Washington D.C. self defense spray laws

[LAR-15]

Is it legal for a resident of D.C. to carry or use self defense sprays?

Thanks

 

[ZeSpectre]

Official answer is that you must register pepper spray with the Police.
In reality you will not get permission to have the spray.

 

[Standing Wolf]

[sarcasm] Why would anyone want self-defense spray? Firearms are illegal there. [/sarcasm]

 

[LAR-15]

Thanks

 

[Sonic]

As ZeSpectre pointed out you could carry pepper spray legally in D.C. if the police let you register it, but they virtually never let a private citizen register, so for all practical purposes a citizen cannot carry pepper spray legally there. Washington D.C. is so opposed to self-defense rights that they treat pepper spray the way New York City treats firearms. Well, at least D.C. has a very low murder rate thanks to their anti-self defense rights laws. Wait, oh that's right, D.C. actually doesn't have a low murder rate, and it in fact actually has one of the highest murder rates of any major city in the country. Well it must just be because they haven't outlawed pointy sticks yet.:banghead:

 

[GuyWithQuestions]

What if you don't live there, but want to register in advance just in case you decide to go in the next 10 years? This is making me think now, what's the process for at least trying to get them to register it with you?

 

[GuyWithQuestions]

What's the laws if you were just to lock it up in your trunk when passing through and they were to catch you with it?

 

[Jim March]

Three words:

Pet Attack Skunk.

Solved.

 

[mike101]

NJ has a similar attitude, when it comes to CCW. It's legal, but they won't give you a permit.

We don't, however, have to register pepper spray. We're just not allowed to have it. Nor are we allowed to have/carry ........................
Tasers
knives with blades > 3"
switchblades, butterfly, or gravity knives
mace
billies
blackjacks
slingshots (posession is a felony)
nunchukas
Chinese throwing stars
crossbows
pointy sticks
Air guns and muzzle-loading handguns require permits

The cops even confiscated an axe handle from my car, once.

Things are looking up, though. They just abolished capital punishment.

I'd say we have an "anti-self-defense" mentality here, too. NJ is a great place to be a criminal.

 

[-C4-]

MD is also one of those states. While they "issue" CCWs, they don't really "issue" CCWs. Thats why I moved to VA, don't need a permit here. Yay for disarming normal people.

 

[K-Romulus]

Anyone verify this "police won't register OC" statement? I have seen OC spray for sale in DC in the past, but never with any "forms" to go with it. If so, maybe this is the "loophole" like how DC banned handguns by refusing to accept new registrations.

Here is the actual DC law (from the DC Code link at http://www.dccouncil.washington.dc.us/ ) :

§ 7-2501.01. Definitions.

As used in this unit the term:

(7) "Destructive device" means:
...
(C) Any device containing tear gas or a chemically similar lacrimator or sternutator by whatever name known;

§ 7-2502.12. Definition of self-defense spray.

For the purposes of §§ 7-2502.12 through 7-2502.14, the term:

"Self-defense spray" means a mixture of a lacrimator including chloroacetophenone, alphacloracetophenone, phenylchloromethylketone, orthochlorobenazalm-alononitrile or oleoresin capsicum.

§ 7-2502.13. Possession of self-defense sprays.

(a) Notwithstanding the provisions of § 7-2501.01(7)(C), a person 18 years of age or older may possess and use a self-defense spray in the exercise of reasonable force in defense of the person or the person's property only if it is propelled from an aerosol container, labeled with or accompanied by clearly written instructions as to its use, and dated to indicate its anticipated useful life.

(b) No person shall possess a self-defense spray which is of a type other than that specified in §§ 7-2502.12 to 7-2502.14.

§ 7-2502.14. Registration of self-defense

(a) A person 18 years of age or older must register the self-defense spray at the time of purchase by completing a standard registration form.

(b) The vendor must forward the registration form to the Metropolitan Police Department.

And the penalties:

§ 7-2507.06. Penalties.

Any person convicted of a violation of any provision of this unit shall be fined not more than $1,000 or imprisoned for not more than 1 year, or both; except that:

(1) A person who knowingly or intentionally sells, transfers, or distributes a firearm, destructive device, or ammunition to a person under 18 years of age shall be fined not more than $10,000 or imprisoned for not more than 10 years, or both.

(2)(A) Except as provided in subparagraph (B) of this paragraph, any person who is convicted a second time for possessing an unregistered firearm shall be fined not more than $5,000 or imprisoned not more than 5 years, or both.

(B) A person who in the person's dwelling place, place of business, or on other land possessed by the person, possesses a pistol, or firearm that could otherwise be registered, shall be fined not more than $1,000 or imprisoned not more than 1 year, or both.

(3) A person convicted of knowingly possessing restricted pistol bullets (K-Rom: handgun ammo capable of penetrating 18 layers of kevlar) in violation of § 7-2506.01(3) may be sentenced to imprisonment for a term not to exceed 10 years and shall be sentenced to imprisonment for a mandatory-minimum term of not less than 1 year and shall not be released from prison or granted probation or suspension of sentence prior to serving the mandatory-minimum sentence, and, in addition, may be fined an amount not to exceed $10,000.

 

[SWMAN]

The best way to protect yourself from the DC predators and their apologists, is to avoid being there in the first place.

 

[GuyWithQuestions]

This is what the Washington D.C. Ofice of the Chief of the Police emailed me

I found some "send a question/message to the D.C. Chief of Police" form online, and asked him how to legally register pepper spray in Washington D.C. and how I believe that we should be able to defend ourselves. This is the email response I received. This may answer some questions if anyone is planning on going through D.C.:

"Please contact our Firearm/Weapon registration office on (202) 727-4275, and a member there will advise you of the District of Columbia Law and registration procedures and answer any other questions that you may have. Thank you and enjoy the Capitol City.



Customer Service Unit

Office of the Chief of Police"

 

[nezumi]

In defense of Maryland, the laws are a good deal kinder there than in DC (I know that's not saying much). MD restricts tasers and doesn't allow for CCW, however basically everything else is okay (amusingly though, pistol crossbows are illegal in Baltimore city, however it would appear normal crossbows are okay).

As has been said, DC restricts everything on the understanding that most people don't mind ignoring the law as appropriate, which of course means that the police basically have an excuse to pull you over basically whenever you please. I don't think non-residents have restrictions on pepper spray, however.