An overview of action locations, permitting requirements, and protest regulations
Planning Protests in Washington, DC
Washington, DC is home to the federal government. The White House, the US Capitol, the Supreme Court and the headquarters of nearly every federal agency are all located in Washington, DC. People come from all across the country and around the world to protest, demonstrate, disrupt, confront and directly engage with the decision makers and power brokers that make and enforce the laws that impact so many aspects of our lives.
Washington, DC is also a city where more than 700,000 Washingtonians – a majority of whom are Black – live, work, play, and go to school. Our city faces a lot of the same challenges that other major cities face: We are experiencing an affordable housing crisis and rapidly increasing property values pushing native Washingtonians out of our community. We have some of the best hospitals in the world and at the same time, Black mothers in DC experience one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the country. We also have one of the highest incarceration rates in the country.
And while the Congress of the United States meets in Washington, DC we don’t have representation in the House of Representatives or the Senate.
So if you’re planning a protest in the nation’s Capitol, Welcome to DC. There is plenty of terrain for organizing powerful and dynamic actions. This guide will walk you through the landscape and some technical considerations to keep in mind while you’re planning. But also remember that Washington, DC is home to 700,000 people and we’ll still be here long after you go back home. So please be mindful of how you’re showing up in our community and the long-term impact that you’re having on our home.
Common Action Locations
Protest Jurisdictions
Most protests in Washington, DC will fall on one of three primary jurisdictions:
Washington, DC/Metropolitan Police Department
US Park Police
US Capitol Police
An important note on permitting: If you are planning an event that starts in one jurisdiction and crosses over to another jurisdiction (ie. a rally starting at a park controlled by the National Park Service followed by a march to another location) you’ll need to get separate permits from each jurisdiction.
Information we are sharing here on permitting and regulations comes from the websites and manuals of each of the permitting and policing jurisdictions and can change from time to time. We’ll do our best to link back to each agency’s website so you can make sure you’re looking at the most up-to-date information. Information we’re sharing on how different police agencies respond to protests is based on our experience with hundreds of protests in DC over the past several years. This also changes from time-to-time and police responses can vary dramatically based on other security events happening in the area, the general attitudes and moods of responding officers, and the biases that those officers hold and the relative privilege that people taking action carry.
Protest Jurisdictions in Washington, DC
Metropolitan Police Department Jurisdiction
The vast majority of the landmass of Washington, DC is policed and permitted by the Washington, DC Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). In general, permits are NOT required for protests involving fewer than 50 people, spontaneous protests, or protests that are restricted to sidewalks and don’t inhibit the flow of pedestrian traffic. There are no limits on the size or materials of signs, structures or other props, as long as the props are not so large as to block traffic.
If your protest involves a march from one location to another and otherwise would not require a permit (because it is spontaneous in nature or you expect to have fewer than 50 people), a permit is generally not required to march in the streets, however police may try to limit your group to a couple lanes to allow traffic to move around you.
Further, the DC code requires that MPD officers responding to a first amendment assembly that is not permitted respond in the same way as they would if the event had been permitted and specifically states that, “an order to disperse or arrest assembly participants shall not be based solely on the fact that a plan has not been approved for the assembly.” D.C. Code § 5-331.07
This framework creates a very permissive space for organizing protests in MPD jurisdiction with – or without – a permit. On the other hand this permissive framework limits opportunities for organizing planned civil disobedience activities. While most jurisdictions in Washington, DC and around the country would likely arrest protestors for engaging in a sit-in blocking a main street, MPD officers are much more likely to respond by routing traffic around the protest (if possible).
Click here to download the Application for Approval of Assembly Plan (the permit application) .
Other Resources
National Park Service
The National Parks Service National Mall and Memorial Parks Division of Permit Management and US Park Police oversee permitting and demonstrations on National Park Service facilities in the Capitol Region. NPS regulations indicate that permits are required for events involving more than 25 people.
The Division of Permit Management office is incredibly understaffed so they are often very slow to respond to permit applications. For smaller events in some of the less trafficked parks (Stanton Park, Farragut Square, etc.), NPS staff will often just issue a permit via email without any further follow up. For permits in the more heavily trafficked areas and for larger events NPS staff will require a detailed site map and event plan to ensure compliance with their hundreds of pages of regulations.
The National Capital Area Event Planning Guide is a good tool for navigating the numerous rules and regulations governing permitting for events in NPS parks. Pay close attention to the sections on protecting grass and avoiding drip lines from trees – NPS is VERY serious about protecting their grass.
Lafayette Square and the White House
Probably the most restrictive space for holding protests in Washington, DC is in Lafayette Square in front of the White House. If you apply for an NPS permit for Lafayette Square you should expect a very rigorous review of your permit application and a very slow turnaround time on actually receiving your permit. Additionally, you will need to arrange with the National Parks Service and US Secret Service to screen all of your equipment on H St. before moving into the park and if you bring any equipment that was not on your approved equipment list it will not be allowed into the park.
A possible alternative for many smaller events with a more limited setup would be to apply for a permit from the DC Metropolitan Police Department for the stretch of Pennsylvania Ave, NW between 15th and 17th St. in front of the White House. This actually gets you closer to the White House and allows for a much more streamlined permitting process.
US Capitol Grounds
Permitting and policing of demonstrations on US Capitol Grounds is overseen by the US Capitol Police. Groups of fewer than 20 people are not required to secure a permit (but US Capitol Police does encourage you to contact them ahead of time).
You can apply for a permit by emailing this application to Special_Events@uscp.gov . You can also mail the form to Capitol Police Headquarters or drop it off in person. Capitol Police has divided the grounds into 23 Demonstration Permit Areas, which are the only areas where they will issue permits.
If you plan to march on Capitol Hill, US Capitol Police will only permit the most direct route from your starting location. While it is legal and a relatively common practice to organize marches in other parts of DC without a permit, Captiol Police generally does not allow unpermitted marches on Capitol Grounds and officers are generally very quick to respond and push marchers up onto the sidewalks.
United States Capitol Grounds Demonstration Areas Map
Regulations and Restrictions
The rules regarding demonstrations at the US Capitol are laid out in the Traffic Regulations for the US Capitol Grounds, which are published by the US Capitol Police. Some notable regulations include:
Props can be no taller than 15 feet tall
Stages can be no taller than 2 feet tall
Amplified sound is permitted, however speakers must be directed away from the Capitol and office buildings
All equipment must be screened at the USCP off-site facility in Southeast DC (make sure to plan to at least one hour to your setup time for this).
Alternatives to US Capitol Grounds
While the Capitol Police permitting office is generally responsive, the USCP limitations on the size of stages and props and the requirement to drive all the way to the USCP off-site facility to have materials screened leads some groups to look for alternative locations near the US Capitol.
Some common alternative locations include:
The National Mall between 3rd St. and 4th St. — National Park Service. This is directly across the street from Union Square (Area 15 on the US Capitol Grounds Map) and offers a great head on view of the Capitol.
Columbus Circle (Outside Union Station)—National Park Service. This is the plaza right outside of Union Station and directly across the street from Areas 5 and 6 on the US Capitol Grounds Map. It offers a side view of the US Capitol in the background and a much smaller space than the National Mall. While Columbus Circle could hold several thousand people, the area facing the Capitol can look relatively full with a few hundred.
The US Supreme Court—The Supreme Court is directly across First St NE from Area 9 on the US Capitol Grounds Map. It is very close to the Senate Office Buildings, and the fact that it can be used without a permit makes it a popular alternative to the US Capitol Grounds.
US Supreme Court
The US Supreme Court (SCOTUS) is the third branch of government and it has its own police force, but it is located within the area that is patrolled by the US Capitol Police. The rules regarding demonstrations at the Supreme Court are set out in the Supreme Court Building Regulations . The Supreme Court does not issue permits for protests in front of the Court and protests events are permitted on a first-come-first-served basis. When opposing groups show up at the Court at the same time, SCOTUS police typically encourage one group to take the north end of the sidewalk and the other group to take the south end of the sidewalk.