District of Columbia has NOT passed its own statute codifying buyer-agent representation agreement requirements. Unlike Texas (SB 1968) or California (AB 2992), DC relies purely on the national NAR settlement framework as implemented through Bright MLS rules (the regional MLS covering DC, Maryland, and Virginia) and GCAAR (Greater Capital Area Association of Realtors) practice/forms — the same model New York uses. DC's pre-existing brokerage-relationship-disclosure statute, D.C. Code § 42-1703 (Duties of real estate brokers, salespersons, and property managers, part of the Real Estate Licensure Amendment Act of 1996, D.C. Law 11-242, effective April 9, 1997), requires licensees to disclose the type of brokerage relationship and compensation before entering into that relationship, but it was NOT amended in response to the NAR settlement and does not itself mandate a signed written buyer-agency agreement before touring homes. That requirement comes entirely from Bright MLS's rule changes (effective August 14, 2024) implementing the nationwide NAR settlement terms (settlement practice changes took effect August 17, 2024). No DC Council bill or DC Real Estate Commission rulemaking specifically codifying buyer representation agreement requirements has been identified as of mid-2026; the DC Real Estate Commission's authority and D.C. Code Title 42, Chapter 17 remain otherwise unchanged on this point.
Facts on this page reflect research current as of 2026-07-05. Programs, rates, and laws change — confirm current figures with the relevant state agency before relying on them.