District of Columbia Code
Subchapter II - Firearms and Destructive Devices
§ 7–2502.02. Registration of certain firearms prohibited

*NOTE: This section includes amendments by emergency legislation that will expire on January 15, 2023. To view the text of this section after the expiration of all emergency and temporary legislation, click this link: Permanent Version.*
(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;
(C) Any person who seeks to register a pistol:
(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(b) Repealed.
(c)(1) Notwithstanding subsection (a)(5) of this section, a registration certificate may be issued for a self-manufactured firearm that is not prohibited under subsection (a)(1) through (4) or (6) through (8) if:
(A) The applicant meets the requirements of § 7-2502.03; and
(B) A unique serial number is engraved or cast on, or otherwise permanently affixed to, the firearm in a manner that meets or exceeds the requirements imposed on licensed importers and licensed manufacturers of firearms pursuant to subsection (i) of Section 923 of Title 18 of the United States Code and regulations issued pursuant thereto; provided, that a serial number or mark of identification exceeds these requirements if the engraving, casting, or stamping (impressing) of the serial number exceeds the required minimum depth or exceeds the minimum print size of that provision.
(2)(A) An applicant who meets the requirements of § 7-2502.03 may register a self-manufactured firearm that does not bear a serial number as described in paragraph (1)(B) of this subsection, if, prior to finishing the frame or receiver, the applicant has caused a unique serial number to be engraved, casted, stamped (impressed), or placed on the frame or receiver, as set forth in subparagraphs (B) and (C) of this paragraph.
(B) The serial number shall consist of the first and last name of the self-manufacturer, followed by the designation "DC" and then a set of 2 to 5 numbers.
(C) The set of numbers described in subparagraph (B) of this paragraph shall not duplicate any serial number placed by the self-manufacturer on any other firearm. The applicant shall, before engraving, casting, stamping (impressing), or placing a serial number on the frame or receiver, confirm with the Metropolitan Police Department that the proposed serial number has not already been registered to another firearm.
(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; Oct. 17, 2022, D.C. Act 24-583, § 2(b), 69 DCR 012714.)
1981 Ed., § 6-2312.
1973 Ed., § 6-1812.
This section is referenced in § 7-2502.09, § 7-2504.01, § 7-2505.02, and § 7-2507.06a.
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).
For temporary (90 days) amendment of this section, see § 2(b) of Ghost Gun Clarification Emergency Amendment Act of 2022 (D.C. Act 24-583, Oct. 17, 2022, 69 DCR 012714).
For temporary (90 days) amendment of this section, see § 2(b) of Ghost Gun Clarification Emergency Amendment Act of 2021 (D.C. Act 24-237, Dec. 13, 2021, 68 DCR 013482).
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).
For temporary (225 days) amendment of this section, see § 2(b) of Ghost Gun Clarification Temporary Amendment Act of 2021 (D.C. Law 24-87, Mar. 2, 2022, 69 DCR 000450).
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).