(a) IN GENERAL. At the commencement of and throughout an action, every remedy is available that, under District of Columbia law, provides for seizing a person or property to secure satisfaction of the potential judgment.
Rule 64.Seizing a Person or Property
Group VIII: Provisional and Final Remedies · Last amended 2017 · Last verified July 14, 2026
In one sentenceRule 64 opens the door, at the start of and throughout a civil action, to every District of Columbia remedy for seizing a person or property to secure a future judgment, naming arrest, attachment, garnishment, replevin, sequestration, and other equivalent remedies.
Full Text of Rule 64
(b) SPECIFIC KINDS OF REMEDIES. The remedies available under this rule include the following—however designated:
(1) arrest;
(2) attachment;
(3) garnishment;
(4) replevin;
(5) sequestration; and
(6) other corresponding or equivalent remedies.
Comment
This rule is substantially similar to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 64, as amended in 2007, except for 1) substitution of "District of Columbia" for "state where the court is located" in section (a) 2) deletion of inapplicable phrases relating to state procedure and proceedings and federal statutes in sections (a) and (b); and 3) the use of numbers instead of bullets in section (b).
Plain-English Summary
Rule 64 is a gateway rule rather than a self-contained procedure. It states, broadly, that every remedy available under District of Columbia law for seizing a person or property to secure satisfaction of a potential judgment is available in a civil action — and that availability runs from the moment the case begins through its entire course, not just at the end when judgment is near.
Subsection (b) names the remedies covered, however a party or a statute happens to label them: arrest, attachment, garnishment, replevin, sequestration, and other corresponding or equivalent remedies. Rule 64 itself does not spell out how any of these work — the mechanics live in other rules and in the District of Columbia Code. Rule 64-I fills in the procedure for attachment before judgment, and Rule 64-II covers replevin actions in detail; other remedies on the list draw on their own governing statutes.
The District's version trims language from the federal rule that referred to state procedures and federal statutes, since the Superior Court applies District of Columbia law directly rather than borrowing a host state's practice the way a federal district court does. What is left is a clean statement that these provisional remedies exist and remain available throughout the litigation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What kinds of remedies does Rule 64 make available?
Rule 64(b) lists arrest, attachment, garnishment, replevin, sequestration, and other corresponding or equivalent remedies, whatever they happen to be called.
Does Rule 64 itself explain how to get a writ of attachment or replevin?
No. Rule 64 states that these remedies are available but does not set out the procedure for any of them; Rule 64-I covers attachment before judgment and Rule 64-II covers replevin actions in detail.
When during a lawsuit can these remedies be used?
Rule 64(a) states they are available at the commencement of an action and throughout it, not only at a single fixed point in the case.
What is the point of remedies like attachment or garnishment before a judgment is even entered?
Rule 64(a) describes their purpose as securing satisfaction of the potential judgment — protecting a plaintiff's eventual recovery against the risk that property or funds disappear before the case ends.
Is the list of remedies in Rule 64(b) the only ones available?
No. The rule adds “other corresponding or equivalent remedies” to the named list and says the remedies are available “however designated,” so the list is illustrative rather than exhaustive.
Source & verification. Rule text and official Comments are
reproduced verbatim from the District of Columbia Superior Court Rules of Civil
Procedure, adopted by the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. Last verified July 14, 2026.
· Official source
Also known as: dc prejudgment seizure remediesattachment garnishment replevin dc rule 64seize property before judgment dc superior courtsecure judgment before trial dc