Suppressor law
Prohibited
Possession is a state-law crime here regardless of the federal change. No NFA-registration exemption exists in this state's law.
| Statute | D.C. Code § 22-4514(a) |
| Notes | § 22-4514(a) bans possession of 'any instrument, attachment, or appliance for causing the firing of any firearm to be silent or intended to lessen or muffle the noise of the firing of any firearms.' The on-duty military/LE/postal/bank/dealer proviso lists machine guns, sawed-off shotguns, bump stocks, ghost guns, knuckles and blackjacks — silencers are not even included in the exception list. Penalties: § 22-4515 default (fine per § 22-3571.01 or ≤1 year); up to 10 years if the offender has a prior § 22-4514 violation or felony conviction. ATF's non-enforcement of NFA registration does not change DC's ban. |
| Hunting | N/A — no hunting with suppressors: possession itself is a crime under D.C. Code § 22-4514(a), and D.C. has no lawful hunting context for suppressors. |
Federal context: suppressor tax $0 since Jan 1, 2026 (OBBBA); ATF stopped enforcing NFA approval/registration Oct 9, 2026. State law is unchanged and independently controls.
Carry law
A District of Columbia permit is honored by 0 other states.
| Permit type | Shall Issue |
| Constitutional carry | No |
| Duty to inform | Yes — Must immediately inform law enforcement |
| Open carry | Restricted/prohibited |
| Minimum age | 21 |
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