(a) No person shall carry within the District of Columbia either openly or concealed on or about their person, a pistol, without a license issued pursuant to District of Columbia law, or any deadly or dangerous weapon capable of being so concealed. Whoever violates this section shall be punished as provided in § 22-4515, except that:
(1) A person who violates this section by carrying a pistol, without a license issued pursuant to District of Columbia law, or any deadly or dangerous weapon, in a place other than the person's dwelling place, place of business, or on other land possessed by the person, shall be fined not more than $5,000 or imprisoned for not more than 5 years, or both; or
(2) If the violation of this section occurs after a person has been convicted in the District of Columbia of a violation of this section or of a felony, either in the District of Columbia or another jurisdiction, the person shall be fined not more than $10,000 or imprisoned for not more than 10 years, or both.
(a-1) Except as otherwise permitted by law, no person shall carry within the District of Columbia a rifle or shotgun. A person who violates this subsection shall be subject to the criminal penalties set forth in subsection (a)(1) and (2) of this section.
(b) No person shall within the District of Columbia possess a pistol, machine gun, shotgun, rifle, or any other firearm or imitation firearm while committing a crime of violence or dangerous crime as defined in § 22-4501. Upon conviction of a violation of this subsection, the person may be sentenced to imprisonment for a term not to exceed 15 years and shall be sentenced to imprisonment for a mandatory-minimum term of not less than 5 years and shall not be released on parole, or granted probation or suspension of sentence, prior to serving the mandatory-minimum sentence.
CREDIT(S)
(July 8, 1932, 47 Stat. 651, ch. 465, § 4; Nov. 4, 1943, 57 Stat. 586, ch. 296; Aug. 4, 1947, 61 Stat. 743, ch. 469; June 29, 1953, 67 Stat. 94, ch. 159, § 204(c); July 28, 1989, D.C. Law 8-19, § 3(c), 36 DCR 2844; May 8, 1990, D.C. Law 8-120, § 3(c), 37 DCR 24; May 21, 1994, D.C. Law 10-119, § 15(c), 41 DCR 1639; Aug. 20, 1994, D.C. Law 10-151, § 302, 41 DCR 2608; May 20, 2009, D.C. Law 17-388, § 2(c), 56 DCR 1162.)
HISTORICAL AND STATUTORY NOTES
Prior Codifications
1981 Ed., § 22-3204.
1973 Ed., § 22-3204.
Effect of Amendments
D.C. Law 17-388 added subsec. (a-1).
Emergency Act Amendments
For temporary amendment of section, see § 302 of the Omnibus Criminal Justice Reform Emergency Amendment Act of 1994 (D.C. Act 10-255, June 22, 1994, 41 DCR 4286).
For temporary authorization for seizure and forfeiture of firearms under certain circumstances, see § 2 of the Zero Tolerance for Guns Emergency Amendment Act of 1996 (D.C. Act 11-390, August 26, 1996, 43 DCR 4986).
For temporary (90 day) amendment of section, see § 3(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) amendment of section, see § 3(b) 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 § 2(c) of Inoperable Pistol Emergency Amendment Act of 2008 (D.C. Act 17-652, January 6, 2009, 56 DCR 927).
For temporary (90 day) additions, see § 2(d) of Inoperable Pistol Emergency Amendment Act of 2008 (D.C. Act 17-652, January 6, 2009, 56 DCR 927).
For temporary (90 day) amendment of section, see § 2(c) of Inoperable Pistol Congressional Review Emergency Amendment Act of 2009 (D.C. Act 18-24, March 16, 2009, 56 DCR 2309).
For temporary (90 day) additions, see § 2(d) of Inoperable Pistol Congressional Review Emergency Amendment Act of 2009 (D.C. Act 18-24, March 16, 2009, 56 DCR 2309).
For temporary (90 day) amendment of section, see § 203(a) of Receiving Stolen Property and Public Safety Amendments Emergency Amendment Act of 2011 (D.C. Act 19-261, December 21, 2011, 58 DCR 11232).
For temporary (90 day) amendment of section, see § 3(a) of Firearms Registration Renewal Emergency Amendment Act of 2012 (D.C. Act 19-324, March 18, 2012, 59 DCR 2258).
For temporary (90 day) amendment of section, see § 3(d) 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 § 3(d) of the Firearms Amendments Congressional Review Emergency Amendment Act of 2012 (D.C. Act 19-394, July 18, 2012, 59 DCR 8694).
Legislative History of Laws
For legislative history of D.C. Law 8-19, see Historical and Statutory Notes following § 22-4501.
For legislative history of D.C. Law 8-120, see Historical and Statutory Notes following § 22-4501.
For legislative history of D.C. Law 10-119, see Historical and Statutory Notes following § 22-4502.
For legislative history of D.C. Law 10-151, see Historical and Statutory Notes following § 22-4501.
For Law 17-388, see notes following § 22-4501.
Miscellaneous Notes
Seizure and forfeiture of conveyances used in firearms offenses: Section 2(b) of D.C. Law 11-273 provided for the forfeiture and seizure of any conveyance, including vehicles and vessels in which any person or persons transport, possess, or conceal any firearm as defined in § 6-2302 [§ 7-2501.01, 2001 Ed.], or in any manner use to facilitate a violation of §§ 22-3203 and 22-3204 [§§ 22-4503 and 22-4504, 2001 Ed.].