Nonresidents may apply for a concealed carry pistol license, and must register any pistol they wish to carry within the District.

An individual must not:

• be convicted of a crime of violence,  a weapons offense, or a violation of the registration law;
• be convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year;
• be a fugitive from justice;
• be under indictment for a crime of violence or a weapons offense;
• been convicted of a narcotics/dangerous drug, or an assault or threat to do bodily injury, or two or more DWIs, or an intrafamily, offense within the last five years;
• be addicted to any controlled substance;
• been acquitted of a crime by reason of insanity, or adjudicated a chronic alcoholic within the past five years, unless he/she presents a medical certification indicating that he/she has recovered from such insanity or alcoholic condition and is capable of safe and responsible possession of a firearm;
• been committed to a mental hospital within the past five years, unless he/she presents a medical certification that the applicant has recovered from whatever malady prompted such commitment;
• had a history of violent behavior within the past five years;
• suffering from a physical defect which would tend to indicate that applicant would not be able to possess or use a firearm safely and responsibly;
• been adjudicated negligent in a firearm mishap causing death or serious injury;
• have failed to demonstrate knowledge of D.C. firearms law;
• have been subject to a protection order in an intrafamily proceeding, unless he/she submits a certified court record establishing that the order has expired or has been rescinded for a period of 5 years or more;
• be subject to a court order that: was issued after a hearing of which the person received actual notice, and at which the person had an opportunity to participate or remained in effect after the person failed to appear for a hearing of which the person received actual notice; and restrains the person from assaulting, harassing, stalking, or threatening any person named in the order; and requires the person to relinquish possession of any firearms.

No more than one pistol per registrant may be registered during any 30-day period, except that a person first becoming a District resident may register more than one pistol if the pistols were lawfully owned in another jurisdiction for a period of 6 months prior to the date of the application.

A person applying for a registration certificate may be fingerprinted, must submit 2 full-face photographs taken within the prior 30 days, must appear in person, and may be required to bring with him the firearm for which a registration certificate is sought.

No firearm may be acquired unless an application is first filed with the MPD and a registration certificate issued.  Any person bringing a firearm into the District must “immediately” notify the Identification and Records Division. An application for registration must be filed within 48 hours after such notification.

A person who has registered a firearm must notify the MPD in writing: of the loss, theft, or destruction of the registration certificate or of the registered firearm immediately upon discovery of such loss, theft, or destruction; within 30 days of a change in the registrant's name or address as it appears on the registration certificate; of the sale, transfer, or other disposition of the firearm within 2 business days of such sale, transfer, or other disposition.

Registration certificates shall expire 3 years after the date of issuance unless renewed for subsequent 3-year periods.

A person may temporarily possesses a firearm registered to another person while in the home of the registrant, if the person is not otherwise prohibited from possessing firearms and the person reasonably believes that possession of the firearm is necessary to prevent imminent death or great bodily harm to himself or herself.

A sawed-off shotgun, machinegun, short-barreled rifle, a pistol that is not on the District Roster of Handguns Not Determined to be Unsafe, an “assault weapon” as defined by D.C. Code § 7-2501.01(3A), and .50 BMG rifle may not be possessed in D.C.  A “large capacity ammunition feeding device” (a magazine, belt, drum, feed strip, or similar device that has a capacity of, or that can be readily restored or converted to accept, more than 10 rounds of ammunition, except an attached tubular device designed to accept, and capable of operating only with, .22 caliber rimfire ammunition) may not be possessed in D.C.