Yes, guns are allowed in Washington, DC, but the District regulates them more tightly than almost anywhere else in the country. Every firearm must be registered with the Metropolitan Police Department, several categories of weapons are banned outright, open carry does not exist as a legal option, and carrying a concealed handgun requires a DC-issued license backed by 18 hours of training. One point trips up visitors constantly: DC does not recognize concealed carry permits from any other state, and carrying without a DC license can bring up to five years in prison.
Who Can Legally Own a Gun in DC
You must be at least 21 years old to register and possess a firearm in DC. The one narrow exception lets an 18- to 20-year-old register a rifle or shotgun if a parent or guardian signs a notarized statement accepting civil liability for any damage the weapon causes.1D.C. Law Library. District of Columbia Code 7-2502.03
You are disqualified if any of the following apply:
- A felony conviction, no matter how old
- Certain misdemeanor convictions within the past five years
- A pending indictment for a crime of violence or a weapons offense
- A history of voluntary or involuntary mental health commitment, unless a court has granted relief
- A pattern of violent behavior within the five years before your application
- A prior finding of negligence in a firearm-related incident that caused death or serious injury
These bars apply equally to handguns and long guns.1D.C. Law Library. District of Columbia Code 7-2502.03
Firearms You Cannot Own in DC
Some weapons are off the table regardless of your eligibility. DC bans:
- Sawed-off shotguns
- Machine guns
- Short-barreled rifles
- Weapons classified as “assault weapons” under DC law
- .50 BMG rifles
- Ghost guns, including unserialized frames and receivers
Handguns not listed on the California Roster of Handguns Certified for Sale (as of January 1, 2009) are treated as “unsafe” and cannot be sold, transferred, or imported into the District.2D.C. Law Library. District of Columbia Code 7-2505.04 – Prohibition on Sale, Transfer, Ownership, or Possession of Designated Unsafe Pistol
Large-Capacity Magazines
DC’s ban on magazines holding more than ten rounds is currently unsettled. In March 2026, the DC Court of Appeals ruled in Benson v. United States that the ban violates the Second Amendment, finding that magazines of all capacities are “arms” and that no historical tradition supports a blanket ban on magazines in common use. Whether DC will seek further review is uncertain, so this area of law is actively in flux.
Registering a Firearm With MPD
Every gun in DC must be registered with the Metropolitan Police Department’s Firearms Registration Section. Possessing an unregistered firearm is a criminal offense with no informal grace period.3D.C. Law Library. DC Code 7-2502.01 – Registration Requirements
Registration is done in person. You bring identification, proof of DC residency, details on the firearm (make, model, serial number), and proof that you have completed a firearms safety training course. You will be fingerprinted as part of the application. The registration fee is $13, plus $35 for fingerprinting and the background check.4MPDC. Fees and Payment
Registrations no longer expire after a federal appeals court struck down DC’s three-year renewal requirement on Second Amendment grounds. You are still required to report changes such as a new address or a lost or stolen firearm.
Ammunition: A Rule That Catches People Off Guard
You can only possess ammunition in DC if you hold a valid firearm registration certificate, and the ammunition has to match the caliber or gauge of your registered gun. Buying 9mm rounds when your only registered pistol is a .45 would put you in violation. Gun owners used to buying ammunition freely elsewhere often miss this one.
Carrying a Handgun in DC
DC prohibits carrying a pistol, openly or concealed, without a Concealed Carry License. There is no open-carry permit, so open carry is effectively banned; the only license the District issues is for concealed carry.5D.C. Law Library. DC Code 22-4504 – Carrying Concealed Weapons
DC is a “shall issue” jurisdiction, meaning it must grant a CCL to any applicant who meets the requirements. Those are:
- At least 21 years old
- A valid DC registration for the pistol you intend to carry
- No disqualifying mental health conditions
- Completion of at least 16 hours of classroom training plus 2 hours of range instruction with an MPD-certified instructor, covering firearm safety, marksmanship, and DC and federal firearms law6D.C. Law Library. DC Code 7-2509.02 – Application Requirements
The application fee is $75, plus $35 for fingerprinting. Training course costs vary by instructor and are on top of that.4MPDC. Fees and Payment When you carry, you must have both your CCL and your registration certificate on your person. Private businesses can post signage banning firearms, and you have to comply.
DC Honors No Out-of-State Permits
If you hold a concealed carry permit from Virginia, Maryland, or any other state, it has no legal effect once you cross into DC. Non-residents can apply for a DC license, but they still have to complete the full 18 hours of training and meet every other DC requirement. Carrying without a DC license can bring up to five years in prison, which makes this one of the costliest misunderstandings a visitor or commuter can make.
Places You Cannot Carry Even With a DC License
A CCL does not open up the whole city. DC bans carrying in:
- Any building or office occupied by DC government, its agencies, or instrumentalities
- The buildings, grounds, and adjacent parking lots of childcare facilities, preschools, and all elementary, secondary, and post-secondary schools, public or private
- Hospitals and offices where medical or mental health services are the primary services offered
- Prisons, secure juvenile facilities, and halfway houses
- Polling places while voting is taking place
- Metrorail trains, Metrorail stations, and other public transportation vehicles
- Any premises licensed to serve or sell alcohol for on-site consumption
- Stadiums and arenas
- The National Mall and Tidal Basin memorials
- Any area where federal law independently prohibits firearms
These prohibitions are codified in DC’s firearms laws.7D.C. Law Library. DC Code 7-2509.07 – Prohibitions on Carrying Licensed Pistols Between the listed locations and the volume of federal property in central DC, the practical footprint where carrying is allowed is narrow.
Transporting a Firearm Without a CCL
If you are moving a firearm through DC without a carry license, such as bringing a newly purchased gun home, the rules are specific. In a vehicle, the firearm must be unloaded and stored so that neither the gun nor any ammunition is accessible from the passenger compartment. If your vehicle has no separate trunk or cargo area, both the gun and ammunition must be in a locked container, and the glove compartment or center console does not qualify.8MPDC. Transporting Firearms
Outside a vehicle, for example when walking a firearm from your car to your home, the gun must be unloaded, inside a locked container, and separate from any ammunition. CCL holders are exempt from these transport restrictions and may carry their registered handgun concealed on their person while in a vehicle.8MPDC. Transporting Firearms
Safe Storage When Minors Are Around
DC recommends keeping all firearms unloaded and either disassembled or secured with a trigger lock, gun safe, or locked container. That recommendation hardens into law when a minor under 18 is likely to access the firearm: the gun must be in a locked box or secure container, or you must keep it on your person or close enough to use immediately.9D.C. Law Library. District of Columbia Code 7-2507.02 – Responsibilities Regarding Storage of Firearms
Violating this rule is charged as criminally negligent storage of a firearm. Base penalty: up to $1,000 in fines, up to 180 days in jail, or both. If a minor gains access and causes injury or death, the exposure rises to as much as $5,000 in fines, up to five years in prison, or both.9D.C. Law Library. District of Columbia Code 7-2507.02 – Responsibilities Regarding Storage of Firearms
Penalties for the Most Common Violations
The two offenses that come up most often are unregistered possession and unlicensed carrying, and they are punished very differently.
Possessing an unregistered firearm carries up to one year in jail, a fine, or both on a first offense, and up to five years in prison, a fine, or both on a second offense.10D.C. Law Library. DC Code 7-2507.06 – Penalties
Carrying a pistol without a license is far more serious: up to five years in prison, a fine, or both on a first offense, and up to ten years in prison, a fine, or both for a repeat offense or where the person has a prior felony. Prosecutors in DC rarely treat unlicensed carrying as a technicality.5D.C. Law Library. DC Code 22-4504 – Carrying Concealed Weapons
Self-Defense Limits
DC takes what courts have called a middle-ground approach to self-defense. You are not required to retreat before using deadly force if you genuinely and reasonably believe you face death or serious bodily harm. But the law expects you to take reasonable steps to avoid a lethal confrontation, such as stepping back or walking away, when doing so is consistent with your own safety.11MPDC. District Law Pertaining to Self Defense
For home defense, DC generally permits deadly force if you reasonably believe an intruder is entering your home or business with the intent to commit a felony or seriously harm the occupants. DC’s castle doctrine has largely been shaped by case law rather than a single statute, and it has limits. Courts have held, for example, that the castle doctrine does not apply when the threat comes from someone who shares your home.11MPDC. District Law Pertaining to Self Defense
Deadly force is generally not allowed solely to protect property. Any force used must be proportional to the threat, necessary to prevent imminent harm, and based on a reasonable belief that lethal force is the only option available.