CPPA Damages in Washington, D.C. (§ 28-3905)

Beyond the lemon law’s refund or replacement, D.C.’s Consumer Protection Procedures Act (CPPA) can add some of the strongest damages in the country where a dealer or manufacturer was deceptive.

What you can recover under § 28-3905(k)

• Treble damages, or $1,500 per violation — whichever is greater. A multiplier with a substantial per-violation floor.
• Punitive damages.
• Reasonable attorney fees.
• Injunctive relief against the unlawful practice.

The treble-or-$1,500 structure, plus punitive damages, makes the CPPA a powerful complement to the lemon law — and a strong settlement lever.

When it applies

The CPPA targets unfair or deceptive trade practices — most achievable where the seller misrepresented or concealed something. Common used-car patterns:

• Undisclosed prior accident, frame, or flood/salvage history.
• Odometer misrepresentation.
• Concealed defects known to the dealer.
• Misrepresenting a vehicle’s condition or warranty status.

Because D.C.’s main lemon-law remedy excludes used vehicles (leaving only disclosure rules under § 50-505), the CPPA is often the primary route for used-car deception in the District.

How it compares

D.C.’s CPPA — treble-or-$1,500/violation, plus punitive damages and fees — is among the strongest UDAP statutes in the country, exceeding the discretionary-treble states (North Dakota, Montana, Rhode Island, Vermont) and rivaling or beating the automatic-treble states (Delaware, Hawaii).

Pairing with the lemon law

• Lemon law → the buyback or replacement through the Arbitration Board.
• CPPA → treble-or-$1,500/violation, punitive damages, and fees on deceptive conduct.
• Magnuson-Moss → a federal fee hook.

Bottom line

On a deceptive-practice claim, D.C.’s CPPA can treble your damages (or award $1,500 per violation, whichever is greater) plus punitive damages and fees — one of the country’s most powerful consumer remedies. Get a free case review.

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