D.C. court blocks gun-permit limits

A federal appeals court on Tuesday blocked a District of Columbia law that makes it difficult for gun owners to get concealed carry permits by requiring them to show that they have a good reason to carry a weapon.

A divided three-judge panel for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit said the law requiring people to show “good reason to fear injury” or another “proper reason” to carry a weapon infringes on Second Amendment rights. City law now requires residents to register guns kept at their homes or businesses. Anyone who wants to carry a weapon outside the home needs a separate concealed carry license.

“At the Second Amendment’s core lies the right of responsible citizens to carry firearms for personal self-defense beyond the home, subject to longstanding restrictions” such as licensing requirements, Judge Thomas Griffith wrote for the majority.

The judges ordered a lower court to enjoin the city from enforcing the law, but it remains in effect for now while D.C. Attorney General Karl Racine decides whether to seek full appellate review.