Height of Buildings Act of 1910 — federal citywide height ceiling (DC)
Tracked preemption from the District of Columbia overlay bundle.
Overview
← All state preemptionsDistrict of Columbia overlay roll-upDistrict of Columbia zoning wikiDistrict of Columbia building codesFederal overlaysGlossaryFederal-conflict: Yes
Effective
1910-06-01
Sunset
—
Authority
federal
Scope
state:DC
Other District of Columbia preemptions
NCPC Submission Guidelines — tightened federal review staging (in force 2026-01-08)New York Avenue (NYE) text/map amendments — fixed 8% IZ set-asideComprehensive Plan Amendment Act of 2021 — District Elements + NCPC Federal ElementsDC Inclusionary Zoning Plus — deeper affordability overlayZR 2016 — Zoning Regulations of 2016 (11 DCMR)DC Inclusionary Zoning — mandatory citywide IZ (ZR 2016 Subtitle C Ch. 10)DC Home Rule Act of 1973 — Congressional review & §602(a) reserved mattersNCPC — federal review of DC projects affecting federal interest
Trigger predicate
When this evaluates true for a parcel, the law's preempted fields take precedence over base zoning.
always true
Preempted fields
5 fields on the base district schema are rewritten when the trigger fires.
| Field | Op | Value | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
base_districts[*].max_height_ft | cap_at | 160 | Absolute citywide ceiling — no building may exceed 160 ft anywhere in DC regardless of street width or local zoning |
base_districts[category=res_sf].max_height_ft | cap_at | 90 | Residential streets: 90 ft maximum |
base_districts[category in (mu,commercial,downtown)].max_height_ft | formula | min(street_right_of_way_width_ft + 20, 130) | Business/commercial streets: facing right-of-way width + 20 ft, capped at 130 ft |
base_districts[*].max_height_ft | cap_at | 160 | Pennsylvania Avenue NW between 1st and 15th — special 160 ft cap (the only street allowed the tallest) |
binding_constraint | override | federal_height_act_if_more_restrictive_than_local_zoning |
Citation
Authority source
Act of June 1, 1910, Pub. L. 61-196, 36 Stat. 452, as amended (1919, 2014); DC Code §6-601.01 et seq.
§ DC Code §§6-601.01 to 6-601.09 (Height of Buildings)
Research notes
Marquee federal preemption. DC's max building height is set by FEDERAL STATUTE, not local zoning. DC Council cannot amend it (Home Rule Act §602(a)(6)); Zoning Commission cannot relax it via regulation. Relief requires Congressional action. The 2014 amendment (Pub. L. 113-103) liberalized rooftop habitable/mechanical use within the overall envelope but did not raise the cap. Local ZR 2016 sets matter-of-right heights at or below the federal ceiling — in downtown the federal cap is the binding constraint; outside downtown local zoning is typically more restrictive. federal_conflict_check=true because Height Act IS the federal constraint.