In July of 2017, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia ruled that Washington D.C.’s “good reason” requirement was unconstitutional. Since then, applications for D.C. carry permits have skyrocketed.
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According to the Daily Caller, the Metropolitan Police Department issued 1,896 concealed carry permits since the ruling to November 2018. Before the ruling, very few people had permits allowing concealed carry in the district. In fact, the Washington Post reports that only 123 people had a D.C. carry permit before the ruling. Also, the MPD denied 77 percent of applications because of the good reason requirement. Since people no longer need a reason, many folks are reapplying for permits.
Those Applying for DC Carry Permits
Now most would assume that residents are applying for permits. However, approximately 55 percent of applicants don’t live in the district. Instead, most folks wanting to carry concealed in D.C. live in Maryland and Virginia, both of which border Washington D.C.
Now despite laws making gun permits easier to obtain, actually getting on still isn’t easy. D.C. law requires applicants obtain training. Also, they must be fingerprinted and go through an extensive background check, along with other requirements.
“It’s easier, but it’s not easy in the sense that any Joe can get a license to carry,” said D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson.
Mendelson also says the city isn’t safer with more guns, but that the council will follow the law. At the same time, there are numerous places where guns can’t be carried. This includes bars and nightclubs, as well as schools, day cares and sports stadiums. Additionally, permit holders can’t carry in many tourist attractions, such as memorials on the Mall.
The district could, of course, have appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court. However, recent rulings made city attorneys believe they would lose the case. If this happened, other municipalities with similar requirements would also be forced to change laws.
Now the District of Columbia has 690,000 residents. It also typically swells due to workers commuting for jobs. However, since fewer than 2,000 permits have been issued, and more than half of those live outside the district, very few people have actually taken advantage of the new laws. However, it is still a huge increase. Also, this past year is the first time regular people could carry guns for protection in the nation’s capitol.
