Moving to Washington DC: The Complete Relocation Guide

DC at a glance

A few facts that shape a move here.

• Every DC address ends in a quadrant, NW, NE, SW, or SE. The same street number exists in more than one quadrant, so give the full address to your mover, your utilities, and anyone delivering to you.
• Six Metro lines cross the city, the Red, Orange, Silver, Blue, Yellow, and Green.
• Much of the housing is rowhouses and small apartment buildings with stairs and no elevator.
• Street parking on many residential blocks is limited to two hours for cars without a zone permit.

Where people live

Dupont Circle, Logan Circle, U Street, and Adams Morgan are central and walkable, with older buildings and a lot of walk-ups. Capitol Hill is rowhouses on quiet streets close to the Capitol and Eastern Market.

Navy Yard, NoMa, and The Wharf are newer, with high-rise apartment buildings that have loading docks and front desks. Columbia Heights, Petworth, and Brookland offer more space for the rent. Cleveland Park and Tenleytown, in upper Northwest, are quieter and sit on the Red Line.

Step 1: Find out what kind of move you have

Ask your landlord or the management office these questions before you book anything.

• Is there an elevator, and can it be reserved for a move?
• Do movers need a certificate of insurance?
• Is there a loading dock or off-street space for the truck?
• If there are stairs, how many flights, and how wide are they?
• Are moves limited to certain days or hours?

Step 2: Reserve a place for the truck

If the truck has to park on the street, the District Department of Transportation lets you reserve curb space with a permit. Without one, the crew parks wherever is open.

• Apply online in TOPS at tops.ddot.dc.gov, under Parking/Occupancy.
• Print the Emergency No Parking signs at a DDOT kiosk or the permit office. They cannot be printed at home.
• Post the signs at least 72 hours ahead on a residential block, or at least 24 hours ahead at metered spaces in a commercial area.
• Moving trucks have to use legal parking spaces and cannot park against posted rush-hour or street sweeping restrictions. Read the signs on your block before you choose a start time.
• Our DC apartment guide has the full permit steps.

Step 3: Set up utilities (two weeks before)

Start each service the day before you move in.

• Electricity: Pepco
• Natural gas: Washington Gas
• Water: DC Water. In apartments the building usually handles it.
• Trash and recycling: the Department of Public Works collects from single-family homes and buildings with three or fewer units. Larger buildings use a private service.
• Internet: Xfinity and Verizon Fios serve most of the city. Ask the building which are wired in.

Step 4: Your first 60 days

If you moved from another state, DC gives you 60 days for the items below.

• Convert your driver's license at DC DMV. Bring your current license, which you hand over.
• Register your vehicle within 60 calendar days. DC requires the license conversion first, and the car has to pass a DC inspection.
• Get a Residential Parking Permit if your block is zoned, which a two-hour parking sign will tell you. It is issued with your registration and costs $55 for a household's first vehicle.
• Register to vote at your new address.
• If you have children, look at My School DC, the city's common application for public and charter schools, and check its deadlines early.
• File a USPS change of address. It costs $1.25 online and is free at a post office.

What a DC move costs

Our flat-rate ranges for local moves are below. Walk-ups and street parking push a move toward the top of its range.

• Studio: $385 to $660
• 1-bedroom: $550 to $990
• 2-bedroom: $880 to $1,650
• 3-bedroom home: $1,540 to $3,080 and up

A four-week plan

Rules and fees in this guide were last checked in October 2026 against DDOT, DC DMV, and the Department of Public Works. Confirm on their sites before you rely on them.

• 4 weeks out. Ask the building the five questions. Book your mover and send any insurance requirements.
• 3 weeks out. Reserve the elevator. Start packing.
• 2 weeks out. Apply for the DDOT permit if the truck will park on the street. Schedule Pepco, gas, and internet.
• 1 week out. Print the signs. Confirm the building accepted the insurance certificate.
• 72 hours out. Post the signs on a residential block and photograph them.
• Move day. Check that the signed space is clear and be at the new place to direct furniture.
• First 60 days. License, registration, and parking permit.