District of Columbia Paid Family Leave Contribution Rates 2026
District of Columbia runs Universal Paid Leave (DC PFL), funded by a payroll contribution of 0.75% of wages.
2026 rate card
- Total contribution rate
- 0.75%
- Employer share
- 100%
- 0.75% of wages
- Employee share
- 0%
- Nothing is withheld from pay
- Wage cap
- None
- Every dollar of wages is subject
- Maximum employee contribution
- None
- Small-employer relief
- None
- Every employer pays the full rate
Last verified August 18, 2026Source: DC Department of Employment Services
Next rate change: October 1, 2026
Benefit figures change on this date. Contribution rates change on 1 January.
Two different dates. D.C. Code 32-541.04 adjusts the maximum weekly benefit every 1 October, but the 90% bracket is a multiple of the DC minimum wage, which rises every 1 July. DC needs checking twice a year.
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District of Columbia
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Estimates only. Confirm current rates with your state agency before filing or budgeting.
Who must contribute
- Entirely employer-funded. The tax may not be deducted from a worker’s paycheck — doing so is a violation.
- The rate rose from 0.26% to 0.75% effective 8 July 2024 and remains at 0.75%.
- There is no cap on wages subject to the contribution — it applies to total gross wages of covered employees.
- There is no small-employer exemption; the rate applies to every covered employer.
- Contributions are remitted quarterly.
- The District does not permit a private plan substitution.
What employees receive
- Maximum weekly benefit
- $1,190.00
- Maximum weeks
- 12 weeks
- Per benefit year, combined where programs stack
- Wage replacement
- Up to 90% of wages
Benefit amounts are what an employee on leave receives. They are set separately from the contribution rate and are usually re-published each year against the state average weekly wage — often on a different cycle to the premium.
How much will I receive?
If you are the one taking leave rather than the one paying for it, this works out your weekly payment from your own pay. Nothing you type leaves this page.
Your gross pay — before tax and deductions come out.
How long you can take depends on the reason.
Choose your state and enter your pay to see an estimate. Everything is worked out in your browser — nothing you type is sent anywhere.
Estimates only. Confirm current rates with your state agency before filing or budgeting.
- How it is worked out
- 90% / 50% of pay
- Measured against $1,104.00 — 150% of the dc minimum wage × 40 hours
- Unpaid waiting period
- Not confirmed
- Check with DC Department of Employment Services (DOES)
- Figures change
- 1 October
- Not a calendar-year cycle
Two different dates. D.C. Code 32-541.04 adjusts the maximum weekly benefit every 1 October, but the 90% bracket is a multiple of the DC minimum wage, which rises every 1 July. DC needs checking twice a year.
Questions if you are taking leave
- How much does paid family leave pay in District of Columbia?
- District of Columbia replaces 90% of the first $1,104.00 of your average weekly pay, and 50% of anything above that. That is why lower earners get back a larger share of their pay than higher earners. Whatever the calculation produces, the payment is capped at $1,190.00 a week. Above a certain salary everyone in District of Columbia receives the same amount.
- How long can I take paid family leave in District of Columbia?
- District of Columbia allows up to 12 weeks to bond with a new child, 12 weeks for your own serious health condition, 12 weeks to care for a family member. Some reasons are not covered by this programme at all — that does not mean you get nothing, it means a different programme applies, so ask DC Department of Employment Services (DOES).
- When do paid family leave payments start in District of Columbia?
- We have not been able to confirm from DC Department of Employment Services (DOES) whether District of Columbia applies an unpaid waiting period, so we do not state one either way. Ask DC Department of Employment Services (DOES) before you budget around your first payment date.
- Is District of Columbia paid family leave taxed?
- Usually yes at the federal level, and how much depends on which part of the benefit you receive and on your own circumstances. DC Department of Employment Services (DOES) will tell you whether it withholds tax from your payments and will issue the relevant tax form. The figures on this page are gross, before any tax. For anything specific to your situation, ask DC Department of Employment Services (DOES) or a tax professional.
- Can I take District of Columbia paid family leave intermittently?
- In most cases yes, though the rules on minimum blocks and notice differ and can change what you are paid. Confirm with DC Department of Employment Services (DOES) before planning around intermittent leave.
Private plan option
District of Columbia does not offer a private plan substitution. Every covered employer participates in the state program and pays the statutory rate.
Key dates
- 1 January
- New rates take effect. Update payroll before the first pay run of the year.
- Quarterly
- Wage reports and premium payments are due to DC Department of Employment Services, generally by the last day of the month following each quarter.
- Autumn
- Next year’s rate is announced. This page is re-checked against the agency in November and updated in December.
Common questions
What is the District of Columbia paid family leave rate for 2026?
The District of Columbia Universal Paid Leave contribution is 0.75% of wages for 2026. The employer pays 100% of that and the employee pays 0%.
How much does an employer pay for paid family leave in District of Columbia?
The employer pays 0.75% of subject wages — 100% of the 0.75% total. On $1,000,000 of District of Columbia payroll, that is about $7,500 a year, before any wage cap is applied.
Is there a wage cap on District of Columbia paid leave contributions?
No. District of Columbia applies the 0.75% rate to all covered wages with no ceiling, so the cost keeps rising with payroll rather than levelling off.
Are small employers exempt from District of Columbia paid family leave?
No. District of Columbia has no small-employer exemption or reduced rate — an employer with one covered employee pays the same 0.75% as one with ten thousand.
What is the maximum District of Columbia paid leave benefit?
Up to $1,190.00 a week, for up to 12 weeks in a benefit year. Wage replacement is up to 90% of wages, so lower earners replace a larger proportion of their pay than higher earners.
Estimates only. Confirm current rates with your state agency before filing or budgeting.
Last verified August 18, 2026Source: DC Department of Employment Services
Maintained by Treesera Technologies, Payroll and compliance calculators. How these rates are sourced.
Employing in more than one state?
District of Columbia is one of 14 jurisdictions with a paid leave premium, and no two use the same rate, split or cap. Calculate the combined cost in one place.
Calculate the combined costCommonly paired with District of Columbia
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