DC Pepper Spray and Stun Gun Laws (2026)

The District of Columbia regulates both pepper spray and stun guns by specific name, and each has its own statutory framework layered on top of the District's general weapons registration law. The District calls pepper spray a "self-defense spray" and defines it by chemical formula rather than by a size or strength limit; it treats a stun gun as a lawful, age-restricted possession item that is deliberately written out of the District's firearm definition, though not out of every enhancement that reaches a firearm.

Jurisdiction scope: This page covers District of Columbia law only, principally D.C. Code Sections 7-2501.01, 7-2502.01, 7-2502.12 through 7-2502.16, 7-2507.06, and 22-4502, 22-4504, 22-4505, and 22-4514. It does not cover the District's firearm-specific registration procedures (application, training, renewal) in detail, only the parts of the registration statute that reach a self-defense spray or a stun gun.

Is pepper spray legal to carry in DC?

Legal, but only in the composition the statute defines, and only because a specific exception was written into the District's general weapons-registration ban. D.C. Code Section 7-2502.01(a) bars any person in the District from receiving, possessing, controlling, transferring, offering for sale, selling, giving, or delivering a "destructive device," except as otherwise provided in that unit of the District's firearms law. Section 7-2501.01(7)(C) defines "destructive device" to include "any device containing tear gas or a chemically similar lacrimator or sternutator by whatever name known," which reaches a self-defense spray unless an exception applies.

Section 7-2502.12 supplies that exception's definition: "self-defense spray" is "a mixture of a lacrimator including chloroacetophenone, alphacloracetophenone, phenylchloromethylketone, orthochlorobenazalm-alononitrile or oleoresin capsicum," the last of which is pepper spray's active ingredient. Section 7-2502.13(a) then opens "Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 7-2501.01(7)(C)" and permits possession and use "in the exercise of reasonable force in defense of the person or the person's property," but only if the product "is propelled from an aerosol container, labeled with or accompanied by clearly written instructions as to its use, and dated to indicate its anticipated useful life." Section 7-2502.13(b) makes it unlawful to possess a self-defense spray "of a type other than that specified" in Sections 7-2502.12 through 7-2502.14; a spray outside the defined formula or packaging is not covered by the exception and falls back under Section 7-2502.01(a)'s general ban.

Selling or transferring a self-defense spray in the District is lawful under Section 7-2502.13a, added in 2024 by the Secure DC Omnibus Act, which permits a person to "transfer, offer for sale, sell, give, or deliver a self-defense spray to another person in the District" for the purposes set forth in Section 7-2502.13, subject to the same aerosol-container, labeling, and dating conditions as possession. Sections 7-2502.12 through 7-2502.13a set no age minimum for possessing or purchasing a compliant self-defense spray, though a separate cross-chapter provision, Section 7-2507.06(a)(1), makes it a felony to knowingly sell, transfer, or distribute a destructive device, which includes a self-defense spray, to a person under 18.

Are stun guns legal to carry in DC?

Legal for adults, under a dedicated possession statute. D.C. Code Section 7-2502.15(a) provides that "No person under 18 years of age shall possess a stun gun in the District," with an exception for "brief possession for self-defense in response to an immediate threat of harm." Section 7-2502.15(b) limits lawful use to "the exercise of reasonable force in defense of person or property." A stun gun is explicitly written out of the District's "firearm" definition at Section 7-2501.01(9)(E), and it is not a "destructive device" under Section 7-2501.01(7) either, so the registration ban in Section 7-2502.01(a) does not reach it at all; Section 7-2502.15 is the stun-gun rule, and it restricts who may possess one and where.

Selling a stun gun in the District requires the vendor to hold a stun gun endorsement on its basic business license, issued by the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs, unless the vendor sells fewer than 5 stun guns in a 12-month period (Section 7-2502.16). This chapter sets no individual purchaser license or permit requirement.

Where you can't carry a stun gun, and penalties for both devices

Section 7-2502.15(c) bars possessing a stun gun, absent specific permission, in four kinds of locations: a building or office occupied by the District government, its agencies, or instrumentalities; a penal institution, secure juvenile residential facility, or halfway house; a building or portion of one occupied by a children's facility, preschool, or public or private elementary or secondary school; and any building or grounds the owner or occupant has clearly posted to prohibit stun guns. A law enforcement officer, as defined in Section 7-2509.01, is excepted from all four. This chapter sets no equivalent place-based restriction naming self-defense spray.

The District also has a general carry offense that reaches beyond those four places. D.C. Code Section 22-4504(a) makes it unlawful to carry, openly or concealed, "a pistol, without a license issued pursuant to District of Columbia law, or any deadly or dangerous weapon," punishable by up to 5 years for a violation in a place other than the person's dwelling, place of business, or other land the person possesses, rising to up to 10 years for a person previously convicted of a violation of this section or of a felony, in the District or elsewhere. Section 22-4505's exceptions to that offense reach only a pistol, rifle, or shotgun, for licensed dealers, transport between specific locations, and law enforcement and military personnel; it names neither a stun gun nor a self-defense spray. The 2016 Stun Gun Regulation Amendment Act, D.C. Law 21-281, which added "stun gun" to Section 22-4502's sentencing enhancement (discussed below), amended only that section and left Section 22-4504 untouched.

The District's highest court has construed the same words. In Jones v. United States, 67 A.3d 547 (D.C. 2013), the D.C. Court of Appeals reversed a conviction for attempted possession of a prohibited weapon, pepper spray, under D.C. Code Sections 22-4514(b) and 22-1803, because the evidence was insufficient to prove the spray was an "other dangerous weapon"; it held that "dangerous" in these weapons statutes means "likely to produce death or great bodily injury," that an item is dangerous per se only where it is "so clearly dangerous" when used as designed that it merits the label as a matter of law, and it read the legislative history as suggesting that the Council authorized self-defense sprays "precisely because they are not dangerous per se." The court added that it did "not foreclose the possibility that, on a different record, pepper spray might be shown to be dangerous in certain formulations, when used in a particular manner, or when resulting in the requisite degree of injury." Section 22-4514(b) is itself a separate District offense: possessing an imitation pistol, dagger, dirk, razor, stiletto, a knife with a blade longer than 3 inches, or other dangerous weapon with intent to use it unlawfully against another, punishable under Section 22-4515 by a fine or up to a year, or up to 10 years after a prior conviction under that section or any felony.

Section 7-2502.15 is the District's dedicated stun-gun possession and place statute, but nothing in its text says it is the exclusive word on carrying a stun gun. Whether carrying a stun gun outside the four places Section 7-2502.15(c) lists could also be charged as carrying an "other deadly or dangerous weapon" under Section 22-4504 turns on the Jones test rather than on the statute's list of exceptions; Jones itself reversed a pepper-spray conviction, not a stun-gun one, so it leaves open the fact-specific question the test requires for a device not obviously dangerous per se on its own text.

Violating the self-defense spray possession rule (Section 7-2502.13) or the stun gun possession rule (Section 7-2502.15) carries the general penalty set by Section 7-2507.06(a): a fine or imprisonment for not more than one year, or both. Both offenses are also eligible for a non-criminal administrative disposition under Section 7-2507.06(b)(1)(D) and (E), which lets a person resolve the case by paying a fine set by the Superior Court's Board of Judges instead of facing a criminal charge; that option is unavailable to anyone previously convicted of a felony in the District or elsewhere, under Section 7-2507.06(b)(1A).

Separately, committing a crime of violence or a dangerous crime in the District while armed with certain weapons carries an additional sentencing enhancement of up to 30 years under D.C. Code Section 22-4502(a). The enhancement applies to "any pistol or other firearm (or imitation thereof) or other dangerous or deadly weapon," and the statute's parenthetical then lists examples, including a stun gun by name, alongside a sawed-off shotgun, machine gun, rifle, dirk, bowie knife, butcher knife, switchblade knife, razor, blackjack, billy, or metal knuckles. That list is introduced by "including" and is illustrative rather than exhaustive; self-defense spray is not one of the items named in it, but Section 22-4502 does not say that only the named items count as an "other dangerous or deadly weapon," so whether an unnamed item such as a self-defense spray could qualify turns on the Jones test described above rather than on the list itself, and on that test a compliant spray would need case-specific proof of injury the Court of Appeals found absent in Jones.

Federal law: what it does and does not reach

No federal statute regulates a civilian's purchase or possession of pepper spray or a stun gun. Federal law matters in three places.

Federal buildings. Under 18 U.S.C. § 930(a), whoever knowingly possesses or causes to be present "a firearm or other dangerous weapon in a Federal facility (other than a Federal court facility)" faces a fine, imprisonment of up to 1 year, or both. Subsection (e) sets up to 2 years for a federal court facility, and subsection (b) up to 5 years where the weapon is intended to be used in a crime. Section 930(g)(2) defines the term:

The term "dangerous weapon" means a weapon, device, instrument, material, or substance, animate or inanimate, that is used for, or is readily capable of, causing death or serious bodily injury, except that such term does not include a pocket knife with a blade of less than 2½ inches in length.

The definition names neither device. Whether a particular spray or stun gun is "readily capable of" causing serious bodily injury is a question of fact the statute does not answer. Subsection (d)(3) exempts "the lawful carrying of firearms or other dangerous weapons in a Federal facility incident to hunting or other lawful purposes," and subsection (h) requires notice of the ban to be posted at each public entrance. A "Federal facility" is "a building or part thereof owned or leased by the Federal Government, where Federal employees are regularly present for the purpose of performing their official duties."

Air travel. The Transportation Security Administration's screening rules, which are agency policy rather than statute, bar both devices from carry-on bags. One 4 fl. oz. (118 ml) container of mace or pepper spray is permitted in checked baggage if it has a safety mechanism to prevent accidental discharge, and sprays containing more than 2 percent by mass of tear gas (CS or CN) are prohibited in checked baggage. Tasers, stun guns and other electro-shock weapons may travel in checked baggage only if transported so the device cannot discharge accidentally. Airlines may set stricter rules.

National parks. National Park Service regulations prohibit possessing, carrying or using a "weapon" in a park area except as the regulations provide (36 CFR 2.4(b)(1)). 36 CFR 1.4 defines "weapon" to include an "irritant gas device" and any "weapon the possession of which is prohibited under the laws of the State in which the park area or portion thereof is located."

Disclaimer: This article provides general legal information about the District of Columbia's pepper spray and stun gun laws as of September 2026. It is not legal advice. Consult a lawyer licensed in the District of Columbia for advice about a specific situation.

For a state-by-state comparison, see pepper spray and stun gun laws by state. District of Columbia self-defense law is covered separately on the DC self-defense laws page.

Statutes cited reflect their in-force version as of 2026-09-18. Last updated: 2026-09-18.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is pepper spray legal to carry in Washington, DC?

Yes, if it matches the District's defined formula. D.C. Code Section 7-2502.01(a) generally bars possessing a 'destructive device,' a category that includes tear-gas-type sprays, but Section 7-2502.13 carves out a compliant self-defense spray: one matching Section 7-2502.12's formula, propelled from an aerosol container, labeled with instructions, and dated for its useful life. A spray outside that formula or packaging is not covered by the exception and falls under the general destructive-device ban.

Is it legal to carry a stun gun in DC?

Yes, for adults 18 or older, under D.C. Code Section 7-2502.15. A stun gun is not a 'firearm' under D.C. Code Section 7-2501.01(9)(E), so it is not covered by the District's firearm-specific registration procedures, but it may not be carried into DC government buildings, penal or juvenile facilities, children's facilities or schools, or premises posted to prohibit it, absent specific permission. The District also has a general 'deadly or dangerous weapon' carry offense, D.C. Code Section 22-4504(a), whose exceptions in Section 22-4505 name only a pistol, rifle, or shotgun. In Jones v. United States, 67 A.3d 547 (D.C. 2013), the D.C. Court of Appeals held that 'dangerous' in these weapons statutes means likely to produce death or great bodily injury, a case about pepper spray, not a stun gun; whether Section 22-4504 also reaches a stun gun beyond Section 7-2502.15's specific rule turns on that test, which Jones did not apply to a stun gun.

Can you sell pepper spray or stun guns in DC?

Yes. Selling a compliant self-defense spray is lawful under D.C. Code Section 7-2502.13a, added by the 2024 Secure DC Omnibus Act. Selling stun guns requires the vendor to hold a stun gun endorsement on its business license under Section 7-2502.16, unless it sells fewer than 5 in a 12-month period.

What is the penalty for an unlawful self-defense spray or stun gun in DC?

D.C. Code Section 7-2507.06(a) sets a fine or up to a year in jail, or both, for possessing a self-defense spray that does not meet Section 7-2502.13's formula and packaging rules, or a stun gun in violation of Section 7-2502.15. Both offenses can instead be resolved through a non-criminal administrative disposition under Section 7-2507.06(b), unless the person has a prior felony conviction.

Does using a stun gun during a crime carry an extra penalty in DC?

Yes. D.C. Code Section 22-4502(a) adds up to 30 years to the sentence for a crime of violence or dangerous crime committed while armed with 'any pistol or other firearm ... or other dangerous or deadly weapon,' and its illustrative list names a stun gun specifically. Self-defense spray is not one of the items named in that list, but the list is introduced by the word 'including' rather than closed, so whether an unnamed item such as a compliant spray could also qualify turns on the 'dangerous' test the D.C. Court of Appeals set out in Jones v. United States, 67 A.3d 547 (D.C. 2013), which read the legislative history as suggesting the Council authorized self-defense sprays because they are not dangerous per se, and reversed because the record lacked proof of the required injury.