D.C. Code § 27-102

This is the official text of D.C. Code § 27-102, 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.

§ 27-102. Liability and damages.

Official statutory text

(a) Anyone who commits an offense of fraud, shoplifting, or theft from a merchant shall be civilly liable to the merchant for treble the amount of actual damages; and
(1) The retail value of any goods or merchandise stolen if the goods or merchandise are not recovered;
(2) The loss of value of the goods or merchandise stolen if the goods or merchandise are recovered; or
(3) A minimum of $50 in damages, whichever is greater.
(b) The parent or guardian shall be liable for any acts or offenses committed by a juvenile under this chapter.

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.