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Washington DC Suppressor Laws

Suppressors are prohibited in Washington DC. Civilian ownership is illegal under District law regardless of federal compliance.

Reviewed by Diego Lopez, Head of Enforcement · Last reviewed August 21, 2026

Prohibited
Ownership Status
Prohibited
Hunting Status
Misdemeanor
Possession Penalty
42
States Where Legal

August 5 NFA Ruling

Updated August 21, 2026

A federal court ruled that the government cannot enforce certain NFA registration requirements against the parties covered by that case. It is not a repeal of the NFA, it is not nationwide, and it does not change state law.

Washington, D.C.: the ruling changes nothing here. A federal court order limiting ATF enforcement does not create a right to possess an item this state bans.

Read how this may affect you →

Current Law

The District reaches silencers through its dangerous weapons statute rather than its firearms statute. D.C. Code § 22-4514(a) bars possession of “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.”

The operative clause covers possession only.

There is a second, independent exposure that is easy to miss. § 7-2501.01(9) defines “firearm” to include “any firearm muffler or silencer,” and § 7-2502.01(a) requires a registration certificate for any firearm. Possessing an unregistered one carries up to a year under § 7-2507.06(a), and up to five years on a second conviction.

The Penalty

Contrary to what most sources say, mere silencer possession in D.C. is a misdemeanor, not a felony.

The felony carve-outs in § 22-4514(c) name only sawed-off shotguns, ghost guns, and machine guns, so silencers fall through to § 22-4515: a fine set by § 22-3571.01 or “imprisonment for not more than 1 year, or both.” Under § 22-3571.01(b)(5) the fine ceiling is $2,500.

In the same sentence of the same subsection, a sawed-off shotgun draws five years. On the enacted text, D.C. is the least punitive of the nine jurisdictions that ban suppressors. Repeat and post-felony offenders face up to ten years under § 22-4514(c)(3).

Who Is Exempt, and Who Is Not

Read the proviso carefully, because it does not do what everyone assumes.

§ 22-4514(a) lists the exempt persons (military, National Guard, marshals, sheriffs, wardens, police, federal officers, banking institutions, public carriers, and licensed dealers) and then enumerates what those persons may possess: “machine guns, or sawed-off shotgun, bump stock, ghost gun, knuckles, and blackjacks.”

Silencers are not on that list. Neither are switchblade knives or several other banned items. On the face of the enacted text, the law enforcement, military, and licensed dealer exemptions do not extend to silencers. The Council reopened subsection (a) in June 2024 and still did not add them.

§ 22-4513, the chapter’s exceptions section, is confined to toy and antique pistols and provides no help. There is no film exemption.

Alternatives

If you want to own and use suppressors, your options include:

  • Move to one of the 42 states where suppressors are legal
  • Use suppressors while visiting legal states (with proper arrangements)
  • Support legislative efforts to change DC law

Legislative Outlook

§ 22-4514 was amended by D.C. Law 25-175, the Secure DC Omnibus Amendment Act of 2024, effective June 8, 2024. That amendment made a definitional change to subsection (a) and rewrote subsection (c). It did not add silencers to the exemption proviso.

We located no D.C. Council legislation to legalize suppressors in 2024–2026.

Key Takeaway

Possession of a suppressor in the District is barred by D.C. Code § 22-4514(a) and punishable by up to one year and a $2,500 fine. Unregistered possession under § 7-2502.01 is a separate offense.