D.C. Eases Noncompetes Ban with Salary Threshold of $150,000

The District of Columbia banned employee noncompete contracts for most workers making less than $150,000 per year, walking back a previous broader ban that hadn’t yet taken effect.

The new measure (B24-0256) takes effect Oct. 1, pending the standard congressional review period for all D.C. legislation.

Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) returned the legislation to the D.C. Council on July 29, after signing it into law two days earlier.

With the revisions, the D.C. Council backed away from one of the most aggressive noncompete laws in the country—which drew vocal opposition from District businesses and their lawyers after the ...