2023 District of Columbia Code › Title 7 - Human Health Care and Safety › Chapter 25 - Firearms Control › Subchapter IV - Licensing of Firearms Businesses › § 7–2504.01. Manufacture of firearms, destructive devices or ammunition prohibited; requirement for dealer’s license

§ 7–2504.01. Manufacture of firearms, destructive devices or ammunition prohibited; requirement for dealer’s license.
(a) No person or organization shall engage in the business of manufacturing any firearm, destructive device or parts thereof, or ammunition, within the District; provided, that:
(1) Nothing in this section shall preclude persons not otherwise prohibited from possessing firearms from making their own firearms solely for personal use (not for sale or distribution) in accordance with Unit A of this chapter, rules issued pursuant to Unit A of this chapter, and any applicable federal law or regulation; and
(2) A person holding registration certificates may engage in hand loading, reloading, or custom loading ammunition for the person's registered firearms; except, that a person may not hand load, reload, or custom load ammunition for others.
(b) No person or organization shall engage in the business of selling, purchasing, or repairing any firearm, destructive device, parts therefor, or ammunition, without first obtaining a dealer’s license, and no licensee shall engage in the business of selling, purchasing, or repairing firearms which are unregisterable under § 7-2502.02, destructive devices, or parts therefor, except pursuant to a valid work or purchase order, for those persons specified in § 7-2502.01(b)(1).
(c) Any license issued pursuant to this section shall be issued by the Metropolitan Police Department as a Public Safety endorsement to a basic business license under the basic business license system as set forth in subchapter I-A of Chapter 28 of Title 47.
(Sept. 24, 1976, D.C. Law 1-85, title IV, § 401, 23 DCR 2464; Apr. 20, 1999, D.C. Law 12-261, § 2003(k)(1), 46 DCR 3142; Oct. 28, 2003, D.C. Law 15-38, § 3(i)(1), 50 DCR 6913; Apr. 21, 2023, D.C. Law 24-347, § 2(f), 70 DCR 928.)
Prior Codifications
1981 Ed., § 6-2341.
1973 Ed., § 6-1841.
Section References
This section is referenced in § 7-2508.01.
Effect of Amendments
D.C. Law 15-38, in subsec. (c), substituted “Public Safety endorsement to a basic business license under the basic” for “Class A Public Safety endorsement to a master business license under the master”.
Emergency Legislation
For temporary (90 days) amendment of this section, see § 2(e) of Ghost Gun Clarification Emergency Amendment Act of 2022 (D.C. Act 24-583, Oct. 17, 2022, 69 DCR 012714).
For temporary (90 days) amendment of this section, see § 2(e) of Ghost Gun Clarification Emergency Amendment Act of 2021 (D.C. Act 24-237, Dec. 13, 2021, 68 DCR 013482).
For temporary (90 day) amendment of section, see § 3(i)(1) of Streamlining Regulation Emergency Act of 2003 (D.C. Act 15-145, August 11, 2003, 50 DCR 6896).
Temporary Legislation
For temporary (225 days) amendment of this section, see § 2(e) of Ghost Gun Clarification Temporary Amendment Act of 2022 (D.C. Law 24-221, Dec. 21, 2022, 69 DCR 13966).
For temporary (225 days) amendment of this section, see § 2(e) of Ghost Gun Clarification Temporary Amendment Act of 2021 (D.C. Law 24-87, Mar. 2, 2022, 69 DCR 000450).