§ 7–2502.02. Registration of certain firearms prohibited.

(a) A registration certificate shall not be issued for a:

(1) Sawed-off shotgun;

(2) Machine gun;

(3) Short-barreled rifle;

(4) Pistol not validly registered to the current registrant in the District prior to September 24, 1976, except that the prohibition on registering a pistol shall not apply to:

(A) Any organization that employs at least one commissioned special police officer or other employee licensed to carry a firearm and that arms the employee with a firearm during the employee’s duty hours;

(B) A police officer who has retired from the Metropolitan Police Department;

(i) For use in self-defense within that person’s home or place of business; or

(ii) As part of the application process for a license to carry a concealed pistol pursuant to § 7-2509.02; or

(D) A firearms instructor, or an organization that employs a firearms instructor, for the purpose of conducting firearms training.

(5) An unsafe firearm prohibited under § 7-2505.04;

(6) An assault weapon;

(7) A .50 BMG rifle; or

(8) Ghost gun.

(b) Repealed.

(Sept. 24, 1976, D.C. Law 1-85, title II, § 202, 23 DCR 2464; Mar. 16, 1978, D.C. Law 2-62, § 2, 24 DCR 5780; May 7, 1993, D.C. Law 9-266, § 2(b), 39 DCR 5676; Mar. 31, 2009, D.C. Law 17-372, § 3(c), 56 DCR 1365; Sept. 29, 2012, D.C. Law 19-170, § 2(c), 59 DCR 5691; June 16, 2015, D.C. Law 20-279, § 2(b), 62 DCR 1944; Apr. 27, 2021, D.C. Law 23-274, § 201(b), 68 DCR 001034.)

Prior Codifications

1981 Ed., § 6-2312.

1973 Ed., § 6-1812.

Section References

This section is referenced in § 7-2502.09, § 7-2504.01, § 7-2505.02, and § 7-2507.06a.

Effect of Amendments

D.C. Law 17-372, in subsec. (a), deleted “or” from the end of par. (3), rewrote par. (4), and added pars. (5), (6), and (7); and repealed subsec. (b).

The 2012 amendment by D.C. Law 19-170 added (a)(4)(D); and made related changes.

The 2015 amendment by D.C. Law 20-279 rewrote (a)(4)(C).

Emergency Legislation

For temporary (90 days) amendment of this section, see § 4(b) of Omnibus Public Safety and Justice Emergency Amendment Act of 2021 (D.C. Act 24-25, Feb. 26, 2021, 68 DCR 002604).

For temporary (90 days) amendment of this section, see § 2(b) of Ghost Guns Prohibition Congressional Review Emergency Amendment Act of 2020 (D.C. Act 23-324, May 27, 2020, 67 DCR 6721).

For temporary (90 days) amendment of this section, see § 2(b) of Ghost Guns Prohibition Emergency Amendment Act of 2020 (D.C. Act 23-245, Mar. 11, 2020, 67 DCR 3086).

For temporary (90 day) amendment, see § 2(a) of Firearms Control Emergency Amendment Act of 2008 (D.C. Act 17-422, July 16, 2008,

For temporary amendment of (a)(4), see § 2(c) of the Firearms Second Congressional Review Emergency Amendment Act of 2012 (D.C. Act 19-510, October 26, 2012, 59 DCR 12808).

For temporary (90 day) amendment of section, see § 2(b) of Second Firearms Control Emergency Amendment Act of 2008 (D.C. Act 17-502, September 16, 2008, 55 DCR 9904).

For temporary (90 day) repeal of D.C. Act 17-422, see § 5 of Second Firearms Control Emergency Amendment Act of 2008 (D.C. Act 17-502, September 16, 2008, 55 DCR 9904).

For temporary (90 day) amendment of section, see §§ 2(b) and 4 of Second Firearms Control Congressional Review Emergency Amendment Act of 2008 (D.C. Act 17-601, December 12, 2008, 56 DCR 9).

For temporary (90 day) amendment of section, see § 3(c) of Firearms Registration Emergency Amendment Act of 2008 (D.C. Act 17-651, January 6, 2009, 56 DCR 911).

For temporary (90 day) amendment of section, see § 2(c) of Firearms Emergency Amendment Act of 2012 (D.C. Act 19-352, May 11, 2012, 59 DCR 5116).

For temporary (90 day) amendment of section, see § 2(c) of the Firearms Amendments Congressional Review Emergency Amendment Act of 2012 (D.C. Act 19-394, July 18, 2012, 59 DCR 8694).

For temporary (90 days) amendment of this section, see § 2(b) of the License to Carry a Pistol Emergency Amendment Act of 2014 (D.C. Act 20-447, Oct. 7, 2014, 61 DCR 10765, 20 STAT 4175).

For temporary (90 days) repeal of emergency D.C. Act 20-447, § 4, the act’s applicability clause, see § 2 of the License to Carry a Pistol Clarification Emergency Amendment Act of 2014 (D.C. Act 20-448, Oct. 7, 2014, 61 DCR 10777, 20 STAT 4187).

For temporary (90 days) amendment of this section, see § 2(b) of the License to Carry a Pistol Second Emergency Amendment Act of 2014 (D.C. Act 20-564, Jan. 6, 2015, 62 DCR 866, 21 STAT 527).

For temporary (90 days) repeal of emergency D.C. Act 20-447, see § 4(b) of the License to Carry a Pistol Second Emergency Amendment Act of 2014 (D.C. Act 20-564, Jan. 6, 2015, 62 DCR 866, 21 STAT 527).

For temporary (90 days) repeal of temporary D.C. Act 20-169, see § 4(c) of the License to Carry a Pistol Second Emergency Amendment Act of 2014 (D.C. Act 20-564, Jan. 6, 2015, 62 DCR 866, 21 STAT 527).

For temporary (90 days) amendment of this section, see § 2(b) of the License to Carry a Pistol Congressional Review Emergency Amendment Act of 2015 (D.C. Act 21-74, June 4, 2015, 62 DCR 8242, 21 DCSTAT 1451).

Temporary Legislation

For temporary (225 days) amendment of this section, see § 2(b) of Ghost Guns Prohibition Temporary Amendment Act of 2020 (D.C. Law 23-125, July 30, 2020, 67 DCR 3945).

For temporary (225 days) amendment of this section, see § 2(b) of the License to Carry a Pistol Temporary Amendment Act of 2014 (D.C. Law 20-169, May 5, 2015, 61 DCR 11814).