Judge upholds controversial Washington, D.C. gun registration requirements

A federal judge upheld Washington, D.C.'s controversial gun registration requirements on Thursday, saying the they are constitutional.

The requirements were enacted after a Supreme Court ruling in 2008 ended a handgun ban in D.C., reports The Associated Press. To own a gun, people will have to be fingerprinted, photographed, take a gun safety class and re-register their firearm every three years.

The requirements have now been upheld in court twice, though an appeals court said that the capital needed to provide compelling reasons for putting them in place. Attorney Stephen P. Halbrook, who represented citizens who sued, said he was "disappointed," but planned on appealing to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit.

U.S. District Court Judge James Boasberg referenced the Washington Navy Yard shooting and noted, "The people of this city, acting through their elected representatives, have sought to combat gun violence and promote public safety."

According to The Washington Post, Boasberg said he felt convinced the city's requirements could help "screen out dangerous or irresponsible people who try to obtain a firearm."