Advisory Neighborhood Commissioners

An Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) is a boundaried area of the city subdivided into smaller areas (with populations of approximately 2,000 residents) called Single Member Districts (SMDs).

The term for an ANC Commissioner is two (2) years. The office is nonpartisan.

Each ANC Commissioner is nominated and elected by the registered voters who reside in the same Single Member District as the candidate. The ANC Commissioner is an unsalaried official who represents his or her neighborhood community (single member district) on the Advisory Neighborhood Commission. The Commission represents the neighborhood and advises the District government on issues relating to zoning, social service programs, health, police protection, sanitation, and recreation.

Establishment of the Advisory Neighborhood Commissions was made possible under the provisions of the District of Columbia Self Government and Governmental Reorganization Act (Section 738) and the Advisory Neighborhood Commission Act of 1975 (DC Law No. 121).

In order to hold the office of Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner, an individual must meet the following qualifications:

Be a registered voter in the District, as defined by DC Code Section 1-1001.02;

Have resided in the Single Member District from which nominated continuously for the 60 day period immediately preceding the day on which the nominating petition is filed; and

Hold no other public office.

The Board will provide each candidate who obtains petition forms with a list of the registered voters in his or her Single Member District. We urge that the petition be checked against the list to ensure that it meets or exceeds the minimum signature requirement.