§ 22-4514 — Possession of certain dangerous weapons prohibited; exceptions.

(a) No person shall within the District of Columbia possess any item that is, in fact, a machine gun, sawed-off shotgun, bump stock, ghost gun, knuckles, or any instrument or weapon of the kind commonly known as a blackjack, slungshot, sand club, sandbag, switchblade knife, nor 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; provided, however, that machine guns, or sawed-off shotgun, bump stock, ghost gun, knuckles, and blackjacks may be possessed by the members of the Army, Navy, Air Force, or Marine Corps of the United States, the National Guard, or Organized Reserves when on duty, the Post Office Department or its employees when on duty, marshals, sheriffs, prison or jail wardens, or their deputies, policemen, or other duly-appointed law enforcement officers, including any designated civilian employee of the Metropolitan Police Department, or officers or employees of the United States duly authorized to carry such weapons, banking institutions, public carriers who are engaged in the business of transporting mail, money, securities, or other valuables, wholesale dealers and retail dealers licensed under § 22-4510 .

(b) No person shall within the District of Columbia possess, with intent to use unlawfully against another, an imitation pistol, or a dagger, dirk, razor, stiletto, or knife with a blade longer than 3 inches, or other dangerous weapon.

(c) Whoever violates this section shall be punished as provided in § 22-4515 unless:

(1) The violation involves possession of a sawed-off shotgun, or ghost gun, in which case such person shall be fined no more than the amount set forth in § 22-3571.01 , or incarcerated for no more than 5 years, or both;

(2) The violation involves possession of a machine gun, in which case such person shall be fined no more than the amount set forth in § 22-3571.01 , or incarcerated for no more than 5 years, which shall be imposed consecutive to any other sentence of imprisonment, or both; or

(3) The violation occurs after such 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 in another jurisdiction, in which case such person shall be fined no more than the amount set forth in § 22-3571.01 , or incarcerated for no more than 10 years, or both.

(d) Repealed.

Legislative History

July 8, 1932, 47 Stat. 654, ch. 465, § 14; June 29, 1953, 67 Stat. 94, ch. 159, § 204(h); May 21, 1994, D.C. Law 10-119, § 15(k), 41 DCR 1639; June 12, 1999, D.C. Law 12-284, § 6, 46 DCR 1328; May 15, 2009, D.C. Law 17-390, § 3(b), 55 DCR 11030; June 11, 2013, D.C. Law 19-317, § 309(b), 60 DCR 2064