Federal prosecutors in Washington, D.C., will no longer slap people with felony charges for possession of rifles or shotguns in the nation’s capital, according to U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro.

The change means federal prosecutors will not seek charges under the D.C. law that made it illegal to carry rifles or shotguns in the district, except in limited cases for permit holders.

Under the new policy, the U.S. attorney’s office will continue to bring charges when a person is accused of using a shotgun or rifle in a violent crime or has a criminal record that prohibits them from possessing a firearm. The new policy also covers large-capacity magazines, but it does not include handguns.

Jeanine Pirro has been a staunch critic of local officials’ efforts to tackle crime in D.C. (Yuri Gripas/Abaca/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

“We will continue to seize all illegal and unlicensed firearms, and to vigorously prosecute all crimes connected with them,” Pirro said in her statement, adding that she and Trump “are committed to prosecuting gun crime.”

Fox News Digital reached out to the U.S. attorney’s office for additional comment.

Violent crime in D.C. dropped by 35% between 2023 and 2024, the U.S. attorney’s office said in December under prior leadership, stating that there were 3,388 incidents last year compared to 5,215 incidents the year before.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.