DC parental leave gives eligible workers up to 12 weeks of paid time off to bond with a new child by birth, adoption, or foster placement, paid directly by the DC Department of Employment Services (DOES) at up to $1,190 per week. You file the claim yourself after the child arrives; you don’t need your employer’s sign-off. The program is funded entirely by employer payroll contributions, so nothing comes out of your paycheck.
Who Qualifies
Eligibility turns on where you work and who employs you. Under the Universal Paid Leave Amendment Act, a “covered employee” is someone who spends more than 50% of their work time for a covered employer inside the District. There is a secondary path for workers whose employment is based in DC and who regularly spend a substantial portion of their time here, as long as they don’t spend more than half their time in another jurisdiction.1D.C. Law Library. District of Columbia Code 32-541.01 – Definitions
A “covered employer” is any business required to pay DC unemployment insurance for its employees, which sweeps in most private-sector employers operating in the District. The federal government, the DC government, and any employer the District cannot tax under federal law are excluded.2D.C. Law Library. D.C. Law 21-264 – Universal Paid Leave Amendment Act of 2016 If you’re a federal employee, you fall under separate federal leave policies and cannot claim DC PFL benefits.
You also need to have been a covered employee during at least some portion of the 52 calendar weeks before the birth, adoption, or foster placement.1D.C. Law Library. District of Columbia Code 32-541.01 – Definitions There’s no requirement to have worked the full year, but someone who just started in DC last month probably won’t qualify.
How Much Time You Get
Eligible parents receive up to 12 workweeks of paid parental leave within a 52-workweek period for bonding with a new child.3D.C. Law Library. District of Columbia Code 32-541.04 – Duration and Amount of Benefits The 12 weeks are the same whether you gave birth, adopted, or welcomed a foster child. Parental leave is a separate bucket from the program’s medical and family caregiving leave, so using it doesn’t reduce your other allotments.
Since October 2022, pregnant workers can also draw 2 workweeks of pre-natal leave for pregnancy-related care before the child arrives.4Department of Employment Services. DC Paid Family Leave Combined with the 12 weeks of parental leave after birth, that’s up to 14 weeks of paid benefits in the same year.
How Much You Get Paid
DOES calculates your average weekly wage from wages your employer reported.5DOES Office of Paid Family Leave. Parental Leave The benefit formula has two tiers, pegged to 150% of DC’s minimum wage multiplied by 40 hours:
- If your average weekly wage falls at or below that threshold, you get 90% of your average weekly wage.
- If it’s above the threshold, you get 90% of the threshold plus 50% of everything you earn above it, up to the program cap.
The maximum weekly benefit is currently $1,190.6DOES Office of Paid Family Leave. Benefits Calculator Because the formula tracks DC’s minimum wage, the threshold shifts when the minimum wage does. DC’s minimum wage rises to $18.40 per hour on July 1, 2026, with annual CPI-based increases after that.7DC Department of Employment Services. District of Columbia Minimum Wage Increase The DOES benefits calculator on the Paid Family Leave website will estimate your specific weekly amount before you file.
One thing to plan for: DC PFL payments are taxable income on both your federal and DC returns.8DC Office of Tax and Revenue. Paid Family Leave Taxability The program does not withhold taxes automatically in most cases, so consider setting aside a portion of each payment or adjusting your estimated tax payments to avoid a surprise at filing time.
How to File a Claim
You can’t submit the claim until after the birth or legal placement has actually occurred, though you should tell your employer beforehand that you intend to apply.9DOES Office of Paid Family Leave. DC Paid Family Leave FAQs The online portal at does.pflbas.dc.gov is the fastest route. If you can’t apply online, call the DOES contact center at (202) 899-3700.10DOES Office of Paid Family Leave. Apply
Have these ready before you start:
- Your Social Security Number or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN).
- Your employer’s full legal name and contact information.
- Documentation showing the child’s name, your name, and the date of birth or placement. A birth certificate or hospital paperwork works for a birth; legal placement records cover adoption or foster care.11District of Columbia – Paid Family Leave. District of Columbia – Paid Family Leave – Before You Apply
Certification forms are available in multiple languages through the portal.11District of Columbia – Paid Family Leave. District of Columbia – Paid Family Leave – Before You Apply Gathering the documents before or shortly after the child arrives saves you from scrambling in the first weeks of parenthood.
What Happens After You File
Expect to hear from the Office of Paid Family Leave within 10 business days of submission.9DOES Office of Paid Family Leave. DC Paid Family Leave FAQs Your first claim in a given year triggers a 7-day waiting period that starts on the date of the qualifying event, not the date you file. You only serve that waiting period once per year, so any additional claim later in the same year skips it.12DC Paid Family Leave. Employee Handbook Filing promptly after the child arrives gets payments started as early as possible inside your 12-week window.
If your claim is denied, you have 60 calendar days from the date of the determination to either ask DOES for reconsideration or appeal to the DC Office of Administrative Hearings.13Office of Administrative Hearings. Paid Family Leave Miss the deadline and you lose the right to appeal, so put the date on your calendar the moment the determination arrives.
DC Parental Leave Does Not Protect Your Job
This is the point people most often miss. DC PFL replaces income. It does not guarantee your employer will hold your position while you’re out. Job protection comes from a separate law.
The federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) provides up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave, but only if your employer has at least 50 employees within 75 miles of your worksite and you’ve worked there at least 12 months with at least 1,250 hours in the preceding year.14U.S. Department of Labor. Family and Medical Leave Act The DC Family and Medical Leave Act (DCFMLA) is a separate District law that may offer broader coverage. If you qualify under either, you can run your DC PFL benefits concurrently with your job-protected leave and be paid while your position is preserved.
Work for a small employer below both thresholds and you may have no statutory job protection at all. Talk with your employer before your leave begins about whether your position will be held, and get any commitment in writing.
Coordinating With Employer-Provided Benefits
You can receive DC PFL at the same time as employer-provided benefits like paid sick leave or company parental leave. How they stack is up to your employer’s policy. Some employers require you to use DC PFL first before tapping company leave; others let you layer both.15DOES Office of Paid Family Leave. Medical Leave One firm rule: you cannot work while receiving DC PFL benefits. Read your employer’s leave policy early so you can plan finances across the full time away.
If You’re Self-Employed
Coverage isn’t automatic. You have to opt in, and you can only do so during November and December each year or within 60 days of becoming self-employed in the District.16DC Department of Employment Services. Self-Employed Workers Fact Sheet Your self-employment income has to come from work performed more than 50% of the time in DC during the 52 weeks before your qualifying event.1D.C. Law Library. District of Columbia Code 32-541.01 – Definitions
Enrolled self-employed workers pay a 0.75% tax on gross self-employment income, the same rate employers pay.17DOES Office of Paid Family Leave. PFL Tax Rate Change FAQ and Preparation Guidance If you don’t opt in when first eligible, you won’t qualify for benefits during your first year in the program, and you must stay in for at least three years. Opting out and rejoining later restarts the one-year waiting period.16DC Department of Employment Services. Self-Employed Workers Fact Sheet Opting in early, before parenthood is on the horizon, is the way to avoid that gap.