Washington DC Eviction Record Sealing: Automatic at 30 Days or 3 Years

By Steve Levine · Updated November 3, 2026

Short answer: Washington DC eviction record sealing is automatic and among the strongest in the country. D.C. Code § 42-3505.09(a) requires the Superior Court to seal every record of an eviction case 30 days after it ends without a judgment for possession, and three years after it ends with one. You can also move to seal at any time if, for example, the case was over $600 or less, and a landlord who knowingly uses a sealed record against you can be sued.

DC pairs that sealing rule with a screening rule. Even before a record is sealed, § 42-3505.10(d) bars housing providers from asking about, or acting on, most past eviction cases. Together they mean an old or unsuccessful filing should rarely cost you an apartment in the District.

Washington DC Eviction Record Sealing in Brief

Rule	Washington DC	Statute
No judgment for possession	Sealed automatically 30 days after final resolution	§ 42-3505.09(a)(1)
Judgment for possession	Sealed automatically 3 years after final resolution	§ 42-3505.09(a)(2)
Older cases	Filed before March 11, 2020: rules applied as of January 1, 2022	§ 42-3505.09(b)
Early sealing by motion	Any time, on six listed grounds or other grounds the court accepts	§ 42-3505.09(c)
Landlord uses a known sealed record	Suit within 1 year; fees, costs, incidental damages	§ 42-3505.09(h)
Screening ban	No inquiry or adverse action on cases without a possession judgment or filed 3+ years ago	§ 42-3505.10(d)(1)

The Two Automatic Sealing Clocks

Section 42-3505.09 was added to the D.C. Code by D.C. Law 24-115, effective May 18, 2022. It turns on one question: did the housing provider get a judgment for possession? If not, whether the case was dismissed, settled without possession, or won by you, the court seals all of its records 30 days after the final resolution. If the landlord did win possession, the clock is three years from the final resolution.

Subsection (b) reached back in time. For cases filed before March 11, 2020, the sealing requirements applied as of January 1, 2022, so a pre-pandemic case that otherwise qualifies should already be sealed. The DC Office of the Tenant Advocate’s Tenant Bill of Rights summarizes the same 30-day and three-year rule.

Moving to Seal Early

You do not have to wait out the three years. Under § 42-3505.09(c)(1), the court must seal the records “at any time” on your motion if you show by a preponderance of the evidence that:

the landlord sued because you failed to pay $600 or less;
you were evicted from a unit under a federal or District site-based or tenant-based housing subsidy program;
the case was retaliation under § 42-3505.02 or violated D.C. Code § 2-1402.61;
the landlord failed to timely abate a housing code violation in your unit;
the case arose from an incident that is a domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault or stalking defense; or
you settled and the landlord did not recover possession.

The court may also seal on other grounds it finds justified. An order granting or denying the motion is a final, appealable order, and you can get a copy from the Clerk at any time with identification.

Who Can Still See a Sealed Record

Sealed records reopen only at your written request or on a court finding of compelling need, under § 42-3505.09(d). You, your lawyer, and a DC-licensed attorney considering taking your case can get copies without unsealing them. Researchers can receive data only under a written agreement and court approval, and identifying details stay protected.

A sealed record is protected against discrimination

If a housing provider intentionally bases a denial, or worse terms, on an eviction record it knows is sealed, § 42-3505.09(h) lets you sue in Superior Court within one year and recover reasonable attorney fees and costs, incidental damages and equitable relief. The Tenant Bill of Rights also lists a sealed eviction record among the traits that DC law protects from housing discrimination.

What Landlords May Ask Before Renting to You

Section 42-3505.10(d)(1) goes beyond sealing. In screening, a housing provider may not ask about, make you disclose, or base an adverse action on a past case to recover possession that did not end in a judgment for possession, or that was filed three or more years ago. Before screening, § 42-3505.10(a) also requires written notice of the criteria used, the name of any reporting agency, and your right to dispute inaccurate information.

Nationally, tenant screening companies collect and sell eviction histories, as the CFPB’s company list explains. Under 15 U.S.C. § 1681i(a)(1), they must reinvestigate a dispute for free within 30 days, and 15 U.S.C. § 1681c(a)(2) caps the reporting of civil suits and judgments at seven years from entry, or the limitations period if longer. In the District, local law usually removes a case from view much sooner. The CFPB’s tenant screening snapshot shows why that matters: eviction entries often led to denial whatever the outcome.

Worked Example: Tamika in Southeast DC

Tamika’s landlord sued in DC Superior Court for $540 in back rent. On February 14, 2025, the parties settled: Tamika paid the balance and kept her apartment, and the case was dismissed. Because there was no judgment for possession, the court had to seal the records 30 days after final resolution, around mid-March 2025.

Her neighbor Luis was not as lucky; a judgment for possession was entered against him in October 2024, so automatic sealing would wait until October 2027. But his case was over less than $600, so he filed a motion under § 42-3505.09(c)(1)(A)(i) to seal immediately.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to file anything to seal a DC eviction that was dismissed?

No. Section 42-3505.09(a)(1) requires the Superior Court to seal records 30 days after a case ends without a judgment for possession. If it still shows up, contact the Clerk and dispute any screening report that lists it.

Can a DC landlord ask whether I have ever been evicted?

Only within limits. Section 42-3505.10(d)(1) bars asking about or acting on cases that did not end in a judgment for possession or that were filed three or more years ago.

What if a DC landlord denies me because of a sealed eviction?

If the landlord knew the record was sealed and intentionally relied on it, § 42-3505.09(h) lets you sue within one year for attorney fees, costs, incidental damages and equitable relief. Keep the denial notice and any messages.

Can I seal a DC eviction judgment before the three years run out?

Yes, if you prove one of the grounds in § 42-3505.09(c)(1), such as a claim of $600 or less, a subsidized unit, retaliation, an unabated code violation or a domestic violence defense, or convince the court other grounds justify it.

Your next step: look up your case on the Superior Court’s online docket, note whether a judgment for possession was entered, and file a motion to seal if you qualify for early sealing. This is general information, not legal advice. For free help, use the Legal Services Corporation locator, and read more on the record sealing by state page, our screening report guide, eviction process guides, DC tenant rights and Washington DC security deposit law.

Sources

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