Can I report a dangerous driver in District of Columbia while they are still on the road?

Call 911. District of Columbia publishes no separate patrol code.

It already happened — who takes the report?

The non-emergency line of your local District of Columbia police, plus one more channel in section 2.

In danger right now? Call 911. Do not use this site or the app while you are driving.

Reporting a bad driver in District of Columbia

Checked 13 September 2026 · 8 sources · Jerk Alert LLC’s 51-location study

Active dangerCan I report a dangerous driver in District of Columbia while they are still on the road?: Call 911.
District of Columbia publishes no separate patrol code.Details in section 1
Recent IncidentIt already happened — who takes the report?: The non-emergency line of your local District of Columbia police, plus one more channel in section 2.Details in section 2
Licence reviewCan I report a dangerous driver to the DC Department of Motor Vehicles?: No — only relatives, police or medical professionals can report a driverDetails in section 3

Look up a District of Columbia plate

See whether other drivers have filed reports against a plate.

A plate with no reports comes back clean — that is the common result, and it is not an error.

Avoidance & safety rules

Do not follow or pursue the vehicle, under any circumstances.
Do not try to read or photograph the plate if doing so means getting closer or driving unsafely.
Do not engage. No gestures, no eye contact, no reply to an aggressive driver.
Keep your distance and let them pass. Pull over somewhere public before you make a call, or have a passenger call.
Note details only if it is safe: make, model and colour, full or partial plate, direction of travel, and the exact location or mile marker.

Does a Jerk Alert report reach the DC Department of Motor Vehicles? No — Jerk Alert filings are community records between drivers. They never reach the DC Department of Motor Vehicles, any other government body, or law enforcement, and they do not replace the calls in sections 1 and 2. If you are in danger, call 911. The Terms prohibit following, approaching, or identifying another driver on any Jerk Alert platform.

District of Columbia bad driver reporting & safety guide

1. If it is happening now immediate danger

Emergency hotlines

911 — for a driver who is an active danger to other people right now. That is a police matter, and no app is a substitute for the call.
No District of Columbia-specific line is listed here. We publish a patrol code only when a state police or DOT page carries it.

2. Reporting to District of Columbia law enforcement after the fact

Neither the hotlines above nor anything in this section is the licence-review route in section 3, and nothing filed on Jerk Alert reaches any of them.

Who takes the report in District of Columbia

The non-emergency line of the District of Columbia Metropolitan Police Department with jurisdiction where it happened takes reports of dangerous driving that has already happened.
Bring: the plate (full or partial) and state, the vehicle’s make, model and colour, the location, the date and time, the direction of travel, and what you saw.
Expect a record rather than a ticket. An officer who did not witness the driving usually cannot cite for it, and what each agency acts on varies.

After the fact, in the District: 311 is the police non-emergency line

The District routes all police non-emergencies through 311, run by the Office of Unified Communications, which also answers 911. In the OUC's words, residents and visitors “will now be directed to call 3-1-1 for all police non-emergencies”, a non-emergency being “any call related to an incident that does not pose an immediate threat to the safety of individuals” or that has already occurred. Dial 311 inside the District or (202) 737-4404 from outside it; the call centre is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and a caller who needs police, fire or medical help right away “will have the immediate option of being routed to 911”.

Read before using it. The Metropolitan Police Department's online police report is not the channel for this: its own conditions require that the incident “is not a traffic crash” and that “there are no witnesses to be interviewed”, and its FAQ says a non-emergency not covered by the online tool should go to 311. This is a police report, not a licence review — the DMV's Medical Referral route above is the only path to the driver's licence.

3. State DMV & licensing agency review

Public reporting accessNo — only relatives, police or medical professionals can report a driver

The route exists, but only for people connected to the driver.

Who can file: Law enforcement, medical professionals, motor vehicle administrations, concerned relatives, and drivers self-reporting — DC DMV calls the Medical Referral its primary method of learning of unsafe driving, and the form's own instructions repeat the list.

Administrative fitness process

The details, for the people District of Columbia allows to file.

Agency: DC Department of Motor Vehicles
Unit: Medical Referral program
Form: Medical Referral Form (online submission, not a PDF)

What information do I need to report a driver?

All information submitted must be of personal knowledge or observation.
Be as specific as possible about the driver's medical, vision and mental conditions, and include supporting documents where relevant.
The age of the driver is not a consideration. Reaching a certain age does not make someone an unsafe driver.

Will the driver find out who reported them?

Unconditional, and stated twice on the page: identities of persons submitting the Medical Referral Form will remain confidential.

What can the DC Department of Motor Vehicles do after a report?

The DMV's Driver License Medical Review Process page states that DC DMV 'may determine that you must undergo a medical or vision review to maintain your driving privileges, if you are reported as an unsafe driver', and may require an Eye Report from an ophthalmologist or optometrist and/or a Medical Report from a physician.
DC DMV reviews the information to decide the next step.
The driver is often sent a Medical/Eye Report asking for more information from a physician or eye care practitioner.
The driver may be required to complete a re-examination of driving knowledge and road skill tests.
Depending on the condition and skill level, DC DMV may require equipment to accommodate an impairment.
If the driver is determined to be a threat to public safety, their driving privileges may be restricted or revoked.

Statutory authority: D.C. Code § 50-1403.01(a) — the Mayor or designated agent may revoke or suspend an operator's permit for any cause deemed sufficient, with the reasons set out in the order; the order takes effect 10 days after issuance unless the holder applies for review within that period, and an application for review does not stay an order issued on account of mental or physical incapacity; (d) the D.C. Administrative Procedure Act applies to every proceeding under the subchapter. 18 DCMR § 100.4(e) — the Department shall not issue an operator's licence to any person when the Director has good cause to believe that person, by reason of physical or mental disability, would not be able to operate a motor vehicle with safety

District of Columbia is one of 18 of 51 US jurisdictions where a witness unrelated to the driver has no confirmed way to report them to the licensing agency (the 51-location study). That gap is one reason Jerk Alert exists.