District of Columbia Concealed Carry Laws

Last reviewed: September 14, 2026

Constitutional Carry No
Open Carry Prohibited
Permit honored in 25 states
District of Columbia honors 0 states

District of Columbia Gun Laws

Reciprocity of District of Columbia's Basic Resident Permit

Alaska: Permit honoredAlabama: Permit honoredArkansas: Permit honoredArizona: Permit honoredCalifornia: Permit not honoredColorado: Permit not honoredConnecticut: Permit not honoredDistrict of Columbia (current state)Delaware: Permit not honoredFlorida: Permit honoredGeorgia: Permit honoredHawaii: Permit not honoredIowa: Permit honoredIdaho: Permit honoredIllinois: Permit not honoredIndiana: Permit honoredKansas: Permit honoredKentucky: Permit honoredLouisiana: Permitless carryMassachusetts: Permit not honoredMaryland: Permit not honoredMaine: Permitless carryMichigan: Permit honoredMinnesota: Permit not honoredMissouri: Permit honoredMississippi: Permit honoredMontana: Permitless carryNorth Carolina: Permit honoredNorth Dakota: Permitless carryNebraska: Permit honoredNew Hampshire: Permitless carryNew Jersey: Permit not honoredNew Mexico: Permit not honoredNevada: Permit not honoredNew York: Permit not honoredOhio: Permit honoredOklahoma: Permit honoredOregon: Permit not honoredPennsylvania: Permit not honoredRhode Island: Permit not honoredSouth Carolina: Permitless carrySouth Dakota: Permit honoredTennessee: Permit honoredTexas: Permit honoredUtah: Permit honoredVirginia: Permit honoredVermont: Permit honoredWashington: Permit not honoredWisconsin: Permit honoredWest Virginia: Permitless carryWyoming: Permitless carry AKALARAZCACOCTDCDEFLGAHIIAIDILINKSKYLAMAMDMEMIMNMOMSMTNCNDNENHNJNMNVNYOHOKORPARISCSDTNTXUTVAVTWAWIWVWY
Permit honored Permitless carry Not honored

Open Carry

Prohibited
Restricted

Duty to Notify Law Enforcement

Required to notify immediately upon official contact
Informational

State Parks

There are no state parks
Informational

Restaurants Serving Alcohol

Law prohibits carrying in places that serve alcohol but gives exemptions to places that hold a C/R or D/R license. These are places licensed to serve food and beverage with alcohol. Best to avoid bars and establishments that primarily sell alcohol.
Informational

Firearms at Colleges

Firearms prohibited on the "building or grounds"
Restricted

Firearms at K-12 Schools

Firearms prohibited on the "building or grounds"
Restricted

Church Carry

The carrying of a concealed firearm in any church or place where people regularly assemble for religious worship shall be presumed to be prohibited unless the property says otherwise with conspicuous signage
Informational

Hotels

No restriction in the law. Hotels can enforce their own policies.
Informational

Secure Storage Requirements

Firearms must be securely stored when one knows or reasonably should know that a juvenile can gain access to the firearm without the permission of their parent or guardian or when a resident of the premises is ineligible to possess a firearm.
Restricted

Magazine Capacity Limitations

Previous ammunition restrictions (the 20 round total) have been repealed and more currently magazine capacity limits overall has been deemed unconstitutional by courts. Please stay tuned as further legal action continues in the courts.
Restricted

Suppressor Ownership

Ownership of any class III item (including suppressors) is unlawful
Restricted

Vehicle Possession Without Recognized Permit

Handgun carry in vehicle prohibited except when in compliance with 18 USC 926A (see page 60)
Informational

Firearm Law Uniformity

Laws are uniform throughout
Permitted

Permit Training Requirements

Currently training must be completed and is to include 16 hours of classroom type instruction on various topics and 2 hours of qualified range training.
Informational

Non-Resident Permits

Non-residents may apply
Permitted

Constitutional Carry

No
Restricted

Duty to Retreat

No Duty to Retreat
Permitted

Places Off Limits

- Any building or office occupied by the District of Columbia, its agencies, or instrumentalities
- Childcare facilities, preschools, public and private elementary and secondary schools, and public and private colleges and universities — buildings, grounds, and adjacent parking lots. You may drive in and park briefly to drop off or pick up a child, provided the pistol is secured before you leave the vehicle
- Hospitals and offices where medical or mental health services are the primary service
- Penal institutions, secure juvenile residential facilities, and halfway houses
- Polling places while voting is occurring
- Public transportation vehicles, including Metrobus, Metrorail and its stations, DC Circulator, DC Streetcar, and MetroAccess
- Premises licensed to serve alcohol for on-premises consumption, except restaurant-class licenses (C/R, D/R, C/H, D/H), caterers, temporary licenses, and small-sample tasting permits
- Stadiums and arenas
- Gatherings and special events open to the public, where notice has been given in advance and by posted signage, or where an officer has ordered you to leave
- The public memorials on the National Mall and along the Tidal Basin, and anywhere firearms are barred by federal law or agency, including U.S. Capitol buildings and grounds
- The White House Complex and its grounds, out to the curb of the adjacent sidewalks bounded by Constitution Ave NW, 15th St NW, H St NW, and 17th St NW
- The U.S. Naval Observatory and its fence line, including adjacent sidewalks along Observatory Circle from Calvert St NW to Massachusetts Ave NW
- Within 1,000 feet of a protected dignitary or high-ranking official moving under law enforcement protection, in an area designated by the Chief, where the perimeter is made obvious by signs, vehicles, or officers
- Within 1,000 feet of a demonstration in a public place, in a designated area, under the same notice conditions
- Private residential property — carry is presumed prohibited unless the owner or person in control has personally authorized it in advance
- Churches, synagogues, mosques, and other places of worship — presumed prohibited unless posted with signage allowing it or the owner personally authorizes it
- Non-residential private property posted with conspicuous signage prohibiting carry, or where the owner tells you personally. Signs must be at least 8x10 inches in 36-point contrasting type
- Anywhere else the Chief of Police designates by rule
Informational

State Contact / Source

Washington Metro Police
300 Indiana Ave. NW - 5th Fl
Washington D.C. 20001
202-727-9099
www.mpdc.dc.gov
Informational

Permit Issuing Authority

Washington DC Metropolitan Police
Informational

Length of Permit Validity

Informational

Permit Application Process

Best to review these instructions from the Metro Police link
Informational

District of Columbia Permit Reciprocity

Reciprocity shown is for a standard resident permit. Non-resident and enhanced permit holders may have different reciprocity. Always verify before carrying. Use our full permit reciprocity map for all permit types →

Your District of Columbia resident permit is honored in 25 states

AK AL AR AZ FL GA IA ID IN KS KY MI MO MS NC NE OH OK SD TN TX UT VA VT WI
Disclaimer:
While Concealed Carry Inc strives to maintain legal reference information updated on this website from publicly available sources; you as the reader and gun owner are responsible to do any and all necessary research and consult with a local attorney before making any decisions. Concealed Carry Inc is not a government agency is not affiliated with a government agency and is not liable for any misinformation, inaccuracies, or actions taken based on this information. We are not attorneys and this information is not legal advice. If you see any information you feel is outdated or incorrect please contact us.

Legal Summaries for all 50 states are available free on our site and mobile app.

Take this with you

Get free access to state gun laws, reciprocity maps, and more in the ConcealedCarry.com mobile app.