3006.1 A respondent shall answer a notice of infraction in accordance with the provisions of the Traffic Adjudication Act.

3006.2 [REPEALED]

3006.3 [REPEALED]

3006.4 [REPEALED]

3006.5 [REPEALED]

3006.6 [REPEALED]

3006.7 (a) This subsection establishes the ATE Income-Based Fine Reduction Pilot Amnesty Program (“Program”) as a temporary amnesty program under Section 205(h) of the District of Columbia Traffic Adjudication Act of 1978, effective September 12, 1978 (D.C. Law 2-104; D.C. Official Code § 50-2302.05(h)).

(b) The recipient of a notice of infraction subject to a fine of one hundred dollars ($100) or less that is issued by an automated traffic enforcement system, as that term is defined in Section 901(a) of the Fiscal Year 1997 Budget Support Act, effective April 9, 1997 (D.C. Law 11-198; D.C. Official Code § 50-2209.01(a)), to a vehicle owned by a qualifying owner, as described in § 3006.7(d), shall be eligible to apply for a fifty percent (50%) reduction to the fine under the Program.

(c) A qualifying owner is a person who:

(1) Owns a vehicle registered in the District of Columbia that received a notice of infraction described in paragraph (b);

(2) Resides in the District of Columbia; and

(3) Is a member of a household that receives Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits, as documented by a proof of benefits letter dated no earlier than 90 days prior to the date of the publication of the final rules regarding the Program.

(d) To be eligible to be selected for participation in the Program, a qualifying owner must:

(1) Apply for the fifty percent (50%) reduction within thirty (30) days of when the notice of infraction was issued; and

(2) Agree to waive the right to request a hearing pursuant to the Traffic Adjudication Act, effective September 12, 1978 (D.C. Law 2-104; D.C. Official Code § 50-2301.01 et seq.), on the underlying infraction if the eligible application is selected for the fine reduction.

(e) A qualifying owner may receive the fifty percent (50%) reduction through the Program for only one (1) infraction during the pilot program time period.

(f) If the Director determines an application is complete and accurate and was timely submitted by a qualifying owner for a fine that is eligible for reduction pursuant to this subsection (such an application is hereinafter referred to as an “eligible application”), the Director may reduce the fine by fifty percent (50%). The Director shall not automatically reduce the fine for each eligible application; instead, the Director shall use a randomized process to determine which eligible applications are selected for the fifty percent (50%) reduction. The percentage of eligible applications that are selected for the fifty percent (50%) reduction shall be no more than half of eligible applications received. At the reasonable discretion of the Director, DMV will close applications to the pilot either after reaching 3,000 eligible applications or after 120 days. When applications close, a notice will be posted to the website.

(g) The Director shall send a notice to each applicant whose eligible application was selected for the fifty percent (50%) reduction. The notice shall state that:

(1) The amount due has been reduced to fifty percent (50%) of the original fine;

(2) If the ticket remains unpaid one hundred twenty (120) days after the date on which the Director sent the notice of selection, the ticket will be transferred to the Office of the Chief Financial Officer’s Central Collection Unit for collection purposes; and

(3) Because of the applicant’s selection for participation in the ATE Income-Based Fine Reduction Pilot Amnesty Program, no other tickets of the applicant will be eligible for reduction through the Program.

(h) If an application for participation in the Program is determined not to be an eligible application because the applicant is not an eligible owner, the notice of infraction is not eligible under paragraph (c), the application is incomplete or untimely, or for any other reason, the Director shall send a notice to the applicant stating:

(1) That the application is not eligible for participation in the Program;

(2) Why, in specific or general terms, the application is not eligible for participation; and

(3) That the owner must comply with the answer requirements set forth in the notice of infraction within the time period set forth in the notice of infraction.

(i) If an eligible application is not selected for a fine reduction, the Director shall send a notice to the applicant stating that the eligible application was not selected for the fifty (50%) percent reduction and the original fine amount is due.

(1) For the purpose of the Program, the applicant has thirty (30) days from the date on which the Director sent the notice of non-selection to answer the notice of infraction pursuant to the Traffic Adjudication Act, effective September 12, 1978 (D.C. Law 2-104; D.C. Official Code § 50-2301.01 et seq.); the failure to answer the notice of infraction within thirty (30) days will result in the assessment of a penalty equal to the original fine pursuant to the Traffic Adjudication Act, effective September 12, 1978 (D.C. Law 2-104; D.C. Official Code § 50-2301.01 et seq.)

(2) The failure to answer the notice of infraction within sixty (60) days of the date on which the Director sent the notice of non-selection will result in the commission of the infraction being deemed admitted and all penalties, and fines being assessed.

(3) If the ticket remains outstanding and unpaid one hundred twenty (120) days after the date on which the Director sent the notice of non-selection, the ticket will be transferred to the Office of the Chief Financial Officer's Central Collection Unit for collection purposes.

SOURCE: Final Rulemaking published at 52 DCR 9383 (October 21, 2005); as amended by the Traffic Adjudication Amendment Act of 2014, effective July 23, 2014 (D.C. Law 20-127; 61 DCR 5711 (June 6, 2014)); as amended by Final Rulemaking published at 67 DCR 12679 (October 30, 2020); as amended by Final Rulemaking published at 72 DCR 005746 (May 9, 2025).