State Legality Matrix / Forced Reset Triggers / District of Columbia

Are Forced Reset Triggers Legal in District of Columbia?

Statute-cited, last verified 2026-07-28

Banned

No. Reached by the District's broad machine-gun definition, which includes conversion parts.

Controlling law: D.C. Code § 7-2501.01(10) (definition); § 22-4514

Litigation Status and Details

The machine-gun definition includes any combination of parts designed for converting a firearm to a machine gun; possession of machine guns and such parts is prohibited under § 22-4514.

Federal baseline

Under the 2025 DOJ settlement with Rare Breed Triggers, an FRT fires one round per trigger function and is not an NFA machine gun federally. The settlement covers rifles and grip-forward pistols; it does not extend to grip-fed handguns (Glock, S&W M&P, Canik), whose federal FRT status remains less settled. State bans operate independently of federal law through broader state machine-gun, trigger-activator, or rate-of-fire definitions.

Scope: Forced reset triggers (Rare Breed FRT-15, Dairyland Defender, and similar) and forced-reset selectors (AR Super Safety, ARC-Fire). One round per trigger function. Binary triggers are a separate class.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are forced reset triggers legal in District of Columbia?

No. Reached by the District's broad machine-gun definition, which includes conversion parts. Controlling law: D.C. Code § 7-2501.01(10) (definition); § 22-4514.

What law covers forced reset triggers in District of Columbia?

The controlling law is D.C. Code § 7-2501.01(10) (definition); § 22-4514. Reached by the District's broad machine-gun definition, which includes conversion parts.

Are forced reset triggers legal under federal law?

Under the 2025 DOJ settlement with Rare Breed Triggers, an FRT fires one round per trigger function and is not an NFA machine gun federally. The settlement covers rifles and grip-forward pistols; it does not extend to grip-fed handguns (Glock, S&W M&P, Canik), whose federal FRT status remains less settled. State bans operate independently of federal law through broader state machine-gun, trigger-activator, or rate-of-fire definitions.

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