The D.C. Council on Tuesday opened the door for law-abiding District residents to keep a handgun in their homes for self-defense, lifting a three-decade-old ban that the U.S. Supreme Court rejected as unconstitutional.
The Metropolitan Police Department’s gun registration office, at 300 Indiana Ave. NW, is scheduled to open Thursday morning — more details are to come on the exact time — and make gun applications available.
Emergency legislation approved unanimously by the council, in tandem with rules drafted by the Police Department, establish the process for registering a handgun and the strict regulations for stowing the gun in the home.
Proponents said the new policies, which require registrants to pass a gun safety exam, prove adequate eyesight and have their guns ballistically fingerprinted, strike a balance between meeting the Supreme Court’s mandate and protecting public safety.
Gun rights advocates, meanwhile, are expected to sue the city yet again, contending that D.C.’s new rules make it too difficult to register a gun, violating the spirit of the recent high court decision.
The registration process is a potentially months-long endeavor, Mayor Adrian Fenty acknowledged Monday. All automatic and semiautomatic firearms remain illegal, and all handguns must be kept unloaded and either disassembled or trigger-locked unless there is a “perceived threat of immediate harm” — two provisions likely to spark immediate legal challenges.
The rules will remain in effect for 90 days while the council and mayor consider permanent changes.
