D.C. Mun. Regs. tit. 18, r. 18-400
The rules and regulations contained in this chapter shall govern the issuance of certificates of title for motor vehicles, the registration of motor vehicles, and the issuance of motor vehicle identification tags by the District of Columbia.
The Director shall file each application received and, when satisfied as to its genuineness and regularity and that the applicant is entitled to the issuance of a certificate, shall issue a serially numbered certificate to the applicant.
The Director shall file all applications for certificates and registration and all surrendered certificates in a manner that will permit the tracing of every certificate issued for a vehicle.
All papers in connection with certificates and registrations shall be retained by the Director for a period of not less than ten (10) years, unless such papers shall have first been microfilmed, in which event the original papers may then be destroyed, and the microphotographs shall be kept on file.
The model year shown on the manufacturer's certificate of origin shall be followed in the processing of title applications by the Department.
Each application for a certificate, registration, special use tags, special use certificate, duplicate of any kind, and any other item described in this title, shall be made upon the form prescribed or approved by the Director and shall be accompanied by all required fees and taxes.
An owner who leaves the District and retains his or her District tags and registration (but surrenders his or her title to another jurisdiction) and subsequently returns to the District during the same registration period shall be charged for a new title.
An owner who leaves the District and returns during the same registration period who does not retain his or her District title and registration, shall be charged only for a new title and duplicate tags.
Replacements for damaged tags and revalidating stickers shall be made without fee if the damaged tags are surrendered; otherwise, the two-dollar ($ 2.00) replacement fee shall be paid.
All surrendered tags and revalidating stickers shall be recorded and destroyed.
D.C. Mun. Regs. tit. 18, r. 18-400