Sheppard Bone-Dry Act

Long titleAn Act to prevent the manufacture and sale of alcoholic liquors in the District of Columbia, and for other purposes.

NicknamesDistrict of Columbia Prohibition Act

Enactedbythe 64th United States Congress

EffectiveMarch 3, 1917

Sheppard Bone-Dry Act

Long title	An Act to prevent the manufacture and sale of alcoholic liquors in the District of Columbia, and for other purposes.
Nicknames	District of Columbia Prohibition Act
Enacted by	the 64th United States Congress
Effective	March 3, 1917
Citations
Public law	64-383
Statutes at Large	39 Stat. 1123
Legislative history
Introduced in the Senate as S. 1082 by Morris Sheppard (D-TX) on February 11, 1916 Passed the Senate on January 9, 1917 (59-34) Passed the House on February 28, 1917 (276-143) Signed into law by President Woodrow Wilson on March 3, 1917

The Sheppard Bone-Dry Act, sponsored by Sen. Morris Sheppard (D) of Texas, was passed by the US Congress in 1917. It imposed a ban on alcoholic beverages in the District of Columbia. ^[1] The act prohibited alcohol production and sales but included exceptions for religious and medical use. It was a precursor to the 18th Amendment, which Sheppard also championed, leading to national Prohibition in 1920. The term “bone-dry” refers to its strict prohibition measures, reflecting Sheppard’s temperance advocacy. The act remained in effect until Prohibition’s repeal in 1933.