◆ DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA · CARRY LAW
District of Columbia.
Information, not legal advice. Confirm with the state before you carry.
Kept in this browser only. Never sent to us.
◆ THE SHORT ANSWEREvery tile below is one of the answers further down this page, with its citation.
Concealed, no permit
No
Open, no permit
No
In a vehicle, no permit
No
Getting a permit
Yes, shall-issue
- Magazine capacity is capped here.
- A permit is required to buy a firearm, not just to carry one.
- This state has an extreme-risk protective order law.
◆ CARRYING HERE
What District of Columbia requires
The state's permit is the Concealed Pistol License, issued by the Chief of the Metropolitan Police.
Carrying without a permit3
Can I carry concealed here without a permit?
Permitless or "constitutional" carry. "Limited" means some adults qualify and others do not. Read the qualifier.
No
You need a District license. And before that you need a registration certificate for the pistol itself. There is no route for a visitor.
Can I carry openly here without a permit?
No
No. The statute says “either openly or concealed” in the same breath. Visibility makes no difference here.
Can I keep a loaded handgun in my car without a permit?
No
No. Without a District license and a registration certificate there is no lawful way to have a pistol in a car here.
Permits and age3
If I want this state's permit, will they issue one?
Shall-issue means the state must issue to any qualified applicant. May-issue leaves it to an official's discretion.
Yes, shall-issue
Shall-issue since the courts struck the District’s good-reason rule, but only after you have registered the pistol you want to carry.
Can I get this state's permit if I live somewhere else?
Yes
Yes, in form. The District issues to non-residents. But you must first register the pistol here, which is the real barrier.
How old do I have to be to carry here?
The floor for the least restrictive lawful route. Where permitless and permit ages differ, the qualifier says so.
If an officer stops you1
Do I have to tell an officer I am armed?
"Required" means you must volunteer it on contact. "On request" means only when asked.
Not required
No statute read here requires you to announce it. Carry the license.
No duty-to-inform provision found in D.C. Code §§ 7-2509.02, 22-4504Read at the D.C. Council ↗Checked 10 days ago
How we checked there is no such law
Read §§ 22-4504 and 7-2509.02 on 2026-09-06. The carrying offense and the license criteria. Neither contains a notification requirement.Buying and owning2
Do I need a state-issued card just to own or buy a firearm here?
Illinois' FOID is the main example. Distinct from a carry permit.
Required
Yes, and more than that: every firearm must be REGISTERED with the police before you may possess it, and ammunition is tied to holding a registration certificate.
Is there a limit on magazine capacity here?
Only in some cases
10 rounds. The District also ties ammunition possession to holding a registration certificate for a firearm. You cannot lawfully hold ammunition without one.
How the state governs guns2
Can a city here write its own gun rules on top of the state's?
Full preemption means state law is the only law. Partial means some cities may go further. Check locally.
No, state law is the only law
Not applicable in the usual sense. The District is a single jurisdiction with no counties or municipalities beneath it to preempt.
Does this state have a red-flag law?
An extreme risk protection order lets a court order firearms surrendered temporarily.
Yes, this state has one
Yes. Since 2019 family, police, or a mental health professional may petition for an extreme risk protection order.
◆ RECIPROCITY
Permits District of Columbia honors
If you are visiting District of Columbia, this is whether your permit counts here.
Pick a state for the full answer with its citation, or find it in the grid below.
Not honored54
◆ RECIPROCITY, THE OTHER WAY
Where District of Columbia permits are honored
If you live in District of Columbia, this is where your permit travels.
Pick a state for the full answer with its citation, or find it in the grid below.
Honored30
Honored, with a condition1
Not honored21
Not settled2
◆ NFA ITEMS
Suppressors and NFA legality
Federal registration is required everywhere these are legal. A state can prohibit them regardless, and several do.
Can I possess a suppressor here?
Federal NFA registration is required everywhere it is legal. State law can prohibit it regardless.
Prohibited
Prohibited. Federal registration does not make it lawful in the District.
Can I possess a short-barreled rifle here?
Prohibited
Prohibited. A short-barreled rifle is not registrable here.
Can I possess a short-barreled shotgun here?
Prohibited
Prohibited. A short-barreled shotgun is not registrable here.
Can I possess a machine gun here?
Federally, civilian possession is limited to pre-1986 registered transferables.
Prohibited
Prohibited. The District does not register machine guns, and an unregisterable firearm cannot lawfully be possessed.
Can I possess an AOW here?
Legal
Lawful with the federal paperwork, but it must be REGISTERED in the District like any other firearm.
D.C. Code § 7-2502.02(a)Read at the D.C. Council ↗Checked 10 days ago
How we checked there is no such law
Read the whole of § 7-2502.02(a), paragraphs (1) through (8), on 2026-09-07. No AOW category appears in the unregisterable list.◆ SOURCES
Where this comes from
This is information, not legal advice. Gun law changes often and the penalty for getting it wrong is criminal. Confirm every answer with the state before you carry there.
- The authority
- the Chief of the Metropolitan Police ↗
- ATF’s index
- District of Columbia firearm statutes ↗ (PDF)