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Current through October 23, 2012
(a) No person shall within the District of Columbia possess any machine gun, sawed-off shotgun, 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, knuckles,s, 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 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 imprisoned for not more than 10 years.
(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.)
HISTORICAL AND STATUTORY NOTES
Prior Codifications
1981 Ed., § 22-3214.
1973 Ed., § 22-3214.
Effect of Amendments
D.C. Law 17-390, in subsec. (a), substituted "sawed-off shotgun, knuckles," for "sawed-off shotgun", and deleted "or metal knuckles," following "switchblade knife,".
Temporary Amendments of Section
Section 6 of D.C. Law 12-282 inserted "including any designated civilian employee of the Metropolitan Police Department" in (a).
Section 13(b) of D.C. Law 12-282 provided that the act shall expire after 225 days of its having taken effect.
Emergency Act Amendments
For temporary amendment of section, see § 6 of the Metropolitan Police Department Civilianization and Street Solicitation for Prostitution Emergency Amendment Act of 1998 (D.C. Act 12-428, August 6, 1998, 45 DCR 5884).
For temporary amendment of section, see § 6 of the Metropolitan Police Department Civilianization Legislative Review Emergency Amendment Act of 1998 (D.C. Act 12-506, November 10, 1998, 45 DCR 45 8139), and § 6 of the Metropolitan Police Department Civilianization Congressional Review Emergency Amendment Act of 1999 (D.C. Act 13-13, February 8, 1999, 46 DCR 2333).
Legislative History of Laws
For legislative history of D.C. Law 10-119, see Historical and Statutory Notes following § 22-4502.
Law 12-282, the "Metropolitan Police Department Civilianization Temporary Amendment Act of 1998," was introduced in Council and assigned Bill No. 12- 709. The Bill was adopted on first and second readings on July 7, 1998, and September 22, 1998, respectively. Signed by the Mayor, it was assigned Act No. 12-492 and transmitted to both Houses of Congress for its review. D.C. Law 12-282 became effective on May 28, 1999.
Law 12-284, the "Metropolitan Police Department Civilianization Amendment Act of 1998," was introduced in Council and assigned Bill No. 12-710, which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. The Bill was adopted on first and second readings on December 1, 1998, and December 15, 1998, respectively. Signed by the Mayor, it was assigned Act No. 12-613 and transmitted to both Houses of Congress for its review. D.C. Law 12-284 became effective on June 12, 1999.
For Law 17-390, see notes following § 22-3312.02.
References in Text
The Post Office Department, referred to in the proviso in subsection (a) of this section, was abolished and all its functions, powers, and duties were transferred to the United States Postal Service by § 4(a) of the Act of August 12, 1970, 84 Stat. 773, Pub. L. 91-375.
