← Tipping by US City
Tipping in Washington, DC
District of Columbia
Tip 18–20% at restaurants — but read the bill first. A service charge is easy to miss here, and it is not a tip.
What to tip in Washington, DC
| Service | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Sit-down restaurants | 18–20% | Standard. Check whether a service charge has already been added before you work out the tip. |
| Bars | $1–2 per drink | Or 18–20% if you run a tab. |
| Taxis & rideshare | 15–20% | Airport runs to DCA and Dulles are long fares, so the percentage adds up. $1–2 a bag if the driver handles luggage. |
| Hotel housekeeping | $3–5/night | Leave it daily rather than at checkout — housekeepers rotate. |
| Hotel valet | $3–5 | Each time the car is brought to you, not per night. |
| Walking tour guides | $5–10 per person | “Free” tours on the Mall are paid entirely in tips — that is the business model, not a request for a bonus. |
| Counter service | Not required | Nothing expected when you order at a counter and carry your own food. |
What's different here
- •DC is phasing out its tip credit. Employers must already pay tipped staff at least 56% of the standard minimum wage in cash — $10.30 an hour against a $18.40 minimum — against the $2.13 still allowed in sixteen US jurisdictions. Tips here top up a real wage rather than replacing one.
- •Read the bill before tipping. A service charge added by the restaurant is not a gratuity, is not always passed to the server, and adding 20% on top of one is an easy and expensive mistake.
- •The convention itself has not moved. 18–20% is still what a server expects, whatever the wage rules do — the change is in what your tip is for, not in how much it is.