Skip to Main Content
Last updated .

The District of Columbia prohibits any person from providing false information or false evidence of his or her identity when purchasing a handgun or machine gun.1

Similarly, the District prohibits any person purchasing a firearm or ammunition or applying for a registration certificate from knowingly providing false information or offering false evidence of identity.2 Moreover, the District prohibits anyone from forging or altering any application or registration certificate.3

The District also prohibits any person from changing, altering, removing, or obliterating the name of the maker, model, manufacturer’s number, or other mark or identification on any handgun or machine gun. Possession of any handgun or machine gun upon which any such mark was changed, altered, removed or obliterated shall be prima facie evidence that the possessor has changed, altered, removed or obliterated the marks within the District.4

The District has created a “Firearms Bounty Fund” that makes payments of cash rewards to persons who provide District law enforcement agencies with tips that lead to the adjudication or conviction of: 1) a person or entity engaged in the illegal sale, rental, lease, or loan of a firearm in exchange for money or other thing of value; or 2) a person who has committed a crime with a firearm.5 Cash rewards shall be determined at the discretion of the Chief of Police of the Metropolitan Police Department and may range up to $100,000 per tip.6

MEDIA REQUESTS

Our experts can speak to the full spectrum of gun violence prevention issues. Have a question? Email us at media@giffords.org.

Contact
  1. D.C. Code Ann. § 22-4511.[]
  2. D.C. Code Ann. § 7-2507.04(a).[]
  3. D.C. Code Ann. § 7-2507.04(b).[]
  4. D.C. Code Ann. § 22-4512.[]
  5. D.C. Code Ann. § 7-2531.04(b).[]
  6. D.C. Code Ann. § 7-2531.04(c). District regulations state that the amount of each cash reward shall “not exceed” $100,000 per tip. D.C. Mun. Regs. tit. 24,§ 2400.5.[]