How To Buy a Gun in DC (Purchase/Registration Process)

Firearms Purchase/Registration Process

1. Select the Firearm you wish to purchase from www.DCgunWorks.com or www.MyGunFactory.com.  Remember, DC only allows firearms that are listed on the following State approved lists and magazine capacities are limited to 10 rounds. If you purchase a rifle or shotgun, it will be mailed to NOVA Firearms in Falls Church, VA (www.novafirearms.com) for pick-up.  If you purchased a handgun, it will be mailed to a transfer agent in DC, located at the Metropolitan Police Department Headquarters (Main Entrance) 300 Indiana Avenue, NW, 2nd Floor Washington, DC 20001

        Approved Firearms Lists:

• Maryland Handgun Roster
• Massachusetts Firearm Roster
• Firearms Eligible for Registration*

2. Once you have completed the purchase of your DC compliant firearm, contact NOVA Firearms (www.novafirearms.com) in Falls Church, VA and schedule time to complete the DC Firearms Training Class.  This class is $125 and includes 5 hours of classroom instruction and 1 hour of live fire training at the NRA range. You will receive a certificate of completion from one of our NRA certified instructors and that will allow you to register your gun in DC.

3. Registering your Firearm
To register a newly purchased firearm (or firearm you intend to purchase), the buyer must provide a completed Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) “Application for Firearms Registration Certificate” (or PD-219), a form in triplicate that becomes your firearms registration certificate.  This form can be obtained by contacting the DC MPD at (202) 727-4275. Part of the PD-219 must be completed by the SELLER. The seller is identified in each of the possible scenarios below.

Rifle or Shotgun

• Under federal law, you MAY purchase a rifle or shotgun in any state in which you DO NOT LIVE and bring it into your state of residence (Washington, DC) without going through a Federal Firearms Licensee (FFL)/Dealer.  In this instance, the SELLER is defined as whoever initially sells you the firearm.   We recommend purchasing firearms through this website or through NOVA Firearms – located at 412 W. Broad Street, Suite 2 Falls Church, VA 22046 as they are very familiar with the DC gun laws – www.novafirearms.com and are conveniently located in Northern VA- the only Virginia Gun Shop inside the Beltway.  If purchasing a rifle or shotgun, NOVA Firearms would be the the Seller.
• You should request a PD-219 from MPD before you shop for a firearm. You may pick it up at MPD’s Firearms Registration Section (FRS), or request that it be mailed to you.
• You will complete the rest of the application and bring it to the FRS along with all other necessary materials to complete the registration process.
• Once the application is approved (generally within five days), the FRS will notify you. You can pick up your registration certificate or request that it be mailed to you. Your registration process is then complete.
• After you get the registration certificate, bring it to the dealer (NOVA Firearms in Falls Church, VA) to pick up your rifle or shotgun.

Handgun

• Under federal law, a handgun MAY BE PURCHASED outside the state in which you live, however, it must be transferred to you through a transfer agent who possesses a Federal Firearms Licensee (FFL) that resides in your state. Because DC currently does not allow retail gun shops, you can purchase your handgun on this website or at NOVA Firearms located at 412 W. Broad Street, Suite 2 Falls Church, VA 22046 and they can facilitate the purchase/registration process.  Note: until DC permits us to open a gun shop in DC, we must send your purchased handgun to a DC transfer agent who will then complete the registration process in DC and he will charge a $150 fee for this service (We are not affiliated with the DC transfer agent). The transfer agent does not sell guns in DC; he only registers the gun in DC.  Because there are no retail gun shops in DC, we recommend that you order your firearms from this website or through NOVA Firearms in Falls Church, VA www.novafirearms.com as they are very familiar with the DC firearms purchase and registration process and can have the guns sent directly to the transfer agent)
• Once you purchase a firearm from this website (or through NOVA Firearms), we will arrange to ship the firearm to the transfer agent in DC.  At that point the DC transfer agent will provide and complete the Sellers portion of Section A of MPD’s “Application for Firearms Registration Certificate” (PD-219) (even though the Transfer agent didn’t sell you the gun, the law requires the transfer agent to complete the sellers section of teh PD-219 for all handgun purchases.
• You will complete the rest of the application and bring it to the FRS along with all other necessary materials to complete the registration process.
• Once the application is approved (generally within five days), the FRS will notify you. You can pick up your registration certificate or request that it be mailed to you. Your registration process is then complete.
• After you get the registration certificate, bring it to the transfer agent to pick up your handgun.
• DC code 22-4508 requires a 10-day waiting period from the date of purchase before you can pick-up the gun.
• DC LAW PROHIBITS YOU FROM OWNING A HANDGUN WITH A MAGAZINE CAPACITY GREATER THAN 10-ROUNDS- (I guess the 11th bullet is the dangerous one).
• DC LAW ONLY ALLOWS YOU TO PURCHASE FIREARMS CONTAINED ON THE 1999 CALIFORNIA, MARYLAND, & MASS. GUN LIST- (and you can throw rocks at the bad guys)
• FOR LIST OF APPROVED HANDGUNS CLICK HERE
• DC REQUIRES THAT YOU COMPLETE A TRAINING COURSE WITH LIVE FIRE DEMONSTRATION- NOVA Firearms in Falls Church, VA offers the DC Training course every other Sunday or by appointment. (www.novafirearms.com)

Firearms Registration in the District of Columbia

The Metropolitan Police Department is the agency responsible for registering firearms in the District of Columbia. The Department’s publication, Firearms Registration General Requirements and Study Guide, provides you with the information you need to comply with the District’s laws regarding proper registration and safekeeping of your weapon. By being familiar with the law and the process, you will be able to quickly and easily register your weapon and ensure that you are in compliance.

• Hours
  Monday-Friday, 9 am – 5 pm
• Telephone
  • Firearms Registration Section: (202) 727-4275
• Location
  Metropolitan Police Department Headquarters (Main Entrance)
  300 Indiana Avenue, NW, 2nd Floor
  Washington, DC 20001
  Registration will take place at MPD Headquarters only. You may not register a firearm at any other MPD facility.
• Transfer Agent is located at the Police Department address listed above – Room 1140 A
• Nearest Metro Stop
  Judiciary Square (4th Street Exit)