(a) Except as otherwise provided in this unit, no person or organization in the District of Columbia (“District”) shall receive, possess, control, transfer, offer for sale, sell, give, or deliver any destructive device, and no person or organization in the District shall possess or control any firearm, unless the person or organization holds a valid registration certificate for the firearm. A registration certificate may be issued:
(1) To an organization if:
(A) The organization employs at least 1 commissioned special police officer or employee licensed to carry a firearm whom the organization arms during the employee’s duty hours; and
(B) The registration is issued in the name of the organization and in the name of the president or chief executive officer of the organization;
(2) In the discretion of the Chief of Police, to a police officer who has retired from the Metropolitan Police Department;
(3) In the discretion of the Chief of Police, to the Fire Marshal and any member of the Fire and Arson Investigation Unit of the Fire Prevention Bureau of the Fire Department of the District of Columbia, who is designated in writing by the Fire Chief, for the purpose of enforcing the arson and fire safety laws of the District of Columbia;
(4) To a firearms instructor, or to an organization that employs a firearms instructor, for the purpose of conducting firearms training; or
(5) To a person who complies with, and meets the requirements of, this unit.
(b) Subsection (a) of this section shall not apply to:
(1)(A) Qualified law enforcement officers, as that phrase is defined in 18 U.S.C. § 926B(c) and (f), who are carrying the identification required by 18 U.S.C. § 926B(d);
(B) Qualified retired law enforcement officers, as that phrase is defined in 18 U.S.C. §926C(c) and (e)(2), who are carrying the identification required by 18 U.S.C. § 926C(d);
(C) Members of the Army, Navy, Air Force, or Marine Corps of the United States, or of the National Guard or Organized Reserves, when on duty and duly authorized to carry a firearm;
(D) Officers or employees of the United States, when duly authorized to carry a firearm; or
(E) State law enforcement officers who lawfully enter the District of Columbia in hot pursuit of a person suspected of having committed a crime;
(2) Any person holding a dealer’s license; provided, that the firearm or destructive device is:
(A) Acquired by such person in the normal conduct of business;
(B) Kept at the place described in the dealer’s license; and
(C) Not kept for such person’s private use or protection, or for the protection of his business;
(3) With respect to firearms, any nonresident of the District participating in any lawful recreational firearm-related activity in the District, or on his way to or from such activity in another jurisdiction; provided, that such person, whenever in possession of a firearm, shall upon demand of any member of the Metropolitan Police Department, or other bona fide law enforcement officer, exhibit proof that he is on his way to or from such activity, and that his possession or control of such firearm is lawful in the jurisdiction in which he resides; provided further, that such weapon shall be transported in accordance with § 22-4504.02;
(4) Any person who temporarily possesses a firearm registered to another person while in the home or place of business of the registrant; provided, that the person is not otherwise prohibited from possessing firearms and the person reasonably believes that possession of the firearm is necessary to prevent imminent death or great bodily harm to himself or herself; or
(5) Any person who temporarily possesses a firearm while participating in a firearms training and safety class conducted by a firearms instructor.
(c) For the purposes of subsection (b)(3) of this section, the term “recreational firearm-related activity” includes a firearms training and safety class.
