
Washington D.C. concealed carry regulations are some of the most severe in the nation, comparable to New York, New Jersey, Hawaii and Maryland.
A small cross-section of the population will qualify for this District's strenuous concealed carry license, which is strictly administered on a may-issue basis and is required as per D.C. Official Code § 22-4504.
There are 20 outlined requirements in the District of Columbia's CCW permit application, but recently the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit struck down the "good reason" requirement for carrying a concealed handgun. The application procedure below for the "good reason" requirement is subject to change pending administrative update from the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department.
Applying For A Washington D.C. Concealed Carry Permit

Before going through the process of applying for a Washington D.C. concealed carry permit, there are a couple laws to consider: D.C. Official Code § 22–4504.01 and § 22–4504.02.
§ 22–4504.01: As long as the firearm is registered appropriately, it may carried in the gun owner's home, while being used for lawful recreational purposes, while kept at their place of business and while being transported for lawful purpose in the following statute.
§ 22–4504.02 A firearm may be lawfully transported in a motor vehicle as long as it's unloaded and neither it nor its ammunition is accessible from the passenger compartment, and if the vehicle doesn't have a compartment separate from the driver's compartment, then the firearm must be unloaded, inside a locked container and separate from any ammunition.
The Washington D.C. concealed carry permit application process will require a Metropolitan Police Department Firearms Registration Section concealed carry pistol license application, and the license may be issued to both residents and nonresidents.
Complete the application. It will include 20 questions regarding criminal background, mental health background, substance abuse, assault charges, firearms negligence charges, disabilities, driving violations, civil protection orders, alcohol use/abuse, pistol registration, residence, place of business, any out-of-state permits and other pertinent information.
Question 16 asks whether the applicant will be registering a pistol with the application, 17 asks if they suffer from a mental illness that makes them a risk to themself or others and 18-20 pertain to residence.
The Metropolitan Police Department released an official document with a checklist explaining the entire application process.
Under D.C. Municipal Regulations Section 2332.1, an applicant is eligible for a concealed carry license under eight criteria, if they:
- Are 21 years old
- Meet all the requirements for registering a firearm, as per the Firearms Control Regulations Act of 1975
- Possess a pistol in accordance to that act
- Do not currently have, or hasn't had in the prior five years, a disqualifying mental illness that would make them a danger to themself or others, and they've submitted all the required documents under § 2337.3
- Have completed the required firearms training course from an instructor approved by the Chief of Police
- Have a place of residence within D.C., within the U.S. (and has a CCW permit from that respective state) or within the U.S. (and they meet all the predetermined criteria as per the act)
- Have demonstrated good reason to fear injury to his or her person or property, or has another proper reason to carry a pistol
- Is a "suitable person to be so licensed"
The training requirement includes a 16-hour course from an MPD-certified firearms training instructor, a list of which can be found here, and an additional two hours of range training. These training requirements may be waived, but supporting documentation for a valid alternative must be provided.
The applicant, however, can submit the application prior to fulfilling the training requirement and receive preliminary notice whether or not they qualify based on all other factors, and then fulfill the training requirement within 45 days of application approval.
The applicant must also provide proof of good reason to fear injury to person or property, or other proper reason to carry a concealed pistol.
The "good reason" requirement is not satisfied by simply living in an area with a high crime rate. The applicant must show a "special need for self-protection distinguishable from the general community as supported by evidence of specific threats or previous attacks."
An example of an "other proper reason" is the need to carry large quantities of cash or valuables during employment, but there is another outlined reason for "the need for a parent, son, daughter, sibling or other adult member of the immediate family to provide protection of a family member who is physically or mentally incapacitated to a point where he or she cannot act in defense of himself or herself, or his or her property."
There will, of course, be fees for the application, fingerprints for a background check when submitting the application and so on under § 2331.1.
The Chief of Police will determine the candidate's eligibility based on 14 requirements within 90 days, according to § 2339.1, but may be extended by another 90 days. If denied, the candidate may appeal within 15 days, as per § 2342.1.
And, if granted the license, the concealed carrier may not carry more than 20 rounds of ammunition on hand.
Once granted the license, which is valid for two years total as per § 7–2509.03, it may be renewed if the applicant meets the previous requirements, but only 4 hours of training will be required and the applicant must provide proof of 2 hours of range practice within the previous 12 months. The Chief of Police may prescribe additional requirements for renewal.
Gun Free Zones In Washington D.C.

Washington D.C. restricts firearms in gun free zones, and has signage laws preventing concealed carry licensees from entering non-residential private property.
The signage statutes are listed under § 2346.1 and 2346.2. Firearms-prohibited signs must be posted at the entrance of a building, premises or property that is accessible to the public.
There are just shy of about 20 location restrictions for licensees listed under Section 907 of D.C.'s License to Carry a Pistol Second Emergency Amendment Act of 2014:
- Any D.C. government building
- Any building, grounds or adjacent parking lot of a childcare facility, preschool, public/private elementary or secondary school, or public/private college or university (unless the licensee is driving to and from the location to pick up their child)
- Hospitals, or mental/medical health offices
- Penal institutions, secure juvenile residential facilities or halfway houses
- Polling places during a public vote
- On public transportation vehicles, including the Metrorail transit system and its stations
- Premises where alcohol is served, or sold and consumed on location
- Stadiums and arenas
- Public gatherings or events, but signs must be posted
- Public memorials, U.S. capitol buildings/grounds and any other federally prohibited location
- "The area around the White House between Constitution Avenue, N.W., and H Street, N.W., and between 15th Street, N.W., and 17th Street, N.W,;"
- "The U.S. Naval Observatory and its grounds, and from the perimeter of its fence to the curb of Massachusetts Avenue, N.W., from 34th Street, N.W., south on Massachusetts Avenue, N.W., to Observatory Circle, N.W.;"
- Within 1,000 feet of an MPD escort of a government entity, but signage or other forms of warning must be posted in advance
- At a demonstration in a public place, but the Chief or law enforcement agency must designate the area and the boundaries may not be more than 1,000 feet from the demonstration, also the area must be publically marked by signage or the policing agency must otherwise provide prior notice
- "Any prohibited location or circumstance that the Chief determines by rule; provided, that for spontaneous circumstances, no criminal penalty shall apply unless the licensee has notice of the prohibition and has failed to comply"
- Carrying a concealed pistol on private residential property not owned by the licensee is generally a prohibited location unless given permission by the landowner, property that is not residential does not have this restriction
- Churches, synagogues and mosques are generally prohibited locations unless posted signs say otherwise
- "While he or she is traveling along a public street, road, or highway, including an adjacent public sidewalk that touches the perimeter of any of the premises where the carrying of a concealed pistol is prohibited"
There may be other location restrictions unlisted here because this is not a completely exhaustive guide to carrying in the District of Columbia, neither is it formal legal advice.
Washington D.C. Concealed Carry Reciprocity

Washington D.C. concealed carry reciprocity agreements are fairly limited. The District does not recognize out-of-state permits, but non-residents may apply for a Washington D.C. CCW permit.
D.C. statute § 22–4504.02 outlines that "any person who is not otherwise prohibited by the law from transporting, shipping, or receiving a firearm shall be permitted to transport a firearm for any lawful purpose from any place where he may lawfully possess and carry the firearm to any other place where he may lawfully possess and carry the firearm if the firearm is transported in accordance with this section."
Around 20 states will recognize your D.C. permit if you're one of the lucky few to actually qualify and receive the concealed pistol license.
Click On Another State To Learn About Their Concealed Carry!
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About The Author Jake Smith (@notjakesmith) is a copywriter and photographer based in the pacific northwest. He graduated from the University of Idaho with degrees in public relations and apparel. |