Employment · District of Columbia

Can I sue for unpaid overtime in the District of Columbia?

the short answer

Past 40 hours in a workweek you are owed one and a half times your regular rate. The federal rule counts by the week and not by the day, so an eleven-hour Monday is not overtime if the week stops at 40, and two weeks may not be averaged together. Nothing in it requires extra pay for nights, weekends or holidays.

source ↗Not yet checked against the statute.

everywhere in the u.s.

governing statute29 U.S.C. § 207(a)(1)source ↗Not yet checked against the statute.

penaltyThe unpaid overtime, and an additional equal amount again as liquidated damages. The court must also allow a reasonable attorney's fee and the costs of the action (29 U.S.C. § 216(b)).source ↗Not yet checked against the statute.

limit2 yearssource ↗Not yet checked against the statute.

alsoTwo years to sue, or three if the violation was willful (29 U.S.C. § 255(a)). The clock runs paycheck by paycheck, so every week you wait drops a week off the back of the claim.source ↗Not yet checked against the statute.

in this state

Where do you report unpaid overtime in the District of Columbia?

free route

The Office of Wage-Hour at the Department of Employment Services takes the claim. Do not confuse it with the department's other “File a Claim” door, which is unemployment. The District's minimum wage rose to $18.40 an hour on 1 July 2026 for every worker whatever the employer's size, and it is that rate, not the federal one, that your overtime is calculated on.

source ↗Not yet checked against the statute.

Which court hears a case like this in the District of Columbia?

which court

Small Claims and Conciliation Branch of the Superior Court

source ↗Not yet checked against the statute.

How much can you sue for in the District of Columbia small claims court?

small claims limit

$10,000

source ↗Not yet checked against the statute.

your situation

That is the rule. Whether it is your answer is a different question.

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