

What to send Ground Control Systems for a compliant layout

We do not set your code count. That is the project team’s call with the DC Office of Zoning, the Department of Buildings, and your code consultant, starting with the use and the dwelling-unit count. What we do is make the layout work once the count is known. Send us:

  • The project address and use (residential dwelling-unit count, or commercial gross floor area and use).
  • The floor plan or a program sketch showing where the in-building long-term room and the short-term racks could go, and the finished ceiling height.
  • Whether the project is pursuing LEED, which can set its own bike-parking threshold.

We come back with a bike-room layout, the product mix that fits the floor plate (vertical, two-tier, lockers, floor-mount racks, and scooter racks where relevant), the long-term and short-term split on the plan, and a quote. Reach us at 800-630-7225, info@groundcontrolsystems.com, or the contact page. The Download Center has CAD files and product specifications. For layout and code-support help, see services.

Frequently asked questions

Q: How many bike parking spaces does a Washington DC apartment building need?

For a residential apartment use with 8 or more dwelling units, Table C 802.1 requires long-term parking of 1 space for each 3 dwelling units plus short-term parking of 1 space for each 20 dwelling units. A 120-unit building works out to 40 long-term and 6 short-term spaces. Confirm with the DC Office of Zoning and Department of Buildings.

Q: What is the 8-unit threshold?

The bicycle parking requirement applies to residential uses with eight or more dwelling units (and non-residential uses with 4,000 square feet or more of gross floor area). Residential buildings under 8 units are not subject to the requirement.

Q: Where does DC require long-term bicycle parking to go?

Inside the building of the use requiring it, no lower than the first cellar or first complete below-grade parking level and no higher than the first above-grade level, provided as racks or lockers in a parking garage or a bicycle storage room (Section 805).

Q: Does Washington DC follow a statewide code like California’s CALGreen?

No. As a federal district, DC sets its bicycle parking directly in the Zoning Regulations of 2016 (Subtitle 11-C, Chapter 8). There is no statewide CALGreen-equivalent above it.

Q: Is this legal advice?

No. This is a plain-language overview of how Washington DC structures its bicycle parking requirements. It is not legal or permit advice and is not a substitute for the current regulation text. Confirm specifics with the DC Office of Zoning, the Department of Buildings, and your project’s code consultant.

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