State Gun Laws

Throughout these gun law pages, we will refer to gun laws that make it illegal for someone convicted of a felony to have a gun.  A felony is a more serious crime than a misdemeanor.  It is defined under D.C. law as a crime for which the maximum imprisonment is more than one year in a state correctional institution.  A judge may also order a fine.¹  However, you cannot always tell if someone was convicted of a felony only by looking at the amount of time s/he actually served in prison since sentences are often reduced or pled down.  If you are unsure if the abuser was convicted of a felony, you might want to talk to the prosecutor who handled the criminal case against the abuser to find out or go to the local criminal courthouse and try to search the records. 

A felony under federal law is a crime that is punishable by a prison sentence of more than one year.²

¹ DCVSG § 7.11
² 18 USC § 3559