District of Columbia Code
Subchapter II - Firearms and Destructive Devices
§ 7–2502.08. Duties of registrants

(a) Each person or organization holding a registration certificate (for purposes of this section, “registrant”) shall:
(1) Notify the Chief in writing of the loss, theft, or destruction of the registration certificate or of a registered firearm (including the circumstances, if known) immediately upon discovery of such loss, theft, or destruction;
(2) Notify the Chief in writing within 30 days of a change in the registrant’s name or address as it appears on the registration certificate;
(3) Notify the Chief in writing of the sale, transfer, or other disposition of the firearm within 2 business days of such sale, transfer, or other disposition. The notification shall include:
(A) The identification of the registrant, the firearm, and the serial number of the registration certificate;
(B) The name, address, and date of birth of the person to whom the firearm has been sold or transferred; and
(C) Whether the firearm was sold or how it was otherwise transferred or disposed of.
(b) Each registrant shall return to the Chief the registration certificate for any firearm which is lost, stolen, destroyed, sold, or otherwise transferred or disposed of, at the time the registrant notifies the Chief of such loss, theft, destruction, sale, transfer, or other disposition.
(c) Each registrant shall have in the registrant’s possession, whenever in possession of a firearm, the registration certificate, or exact photocopy thereof, for such firearm, and exhibit the same upon the demand of a member of the Metropolitan Police Department, or other law enforcement officer.
(d) The duties set forth in subsections (a) through (c) of this section are in addition to any other requirements imposed by this unit or other applicable law.
(e)(1) A registrant shall be subject to a civil fine of $100 for the first violation or omission of the duties and requirements imposed by this section.
(2) A registrant shall be subject to a civil fine of $500 for the second violation or omission of the duties and requirements imposed by this section, a registrant’s registration certificates shall be revoked, and the registrant shall be prohibited from possessing or registering any firearm for a period of 5 years.
(3) A registrant shall be subject to a civil fine of $1,000 for the third violation or omission of the duties and requirements imposed by this section, a registrant’s registration certificates shall be revoked, and the registrant shall be prohibited from possessing or registering any firearm.
(4) For the purposes of this subsection, “a violation or omission” that applies to multiple firearms shall constitute a single violation or omission if the violation or omission pertaining to each firearm arose from the same occurrence.
(5) The penalties prescribed in § 7-2507.06 shall not apply to a violation or omission of the duties and requirements imposed by this section.
(Sept. 24, 1976, D.C. Law 1-85, title II, § 208, 23 DCR 2464; June 3, 2011, D.C. Law 18-377, § 2(c), 58 DCR 1174; Sept. 29, 2012, D.C. Law 19-170, § 2(i), 59 DCR 5691.)
1981 Ed., § 6-2318.
1973 Ed., § 6-1818.
This section is referenced in § 7-2502.03, § 7-2507.06, and § 24-261.02a.
D.C. Law 18-377 rewrote the section, which formerly read:
“Each person and organization holding a registration certificate, in addition to any other requirements imposed by this unit, or the acts of Congress, shall:
“(1) Notify the Chief in writing of:
“(A) The loss, theft, or destruction of the registration certificate or of a registered firearm (including the circumstances, if known) immediately upon discovery of such loss, theft, or destruction;
“(B) A change in any of the information appearing on the registration certificate or required by § 7-2502.03;
“(C) The sale, transfer or other disposition of the firearm not less than 48 hours prior to delivery, pursuant to such sale, transfer or other disposition, including:
“(i) Identification of the registrant, the firearm and the serial number of the registration certificate;
“(ii) The name, residence, and business address and date of birth of the person to whom the firearm has been sold or transferred; and
“(iii) Whether the firearm was sold or how it was otherwise transferred or disposed of.
“(2) Return to the Chief, the registration certificate for any firearm which is lost, stolen, destroyed, or otherwise transferred or disposed of, at the time he notifies the Chief of such loss, theft, destruction, sale, transfer, or other disposition.
“(3) Have in his possession, whenever in possession of a firearm, the registration certificate for such firearm, and exhibit the same upon the demand of a member of the Metropolitan Police Department, or other law enforcement officer.”
The 2012 amendment by D.C. Law 19-170 added “penalties” in the section heading.
Applicability to private operator, see § 24-261.02a.
For temporary (90 day) amendment of section, see § 502(c) of Public Safety Legislation Sixty-Day Layover Emergency Amendment Act of 2010 (D.C. Act 18-693, January 18, 2011, 58 DCR 640).
For temporary (90 day) amendment of section, see § 502(c) of Public Safety Legislation Sixty-Day Layover Congressional Review Emergency Amendment Act of 2011 (D.C. Act 19-45, April 20, 2011, 58 DCR 3701).
For temporary (90 day) amendment of section heading, see § 2(i) 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 heading, see § 2(i) of the Firearms Amendments Congressional Review Emergency Amendment Act of 2012 (D.C. Act 19-394, July 18, 2012, 59 DCR 8694).
For temporary amendment of the section heading, see § 2(i) of the Firearms Second Congressional Review Emergency Amendment Act of 2012 (D.C. Act 19-510, October 26, 2012, 59 DCR 12808).