Maryland & District of Columbia Rifle and Pistol Association, Inc. v. Walter E. Washington
Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit
👎Unfavorable to gun rights
upheld the District's authority to impose its firearms registration and licensing regulations
GunMapUSA assessment of the outcome's direction, not a statement that the court decided rightly or wrongly.
What the court held
A gun owners' association argued that the District of Columbia Council lacked authority to adopt police regulations requiring registration of pistols, rifles, and shotguns, licensing of purchasers and dealers, and conditions on ammunition sales, contending the regulations were ultra vires and that Congress had reserved firearms control to itself. The D.C. Circuit affirmed the district court, holding that D.C. Code section 1-227, which authorizes police regulations necessary for the regulation of firearms and weapons of any kind, supplied ample authority and was not confined to hunting and wildlife.
Summarized from the court's opinion.
What this case is about
District of Columbia regulations requiring registration of firearms kept or traded in the District
GunMapUSA summary of the issue, not a quotation from the court.
Sources
- CourtListener — retrieved 2026-08-08
Summary of public court records. Not legal advice.