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Washington, DC court guide

Anger Management in Washington, DC: Superior Court, CSOSA and Your Class

Will a Washington, DC court take an online class?

DC is not a state, so there is no state list, and the District keeps no list of its own for anger classes either. Our class is court-accepted in most jurisdictions, but in DC your judge, the terms of your deal or your supervising officer decides, and you get a full refund if they turn down the certificate.

In the District, almost every anger class traces back to one place: DC Superior Court. It might be a deal with the prosecutor, a probation term watched by CSOSA, or a protection order. Each path has a different person who signs off on your certificate. Here is how to find that person and what to ask them.

A tidy waiting line marked by floor stickers in a bright, generic service office, with a few empty chairs and a counter.

Washington, DC at a glance

Provider list
No DC list. Superior Court and CSOSA post no anger class list.
Typical length
No set length. Most orders name no hours, so ask first.
Domestic violence
DVIP through CSOSA. This class does not replace it.
On this page

How DC cases end up with an anger class

DC is not a state, and its court system works a little differently from Maryland or Virginia next door. All local criminal cases, from a shoving match to a felony, go to one trial court: the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. There are no county or city courts to sort through.

Who brings the case matters too. The U.S. Attorney's Office for DC prosecutes most adult local crimes, including most assault and domestic cases. The DC Office of the Attorney General handles some adult misdemeanors. The prosecutor shapes many of the deals that include a class.

Here are the usual routes to an anger class in the District:

  • Deferred sentencing agreement (DSA). You plead guilty, then the judge waits to sentence you. The U.S. Attorney's Office calls this a six-month program with 48 hours of community service plus other terms. Domestic misdemeanor deals usually run nine months. Finish everything and you may withdraw the plea, and the charges are dismissed.
  • Deferred prosecution agreement (DPA). No guilty plea. The Office describes a four-month program with 32 hours of community service. Meet the terms and the charges are dropped.
  • Probation after a conviction. Under DC Code § 16-710, a judge can suspend a sentence on the terms the court thinks fit and place you on probation. A federal agency, the Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency (CSOSA), supervises adults on probation, parole and supervised release in DC.
  • Pretrial release. While your case is open, the Pretrial Services Agency (PSA) may supervise you. It can refer people to treatment, so a class sometimes shows up before any deal is made.
  • A civil protection order. DC Code § 16-1005 lets a judge tell the respondent to join "appropriate counseling programs" as part of the order.

Court reporting by DC Witness shows anger classes written into many of these deals. One 2020 DSA for contempt of a protection order called for 24 hours of online anger management counseling within six months. A Superior Court judge accepted that deal. Other reported deals and probation terms simply say "anger management classes" with no hours.

Who checks your class in the District

Because everything runs through one court, the real question is which office holds your file.

Under a DSA or DPA. The written agreement lists the terms. The judge sets a review date, often about six months out, and checks that you finished. Ask your defense lawyer to confirm with the prosecutor what proof they want. Bring the certificate to the review hearing, or send it the way your lawyer says.

On CSOSA probation. Your Community Supervision Officer tracks your conditions and reports back to the judge. CSOSA does more than watch. It runs treatment teams and refers people to programs. In 2026 it sought a vendor for anger management and impulse control groups, held at CSOSA sites and by telehealth. In one reported 2020 case, a judge ordered anger classes and mental health checks "provided by" CSOSA. So your officer may simply place you in the agency's own group. Ask before you sign up for anything else.

Under PSA supervision. Your Pretrial Services Officer tracks your release terms. PSA has an assessment center that helps officers make treatment referrals. If a class is one of your release terms, the officer decides what counts.

Family court or a job. Custody cases in the Family Court and workplace referrals set their own rules. The judge or the employer decides.

If you live in Maryland or Virginia but your case is in DC, DC rules apply. If your case is in a suburban court, such as Prince George's, Montgomery, Arlington or Fairfax, the rules are different. See our Maryland page or our Virginia page.

Is there a Washington, DC list of anger management providers?

We did not find one. The District has no office that reviews or lists anger management classes. Superior Court does not post a provider list for anger classes. CSOSA and PSA make their own referrals inside their agencies, but they do not publish a list of outside classes that count.

That means the person on your case makes the call. A prosecutor's agreement may just say "anger management course." Your officer at CSOSA or PSA may have a program in mind. A family judge may name a provider.

Good Standing Courses is not on any DC court, CSOSA, PSA or District government list. We are an education provider, not a counseling agency. So the first step is a quick question to your lawyer or officer, before you start.

Not for domestic violence orders

Domestic violence cases in DC have their own program

Superior Court has a Domestic Violence Division. It hears criminal domestic misdemeanors and civil protection orders. Its intake centers, at the Moultrie Courthouse and in Southeast, help people file for protection.

For people convicted of domestic violence, CSOSA runs a Domestic Violence Branch. It has supervision teams that only handle these cases and treatment teams that give counseling. The Domestic Violence Intervention Program (DVIP) started at the court in 1992 and is now run through CSOSA. DVIP is a group program with a set number of classes. Missed sessions can get you dropped.

Here is the part that surprises people. The U.S. Attorney's Office lists the terms it often puts in domestic misdemeanor deals. One of them is "the Domestic Violence Intervention Program or Anger Management course (as appropriate)." So some DC domestic cases do end with an anger class rather than DVIP. Read which one your deal names.

Good Standing Courses is not a Batterer Intervention Program, and it is not DVIP. If your agreement, probation or protection order names DVIP or domestic violence counseling, our class does not replace it. If the deal says "anger management course," ask your lawyer whether the prosecutor will take an outside online class. Get that answer before you start.

Will a Washington, DC court accept an online anger management class?

We found no DC law, court rule or District policy that bans online anger classes. We also found none that says online classes must be taken. The answer comes from your agreement, your judge or your supervising officer.

Signs that point toward yes:

  • A Superior Court judge signed off on a 2020 deal that called for 24 hours of online anger management counseling.
  • Most reported DSA and probation terms just say "anger management classes." They do not say in person or name a provider.
  • CSOSA's own 2026 plans for anger groups included telehealth, so the agency itself uses remote formats.

Signs that point toward no, or toward checking first:

  • CSOSA and PSA run or contract for their own programs. An officer may want you in that program, not an outside one.
  • A protection order may say "counseling," which can mean sessions with a counselor, not a self-paced class.
  • If your deal names DVIP, an anger class will not satisfy it.
  • Some judges prefer live classes. Each courtroom can differ.

The safest move is simple. Ask, and get the yes in writing, such as an email or a note your lawyer sends you.

How long Washington, DC anger classes usually are

DC has no set length. Most reported orders and deals list "anger management classes" with no hours at all. In that case, ask your lawyer or officer for a number before you choose.

The one clear number we found in public reporting is 24 hours, from a 2020 deferred sentencing deal (medium confidence; one case). Our longest class open today is 16 hours. A 24-hour class is still being finished. If your paperwork says 24 hours, do not swap in a shorter class unless your lawyer or officer agrees first.

When there is no number and your officer leaves it to you, 8 or 12 hours is a common choice in other places (low confidence for DC). The deal often runs six months, so time is rarely the problem. The deadline is the review date.

Choose your hours

Paperwork says "impulse control" or "decision making"? That's our Impulse Control & Decision Making class.

Enrollment is currently closed.

Court-accepted in most jurisdictions. Educational course, not therapy. Acceptance is decided by your court or officer. See a sample certificate

Ask your officer first

What to ask your Washington, DC lawyer or officer before you start

  1. "My deal (or probation) says anger management. Does CSOSA or Pretrial Services want me in its own group, or can I take an online class from an outside provider?"
  2. "How many hours does the prosecutor or the judge expect, and when is my review hearing?"
  3. "Does my paperwork name the Domestic Violence Intervention Program, or an anger management course? If it is DVIP, how do I get started there?"
  4. "Who gets the certificate: my lawyer, the prosecutor, my Community Supervision Officer, or the judge at the review date?"
  5. "If I finish every term of my deferred sentencing agreement, will I be allowed to withdraw my plea and have the case dismissed?"

Your officer can read our page for probation officers and check your certificate at /verify.

Washington, DC: questions and answers

Is there a court approved anger management list in Washington, DC?

DC is not a state, so there is no state list, and the District keeps no list of its own for anger classes either. Superior Court does not post one, and CSOSA and Pretrial Services make referrals inside their own agencies. Our class is court-accepted in most jurisdictions, but in DC your judge, the terms of your deal or your supervising officer decides, and you get a full refund if they turn down the certificate.

Will a Washington, DC court accept an online anger management class?

No District rule bans it or requires it. A Superior Court judge has signed off on a deal that called for online anger counseling. Still, ask your lawyer or your CSOSA or Pretrial Services officer first, since they may prefer their own program.

What is a deferred sentencing agreement, and where does the class fit?

It is a deal with the prosecutor. You plead guilty, the judge holds off on sentencing, and you complete terms like community service and sometimes an anger class. If you finish on time, you can withdraw the plea and the charges are dismissed.

My domestic case deal says "DVIP or anger management." Which one do I take?

The one your final agreement names. The prosecutor picks based on the case. If it names DVIP, that is CSOSA's domestic violence program, and our class cannot stand in for it.

I'm on probation and CSOSA supervises me. Who decides if my class counts?

Your Community Supervision Officer, within the terms the judge set. CSOSA runs its own anger and impulse control groups, so ask whether an outside online class will work before you start one.

I live in Maryland, but my case is in DC Superior Court. Which rules apply?

DC rules, because the case is in a DC court. Where you live does not change who checks your class. An online class can also save you trips into the city.

My protection order says "counseling." Is an anger class enough?

Maybe not. DC law lets a judge order "appropriate counseling programs," which can mean sessions with a counselor. Ask the court or your lawyer whether an educational class fits the order.

Guides for other states