WASHINGTON, D.C. — Law-abiding residents in the nation’s capital are now able to obtain concealed carry permits in just days instead of months, following a streamlining effort led by President Donald Trump’s Making DC Safe and Beautiful Task Force.
The task force, created by executive order in March, worked with local officials to overhaul the Metropolitan Police Department’s permitting process. While no local gun laws were changed, the process itself was simplified and expedited to remove long-standing administrative delays.
According to data from May, what once took “several months” for approval now averages just 4.6 days for a concealed carry permit. Firearm registration, which previously required a four-month wait for an appointment, has also been reduced to next-day scheduling, with walk-in appointments now available.
“President Trump is not only stopping violent crime in Washington, D.C., he is also streamlining the permitting process for law-abiding residents who want the ability to protect themselves and their families,” White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers said in a statement reported by Fox News Digital.
Appointments for firearm registration and concealed carry licenses have been combined into one category to reduce confusion, and additional fingerprinting locations will soon be available after a recent vote by the D.C. City Council.
Despite the improvements, the District retains some of the strictest gun laws in the country. Concealed carry license holders must reapply every two years, cannot possess ammunition for an unregistered firearm, and face numerous gun-free zones, including schools, hospitals, government buildings, stadiums, public memorials, and any location where alcohol is sold. Applicants are still required to complete firearms training and meet all legal requirements before receiving approval.
The task force is also exploring potential changes, including allowing concealed carry in handbags for women, concealed carry on public transit, and reciprocity for out-of-state permits. These measures, however, would require approval from the D.C. City Council, according to Fox News Digital.
For residents who value the right to self-defense, the streamlining of concealed carry permits represents a meaningful step forward. The ability to obtain a permit in under a week significantly reduces bureaucratic barriers that had previously made exercising this constitutional right nearly unattainable for many.
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