U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro warns bringing firearms into Washington could trigger arrest under D.C. licensing rules

Warning delivered amid scrutiny of the District’s strict carry requirements

U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro said in a televised interview aired Monday that anyone who brings a gun into Washington should “count on going to jail,” including people who consider themselves law-abiding and hold permits from other jurisdictions. The remark drew attention because Washington’s firearm rules differ sharply from many states, and because the U.S. Attorney’s Office plays a central role in prosecuting gun cases in the nation’s capital.

Pirro, a former prosecutor and judge, has served as the top federal prosecutor for Washington since 2025. Her office prosecutes both federal crimes and many serious local offenses in D.C., where the federal government and the District share overlapping criminal-justice responsibilities.

What D.C. law requires for carrying a handgun

Under District law, carrying a pistol outside a person’s home or place of business without a D.C.-issued license can be charged as a serious offense, with potential penalties that include imprisonment. The statute governing carrying pistols without a District license authorizes incarceration for up to five years for a first violation, with higher potential penalties for people with certain prior convictions.

Separately, D.C. law sets detailed restrictions even for people who hold District carry licenses. The code specifies numerous prohibited locations and conditions, including limits tied to certain government buildings, schools, hospitals, transit vehicles and stations, and other designated places. Additional rules govern how a pistol must be carried, including concealment requirements for licensees.

No automatic protection for out-of-state permits

Pirro’s warning focused on a practical risk for visitors: a concealed-carry permit issued by another state does not by itself authorize carrying a handgun in Washington. For nonresidents, legally carrying in the District generally requires complying with the District’s licensing framework rather than relying on reciprocity.

How the warning fits into recent enforcement shifts

The statement comes against a backdrop of shifting approaches to gun enforcement in Washington. In 2025, Pirro’s office adopted a policy change affecting how federal prosecutors handle certain long-gun possession cases, while maintaining that it would continue to pursue gun charges tied to violence, prohibited possession, or other aggravating circumstances. Her latest comments emphasized the consequences for unlawful carry, particularly by people entering the District with firearms under the assumption that permissions travel across state lines.

• D.C. carrying laws center on District-issued licensing, not out-of-state permits.
• Even licensed carry is limited by extensive location-based prohibitions.
• Carrying a pistol without a D.C. license can carry substantial criminal exposure.

For visitors and commuters, the key legal question is not whether a firearm is lawfully owned elsewhere, but whether it is lawfully carried under District rules.

Officials have urged gun owners traveling into Washington to review District requirements before bringing firearms into the city, given the possibility that misunderstanding licensing rules could lead to arrest and prosecution.