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May 6, 2025
Nyasha Howard
Secretary to the Council
Council of the District of Columbia
1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, D.C. 20004
Secretary Howard:
Today, along with Councilmember s Parker and Henderson , I am introducing the “Personal
Delivery Device Weight Limit Amendment Act of 2025 ”. Please find enclosed a signed copy of
the legislation.
Demand for food delivery services—such as DoorDash, Uber Eats, Grubhub, and Instacart—has
grown significantly in recent years . The food delivery market in the United States more than
doubled during the COVID-19 pandemic,1 when delivery services became an attractive option for
residents who were ill, elderly, or simply preferred the convenience of home delivery. Even
though the public health emergency has ended, food deliveries services remain popular. But
greater demand for food deliveries has resulted in increasingly crowded streets, leading to
concerns about safety and congestion.2
An innovative solution that could help cities meet demand for food deliveries while reducing
roadway congestion are Personal Delivery Devices, or “PDDs.” PDDs are small semi-autonomous
robots designed to transport deliveries short distances . These devices have the potential to
complete last mile deliveries and operate on sidewalks, taking cars off the road, reducing carbon
emissions and supporting local businesses. The Personal Delivery Device Act of 2018 established
a PDD Program within the District Department of Transportation ( “DDOT”), through which
1 Kabir Ahuja et al., Ordering in: The rapid evolution of food delivery, MCKINSEY & COMPANY (September 22, 2021),
https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/technology-media-and-telecommunications/our-insights/ordering-in-the-
rapid-evolution-of-food-delivery/.
2 Michael Casey, Demand for food delivery has skyrocketed. So have complaints about some drivers , ASSOCIATED
PRESS (June 8, 2024), https://apnews.com/article/delivery-drivers-food-uber-eats-grubhub-doordash-
e35b5667cb7f2140bdc778ca52f59695.
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DDOT’s director may issue permits authorizing the use of PDDs within the District.3 As of April
2025, no permits authorizing the use of PDDs within the District are in effect.
Notably, the P ersonal Delivery Device Act of 2018 limits the weight of PDDs to 90 pounds.
However, since the establishment of the PDD Program in 2018, various companies—including
Coco and Serve Robotics —have developed new PDD models that exceed the 90 -pound weight
limit. The weight limit set in the original legislation now presents a barrier to the adoption of
these newer models . As a point of comparison, at least 12 states allow PDDs that exceed 500
pounds in weight; another seven states that have approved PDDs have not established a weight
limit in statute.
To more closely align with the majority approach taken in other jurisdictions, the Personal
Delivery Device Weight Limit Amendment Act of 2025 , would increase the maximum weight to
no more than 275 pounds (excluding cargo). The bill also allows DDOT to establish a higher limit
if deemed necessary. Increasing the weight limit may allow new technology and investment to
expand sustainable delivery services in the District.
Sincerely,
Councilmember Charles Allen, Ward 6
Chairperson, Committee on Transportation & the Environment
3 See D.C. Official Code § 50–110.02.
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_____________________________ _____________________________ 1
Councilmember Zachary Parker Councilmember Charles Allen 2
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Councilmember Christina Henderson 6
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A BILL 10
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IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 15
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To amend the Personal Delivery Device Act of 201 8 to increase the weight limit for personal 20
delivery devices. 21
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this 23
act may be cited as the “Personal Delivery Device Weight Limit Amendment Act of 2025”. 24
Sec. 2. The Personal Delivery Device Act of 2018, effective July 17, 2018 (D.C. Law 22-25
137; D.C. Official Code § 50–110.01 et seq.), is amended as follows: 26
(a) Section 2(8)(B) (D.C. Official Code § 50–110.01(8)(B)) is repealed. 27
(b) Section 4(b) (D.C. Official Code § 50–110.03(b)) is amended as follows: 28
(1) Paragraph (4) is amended by striking the phrase “; and” and inserting a 29
semicolon in its place. 30
(2) Paragraph (5) is amended by striking the period and inserting the phrase “; and” 31
in its place. 32
(3) A new paragraph (6) is added to read as follows: 33
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“(6) Not exceed 275 pounds in weight, excluding any property being carried 34
by the PDD, or a higher weight limit established by the Department through rulemaking.”. 35
Sec. 3. Fiscal impact statement. 36
The Council adopts the fiscal impact statement in the committee report as the fiscal impact 37
statement required by section 4a of the General Legislative Procedures Act of 1975, approved 38
October 16, 2006 (120 Stat. 2038; D.C. Official Code § 1-301.47a). 39
Sec. 4. Effective date. 40
This act shall take effect after approval by the Mayor (or in the event of veto by the Mayor, 41
action by the Council to override the veto), a 30 -day period of congressional review as provided 42
in section 602(c)(1) of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, approved December 24, 1973 (87 43
Stat. 813; D.C. Official Code § 1 -206.02(c)(1)), and publication in the District of Columbia 44
Register. 45