High school NIL: Allowed

District of Columbia high school NIL rules

Yes. High school athletes in District of Columbia can take NIL deals, with conditions.

Tell the school: Written notice to DCSAA, no deadline found
Agents: Not addressed
If a rule is broken: Loss of eligibility
Reaches middle school: Generally no

Rules for D.C. rest on secondary sources because the DCSAA handbook could not be reviewed. Confirm with your athletic director before signing.

High school

Who sets the rules

DCSAA (District of Columbia State Athletic Association, part of OSSE)

The rule

DCSAA handbook amateur rules state they are not intended to restrict a student's right to participate in commercial or marketing endorsements; deals may not use school logos or apparel and the student must notify DCSAA of all deals.

Tell the school

Written notice to DCSAA, no deadline found

Written notice to DCSAA of endorsement deals; no deadline or threshold found.

Off limits

No school branding, logos or apparel; keep deals separate from school identity and performance incentives. Product-category, agent, parent and collective rules not found.

Agents

Not addressed

If a rule is broken

Not found.

Middle school, club and travel ball

Not found.

Recent changes

None found.

College state law

Law in force

The law

D.C. Code 38-1631.01 to 38-1631.11, Uniform College Athlete Name, Image, or Likeness Act of 2022 (D.C. Law 24-245, eff. Feb 23, 2023), amended by D.C. Law 26-86 (Act 26-203, B26-0175), effective Feb 3, 2026.

Disclosure

38-1631.06: athlete must give a designated institutional office a copy of any NIL agreement paying more than $300 (or the amount if unwritten), plus all agreements once aggregate NIL pay exceeds $2,000 in a calendar year, before receiving compensation; updates within 10 days.

Schools paying athletes

Now allowed: Law 26-86 repealed 38-1631.05(e), which had barred institutions/conferences from compensating athletes for NIL, and lets institutions select, arrange and pay NIL agents and third parties.

For high school recruits

'College athlete' means one who attends or is eligible to attend an institution and engages or is eligible to engage in intercollegiate sport; expressly excludes participation in K-12 sport (38-1631.01(2)(A)). No prospect/inducement clause.

Recent changes

D.C. Law 26-86 (signed Nov 24, 2025; effective Feb 3, 2026) removed the institutional-pay ban.

NCAA Division I, everywhere

Every deal worth $600 or more (added up per payer) entered since July 1, 2025 or the start of junior year, whichever is later, must be reported through NIL Go within 14 days of starting classes or before the first game.

Recruits enrolling on or after August 1, 2026 may hire agents under the April 15, 2026 Division I rule. The NJCAA still ends eligibility for a written agent agreement.

The full college-bound guide

Quick answers

Can high school athletes in District of Columbia make NIL money?

Yes. High school athletes in District of Columbia can take NIL deals, with conditions. DCSAA handbook amateur rules state they are not intended to restrict a student's right to participate in commercial or marketing endorsements; deals may not use school logos or apparel and the student must notify DCSAA of all deals.

Do District of Columbia athletes have to tell the school about an NIL deal?

Written notice to DCSAA, no deadline found. Written notice to DCSAA of endorsement deals; no deadline or threshold found.

Does a travel ball or club deal count in District of Columbia?

State association rules follow the athlete, not where the deal came from. A deal through a travel team is fine as long as nothing ties back to the school team. Not found.

Can a District of Columbia high school athlete use an agent for NIL?

Not addressed.

Sources

Last verified November 4, 2026. High school rule text: Unknown.

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