Step-by-step guide
Washington DC Non-Resident Guide
How a New York carry license holder gets a Washington DC Concealed Carry License.
Where You Can Carry — See the Map
Apply Online, Then One Trip to DC for Fingerprints, Photo and a Short Interview. You Need a New York Carry License and Must Register Your Carry Gun in DC.
At a glance (checked Nov 1, 2026):
Can a New Yorker apply? Yes, if you hold a NY carry license. You must also register in DC the handgun you will carry
Training: 16 hours of class plus 2 hours of range (50-round qualification, 70% to pass) with an MPD-certified instructor. The DC-law part cannot be waived. Some MPD-certified instructors teach on Long Island
Fingerprints: Taken by MPD at your appointment in DC ($35)
In person: One appointment at MPD headquarters in DC (fingerprints, photo, interview). Renewals can be done online
Cost: $75 license + $35 fingerprints; the $13 gun registration fee is waived for the first gun with a license application
Processing: Normally within 90 days (can be extended); recent reports range from days to about 2 months
Valid for: 2 years
Step 1 - Check That You Qualify
DC law lets a non-resident apply if they have "a license to carry a pistol concealed upon his or her person issued by the lawful authorities of any State." A NY or NYC carry license qualifies; a premises license does not.
You must be 21 or older and meet DC's firearm-registration and suitability rules.
You must own (or be buying) the handgun you will carry and register it in DC. You can apply for the registration and the license at the same time.
The gun must be registrable in DC (no assault weapons, no guns on DC's "unsafe firearm" list, no ghost guns). Check this before you apply.
MPD no longer asks for a "good reason."
Step 2 - The Training
At least 16 hours of class (safety, marksmanship, storage, conflict management and deadly force, and DC and federal firearms law) plus 2 hours of range training with a 50-round qualification from up to 15 yards; 70% to pass.
It must be taught by an instructor certified by DC's Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). MPD: "there is no exemption from the training on DC law."
MPD's instructor list (dated Oct 30, 2026) includes 5 certified instructors whose range is the Nassau County Rifle & Pistol Range on Long Island: Top Concierge Service, 202 Tactical Self Defense Alliance, Eagle Shield, Long Island Firearms Training Center and NY Safe. List: link.
DC law lets MPD credit parts of your home-state training, but one New York applicant reports MPD did not credit their NY training. Plan on the full DC course.
You may apply first: after preliminary approval you have 45 days to finish the training.
Step 3 - Apply Online
Create a profile on the MPD Firearms Portal (link).
Fill in the Application for Firearm Registration or Concealed Carry License (New) and the gun registration (form PD-219). Upload your documents.
Pay online (or at the appointment): $75 license and $35 fingerprints. Debit or credit (Visa/Mastercard), or cash in person. The $13 registration fee is waived for the first gun registered with a license application.
Step 4 - The Appointment in DC
Book an appointment through the portal (walk-ins are accepted, but appointments go first):
MPD Firearms Registration Branch
441 4th Street NW, Room 550 South
Washington, DC 20001
Monday to Friday, 9 AM to 5 PM. (202) 727-4275.
Bring a government photo ID, two proofs of residency, your training certificate (if not uploaded) and payment if you did not pay online. Also bring a copy of your NY carry license, since your eligibility rests on it.
MPD takes your fingerprints and photo and does a short interview. MPD: "the process only takes one in-person appointment."
Do not bring your firearm to MPD.
Bring a copy of your appointment confirmation (text or email).
Step 5 - After You Apply
DC rules give MPD 90 days to decide, extendable by another 90 days with notice. Then you get a denial or a preliminary approval (45 days to finish training).
The license is valid for 2 years. MPD recommends renewing 45 days before it expires. Renewal needs 4 hours of training plus proof of 2 hours of range practice in the last 12 months, and can be done online.
A denial can be appealed to the Office of Administrative Hearings within 15 days.
Where It Is Valid
Not valid in New York.
You need a DC license to carry in DC. DC does not publish a list of states that honor its license; check each state's own list.
Driving through DC without a DC license: travel without stopping and transport the gun as DC law requires (DC Code 22-4502.02).
Tips from Others' Experience
From users on the chats (paraphrased). These are personal experiences, not official rules, and may change.
July 2026 advice to a NYC applicant: take the 16+2 with a DC-certified trainer and don't count on the license for a trip a few weeks away; MPD can take its full 90 days.
Appointment (December 2025): smooth and not crowded; no "why do you need it" questions. Bring your appointment confirmation, since some people were told they had no appointment.
Early 2026: approval came quickly for some, but the physical cards took up to about 60 days to arrive.
Since late 2025 first-time applicants can upload documents and pay online; the portal is sometimes down for maintenance.
Before 2025 the whole process took 6 to 7 months; it is much faster now.
Good to Know
You may carry only a pistol registered in DC, and you must have both the license and the registration on you.
If stopped while carrying: say that you are carrying, show the license and registration, say where the gun is, and follow instructions.
Concealed only, in a holster. No off-body carry (no purse or bag).
Magazines over 10 rounds are prohibited in DC.
Many places are off limits, including DC government buildings, schools, colleges and childcare (with grounds and parking), hospitals, Metro trains, buses and stations, any place serving alcohol on site, stadiums, polling places, public gatherings, federal property (including the Capitol and the National Mall), and the White House area. Private homes only with permission. Houses of worship (including shuls) only if the owner or their agent allows it. Full list: MPD restrictions.
Every state has different laws pertaining to carrying, restrictions etc. It is your responsibility to know these laws and be familiar with them before visiting that state.
This guide summarizes the state's published instructions as of November 1, 2026 and is not legal advice. Fees, forms and rules change; always check the official page before you apply. Tips from others' experience come from users on the chats; they are personal experiences, not official rules.
Official Sources
Checked November 1, 2026.
MPD, Eligibility Requirements for a Concealed Carry License: link
MPD, Fees and Payment: link
MPD, Firearms Registration and CCL FAQ: link
MPD, How to Apply for a CCL: link
MPD Firearms Portal: link
MPD-certified training instructors: link
MPD Firearms Registration Branch (address, hours): link
MPD, CCL Restrictions (where you cannot carry): link
DC Code 22-4506 (non-resident licenses): link
DC Code 7-2509.02 (training and application): link
Where You Can Carry
You Cannot Carry in These States (15)
California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Washington State
Dark green: you can carry. Your licenses are honored there (or it is the state that issued the permit).
Light green: you can carry with no permit. That state lets visitors carry with no permit at all. Age limits and rules apply.
Red: you cannot carry here. None of your licenses is honored there, and visitors may not carry without one. Do not carry.
Washington, DC does not recognize any other state's license — you need a DC Concealed Carry Pistol License.
Virginia: changes July 1, 2027 — a new law (SB 115) replaces honoring all states with an Attorney General list not yet published.
Before You Travel
- Check every state on your route. Read the official state police or attorney general website for each state you will pass through. Laws change, and this map can fall behind.
- Verify your exact permit type is honored. Many states honor only permits issued to residents of the issuing state, not non-resident permits.
- Resident vs. non-resident rules differ. A state may treat the same permit differently depending on where you live.
- Permitless carry has limits. Some permitless-carry states allow it only for their own residents, or only from a certain age.
- Review each state's carry laws. Know where carry is banned (schools, government buildings, bars, parks, transit and more) and the rules for carrying in a car.
- Duty to inform. Some states require you to tell a police officer right away that you are carrying.
- Ammunition. Some states restrict hollow-point ammunition (for example, New Jersey). Check what you may carry.
- Magazine capacity. Magazine limits differ by state.
- Type of firearm. Some places ban certain firearms (for example, AR-style rifles are not allowed in New York City).
- Interstate travel (safe passage). Under federal law, 18 U.S.C. § 926A (part of the Firearm Owners Protection Act of 1986, signed by President Reagan), you may transport a firearm through a state where you cannot legally carry, if you may lawfully possess and carry it at both your starting point and your destination. The firearm must be unloaded, and neither the firearm nor any ammunition may be readily accessible from the passenger compartment: keep them in the trunk, or, in a vehicle without a trunk, in a locked container other than the glove compartment or console. Stops along the way can complicate this protection, so verify before you travel. Read 18 U.S.C. § 926A
Checked November 2026. Laws change: always verify before you travel. This is general information, not legal advice.
Last checked: November 1, 2026
New to the terms? See the 2A Glossary.
You Carry the Responsibility. We Carry the Process.
The decision to carry is yours. The stress of getting approved doesn't have to be. White Glove is a full service: we handle the process with you, make sure every requirement is met 100%, and stay with you to the finish line. Every completed application we've handled has been approved.
- Full service - we take the stress of doing it all
- Every requirement checked and met, 100%
- We Prepare and Submit All Your Paperwork
- Notary services available*
- Your 18-hour training scheduled
- We Prep You for the Fingerprinting and Interview Appointment
- Guided step by step - and We Assist You Once You're Approved
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