D.C. Consumer Protection Procedures Act (§ 28-3905)

Washington, D.C.’s consumer-protection statute is the Consumer Protection Procedures Act (CPPA), D.C. Code § 28-3901 et seq., with the private civil remedy at § 28-3905(k). It is one of the strongest consumer statutes in the country, and it backs up a lemon-law claim wherever a dealer or manufacturer was deceptive.

What it prohibits

The CPPA bars a long list of unfair or deceptive trade practices — including misrepresenting a vehicle’s condition, history, or characteristics, and failing to state a material fact that tends to mislead.

What you can recover

Under § 28-3905(k), a consumer harmed by an unlawful trade practice may recover:

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

That treble-or-$1,500 structure, plus punitive damages and fees, puts D.C. among the most consumer-favorable UDAP jurisdictions in the country — stronger than the discretionary-treble states and even most automatic-treble states.

How it compares

• Stronger than the discretionary-treble statutes (North Dakota, Montana, Rhode Island, Vermont) and the no-treble/weak statutes (South Dakota, Wyoming).
• Comparable to or stronger than the automatic-treble statutes (Delaware, Hawaii), with the added $1,500-per-violation floor and punitive damages.

Pairing with the lemon law

• The lemon law gives you the refund/replacement formula through the Arbitration Board.
• The CPPA adds treble-or-$1,500 damages, fees, and punitive damages where the conduct was deceptive — common in used-car deals with concealed history.
• Magnuson-Moss adds a federal fee hook.

Bottom line

D.C.’s CPPA can treble your damages (or award $1,500 per violation, whichever is greater) plus fees and punitive damages — one of the country’s most powerful consumer statutes and a strong complement to the lemon law. Get a free case review.

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