D.C. Code § 28:1-301
This is the official text of D.C. Code § 28:1-301, 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.
§ 28:1-301. Territorial applicability; parties’ power to choose applicable law.
Official statutory text
(a) Except as otherwise provided in this section, when a transaction bears a reasonable relation to this state and also to another state or nation the parties may agree that the law either of this state or of such other state or nation shall govern their rights and duties.
(b) In the absence of an agreement effective under subsection (a) of this section, and except as provided in subsection (c) of this section, this subtitle applies to transactions bearing an appropriate relation to the District of Columbia.
(c) If one of the following provisions of this subtitle specifies the applicable law, that provision governs and a contrary agreement is effective only to the extent permitted by the law so specified:
(1) Section 28:2-402;
(2) Sections 28:2A-105 and 28:2A-106;
(3) Section 28:4-102;
(4) Section 28:4A-507;
(5) Section 28:5-116;
(6) Section 28:8-110;
(7) Sections 28:9-301 through 9-307;
(8) Section 28:12-107.
(b) In the absence of an agreement effective under subsection (a) of this section, and except as provided in subsection (c) of this section, this subtitle applies to transactions bearing an appropriate relation to the District of Columbia.
(c) If one of the following provisions of this subtitle specifies the applicable law, that provision governs and a contrary agreement is effective only to the extent permitted by the law so specified:
(1) Section 28:2-402;
(2) Sections 28:2A-105 and 28:2A-106;
(3) Section 28:4-102;
(4) Section 28:4A-507;
(5) Section 28:5-116;
(6) Section 28:8-110;
(7) Sections 28:9-301 through 9-307;
(8) Section 28:12-107.
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.