State Legality MatrixBinary TriggersDistrict of Columbia
Statute-cited, not legal advice, last verified 2026-10-20
Restricted
Restricted. No District statute names binary triggers, but the registration and assault-weapon regime leaves no clear lawful path; treat as unsettled.
Controlling law: D.C. Code §§ 7-2501.01 & 7-2502.02
Contested entry
The District's machine-gun definition (§ 7-2501.01(10)) covers a firearm that shoots automatically more than one shot by a single function of the trigger, plus conversion parts, and does not reach a one-round-per-function binary trigger; no District statute names binary triggers. Device-level legality is unsettled. The host firearm must still clear § 7-2502.02, which bars registering machine guns and assault weapons.
The statute in practice
District Code section 7-2501.01(10) defines a machine gun as a firearm that shoots, is designed to shoot, or can be readily restored to shoot automatically more than one shot, without manual reloading, by a single function of the trigger, plus conversion parts. Section 7-2502.02 identifies firearms that cannot be registered. Neither section names a binary trigger, so the device question and the host firearm's registration eligibility are separate issues.
What it means for you
Section 7-2502.02 bars registration certificates for machine guns, short-barreled rifles, assault weapons, and .50 BMG rifles, among others, independently of the trigger mechanism.
Federal law
Binary triggers are legal under federal law and are not machine guns under 26 U.S.C. § 5845(b); ATF treats the trigger pull and the trigger release as two separate functions of the trigger, so one round is fired per function. Cargill v. Garland (2024) concerned bump stocks, not binary triggers, and does not change this.
Federal baseline verified 2026-10-20. Scope: Binary triggers (Franklin Armory BFSIII and similar): fire one round on trigger pull and one on release. Forced reset triggers are a separate class.
Common questions
Restricted. No District statute names binary triggers, but the registration and assault-weapon regime leaves no clear lawful path; treat as unsettled. Controlling law: D.C. Code §§ 7-2501.01 & 7-2502.02.
The controlling law is D.C. Code §§ 7-2501.01 & 7-2502.02. No District statute names binary triggers, but the registration and assault-weapon regime leaves no clear lawful path; treat as unsettled.