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Free government phone in District of Columbia

District of Columbia residents who qualify for Lifeline can get free or discounted phone service. Here is who qualifies, where to apply, and which companies serve the state.

In short

  • Lifeline takes up to $9.25 a month off internet or a phone plan with data, or up to $5.25 off phone-only service. On Tribal lands it is up to $34.25.
  • District of Columbia also has its own program, Economy II (DC wireline Lifeline): Economy II landline service for $3.00 a month (under 65) or $1.00 a month (65 and older).
  • Apply at getinternet.gov, the FCC's National Verifier site, or through a Lifeline company. Both lead to the same check.
  • In May 2026, 3 companies gave Lifeline cell phone service in District of Columbia. The most customers were with Assurance Wireless, SafeLink Wireless and Access Wireless.
Updated · Last checked . Confirm the current rules on the official District of Columbia Lifeline page before you apply.

Who qualifies in District of Columbia

Under the federal rules, either one of these is enough:

Each household can get only one Lifeline benefit.

What to know in District of Columbia

Check if you qualify with our quick tool, or read the full rules.

Economy II (DC wireline Lifeline)

Extra discount: Economy II landline service for $3.00 a month (under 65) or $1.00 a month (65 and older)

Official Economy II (DC wireline Lifeline) page

How to apply in District of Columbia

In District of Columbia, the National Verifier checks who qualifies. It is the federal system for Lifeline. You can apply on your own, or through a provider. Both lead to the same check.

Apply at getinternet.gov. This is the FCC's official National Verifier site. Have proof of who you are ready, and proof of your income or your benefit.

Companies that give Lifeline service in District of Columbia

In May 2026, 3 companies gave Lifeline cell phone service in District of Columbia. Here they are, with the most customers first. The counts come from USAC, which runs Lifeline. They show who serves District of Columbia, not who is best.

CompanyLifeline customersFree plan data
Assurance Wireless5,76710GB
SafeLink Wireless2,930*Not stated
Access Wireless625Not stated

* SafeLink Wireless: This count also includes Lifeline customers of Straight Talk, Total Wireless, Simple Mobile, Walmart Family Mobile and TracFone. USAC counts them together with SafeLink.

Free plan data is from each company's own site. We show it for the companies we have a page on.

Some local phone companies give Lifeline on a home phone instead. In District of Columbia, 1 company did this, with 1,098 customers in all.

Not every company serves every part of District of Columbia. To see who serves your address, enter your ZIP code in the official company finder.

If you don't qualify

Lifeline is only for households that get one of the benefits above or have a low enough income. If yours doesn't, you can still get a phone line for little or nothing. These are this month's picks from our plans page:

Each one has a catch, and the plans page says what it is. Our guides compare more options: plans that are genuinely free and free trials. The plans page also lists every plan at $15 or less.

If you applied and were turned down, read why Lifeline applications are denied first. It covers each reason and the document that fixes it.

How many people use Lifeline in District of Columbia

Phone companies claimed Lifeline for 10,420 subscribers in District of Columbia in May 2026, down 23.8% since May 2025 (USAC). That is the 44th highest count among the 50 states and DC. Lifeline enrollment in every state.

Other states