Under President Donald Trump’s relentless push to restore law and order, the cumbersome, months-long wait for gun permits in Washington, D.C. has finally been cut down to just days. This common-sense crackdown on bureaucratic red tape is a win for Second Amendment supporters and law-abiding citizens who demand timely access to their constitutional rights. By cutting through government delays,
Fox News recently highlighted a significant breakthrough regarding the nation's capital's gun laws, reporting that both the concealed carry permitting and firearm registration processes have been drastically shortened. White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers explained that the “Making DC Safe and Beautiful Task Force” has collaborated closely with local officials to cut through bureaucratic red tape, reducing the average permit processing time from several months to just five days. Rogers emphasized that President Trump’s administration is not only cracking down on violent crime in the capital but also removing needless hurdles for law-abiding residents who want the ability to defend themselves and their families.
On March 31, 2025, the NRA-ILA announced that President Trump signed an executive order establishing a task force aimed at partnering with local government agencies to help speed up and reduce the cost of concealed carry license applications in Washington, D.C. This initiative coincides with Trump’s broader federal crackdown on crime in the city. However, the administration was already focused on streamlining the permit process long before the recent surge in federal crime-fighting measures.
Washington, D.C., has some of the strictest gun control laws in the country. Residents have been forced to jump through hoops just to purchase or possess firearms legally, facing separate permits for handguns and long guns, along with intrusive background checks, fingerprinting, and character references. All firearms must be registered with the Metropolitan Police Department, a requirement that does nothing to deter criminals but puts honest owners under government scrutiny. While D.C. has historically made concealed carry nearly impossible by demanding applicants prove a “good reason,” recent court decisions have begun to chip away at these overreaching restrictions, moving toward a fairer “shall-issue” standard. Meanwhile, open carry remains banned, and an outright assault weapons ban targets lawfully owned rifles and magazines, punishing responsible gun owners rather than addressing true sources of crime.