D.C. Code § 14-101
This is the official text of D.C. Code § 14-101, part of District of Columbia’s Code — part of the compiled statutory law of District of Columbia, published by the state as "Code." Browse the sections below, each linked to its official government source.
Not legal advice. This page reproduces the official text of a government statute for reference only. Laws change, and how a statute applies depends on your specific facts. For advice about your situation, consult a licensed attorney in your state.
§ 14-101. Evidence under oath; affirmation in lieu of oath; perjury.
Official statutory text
(a) All evidence shall be given under oath according to the forms of the common law.
(b) A witness who has conscientious scruples against taking an oath, may, in lieu thereof, solemnly, sincerely, and truly declare and affirm. Where an application, statement, or declaration is required to be supported or verified by an oath, the affirmation is the equivalent of an oath.
(c) Whoever swears, affirms, declares, or gives testimony in any form, where an oath is authorized by law, is lawfully sworn, and is guilty of perjury in a case where he would be guilty of that crime if sworn according to the forms of the common law.
(b) A witness who has conscientious scruples against taking an oath, may, in lieu thereof, solemnly, sincerely, and truly declare and affirm. Where an application, statement, or declaration is required to be supported or verified by an oath, the affirmation is the equivalent of an oath.
(c) Whoever swears, affirms, declares, or gives testimony in any form, where an oath is authorized by law, is lawfully sworn, and is guilty of perjury in a case where he would be guilty of that crime if sworn according to the forms of the common law.
Status: in_force · Read it on the official government site
Need a lawyer in District of Columbia?
Find a District of Columbia lawyer
About this page: Statute text is reproduced from official government publishers via the
Open US Law dataset
(Vaquill AI, snapshot v2026.08, CC BY 4.0). Primary legislative text like this is public domain under the government-edicts doctrine
(Georgia v. Public.Resource.Org, 2020). We link every section back to its official source so you can verify it independently.