Measures To End Cashless Bail and Enforce the Law in the District of Columbia

Executive Order 14340 of August 25, 2025

Measures To End Cashless Bail and Enforce the Law
in the District of Columbia

By the authority vested in me as President by the
Constitution and the laws of the United States of
America, it is hereby ordered:

Section 1. Purpose and Policy. As stated in Executive
Order 14333 of August 11, 2025 (Declaring a Crime
Emergency in the District of Columbia), there is a
crime emergency in Washington, D.C., that is impeding
the operations and responsibilities of the Federal
Government. The District of Columbia government's
pretrial release policies, which include prohibiting
cash bail, contribute to the disgraceful conditions
referenced in the aforementioned Executive Order, as
law enforcement must arrest the same individuals
multiple times, and dangerous criminals are sometimes
rapidly released. This leaves such criminals free to
endanger American citizens visiting our Nation's
capital, Federal workers discharging their duties to
our Nation, and citizens of the District of Columbia
trying to live their lives safely. It is therefore the
policy of my Administration that all necessary and
lawful measures be taken to end cashless bail policies
and ensure the pretrial detention of any criminal
suspect who threatens public safety.

Sec. 2. Ending Unwarranted Pretrial Release in the
District of Columbia. (a) To prevent the release of
dangerous suspects based on cashless bail policies,
relevant Federal law enforcement agencies and officials
who are members of the D.C. Safe and Beautiful Task
Force established in Executive Order 14252 of March 27,
2025 (Making the District of Columbia Safe and
Beautiful), shall work to ensure that arrestees in the
District of Columbia are held in Federal custody to the
fullest extent permissible under applicable law, and
shall pursue Federal charges and pretrial detention for
such arrestees whenever possible, consistent with
applicable law, to ensure that criminal defendants who
pose a threat to public safety are not released from
custody prior to trial.

(b) Further, the Attorney General shall review the
Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) General Orders and
other policies and practices of the MPD to identify
those that may result in pretrial release of criminal
defendants who pose a threat to public safety and,
consistent with section 740 of the District of Columbia
Self-Government and Governmental Reorganization Act
(Public Law 93-198), shall request that the Mayor of
the District of Columbia make such updates and
modifications to such orders and policies as the
Attorney General determines would be necessary to
address the crime emergency and help to ensure public
order and safety.

Sec. 3. Measures to End Cashless Bail in the District
of Columbia. (a) The Attorney General shall determine
whether the District of Columbia continues to maintain
a policy or practice of prohibiting cash bail as a
potential condition of pretrial release from jail for
crimes prosecuted under the Code of the District of
Columbia in the Superior Court of the District of
Columbia where the arrestee poses a clear threat to
public safety and order. Such cases include violent or
sexual offenses such as rape, murder, carjacking, and
assault, as well as property offenses such as burglary,
looting, and vandalism. The Attorney General shall
update her determination if the District of Columbia
changes its cashless bail policies or practices.

(b) If the Attorney General determines that the
District of Columbia continues to maintain a policy or
practice of prohibiting cash bail, the head of each
executive department or agency (agency), in
coordination with the

Director of the Office of Management and Budget, shall
identify appropriate actions to press the District of
Columbia to change its policies with respect to
cashless bail. Such actions may include Federal funding
decisions or the provision of Federal services or
approvals by agency heads, as well as actions the
Attorney General identifies as necessary and
appropriate because of the emergency conditions based
upon which section 740 of the District of Columbia Home
Rule Act has been invoked. The head of each agency
shall undertake any such actions he or she deems
appropriate, consistent with applicable law.

Sec. 4. General Provisions. (a) Nothing in this order
shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:

(i) the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or
the head thereof; or

(ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget
relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.

(b) This order shall be implemented consistent with
applicable law and subject to the availability of
appropriations.
(c) This order is not intended to, and does not,
create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural,
enforceable at law or in equity by any party against
the United States, its departments, agencies, or
entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any
other person.
(d) The costs for publication of this order shall
be borne by the Department of Justice.

THE WHITE HOUSE,

August 25, 2025.