<PAGE> PAGE 1
000 B000000 03/31/97
000 C000000 0000904169
000 D000000 N
000 E000000 NF
000 F000000 Y
000 G000000 N
000 H000000 N
000 I000000 3.0.a
000 J000000 A
001 A000000 DEAN WITTER LIMITED TERM MUNICIPAL TRUST
001 B000000 811-7700
001 C000000 2123922550
002 A000000 TWO WORLD TRADE CENTER
002 B000000 NEW YORK
002 C000000 NY
002 D010000 10048
003 000000 N
004 000000 N
005 000000 N
006 000000 N
007 A000000 N
007 B000000 0
007 C010100 1
007 C010200 2
007 C010300 3
007 C010400 4
007 C010500 5
007 C010600 6
007 C010700 7
007 C010800 8
007 C010900 9
007 C011000 10
008 A000001 DEAN WITTER INTERCAPITAL INC.
008 B000001 A
008 C000001 801-42061
008 D010001 NEW YORK
008 D020001 NY
008 D030001 10048
011 A000001 DEAN WITTER DISTRIBUTORS INC.
011 B000001 8-45262
011 C010001 NEW YORK
011 C020001 NY
011 C030001 10048
012 A000001 DEAN WITTER TRUST COMPANY
012 B000001 84-1785
012 C010001 JERSEY CITY
012 C020001 NJ
012 C030001 07302
013 A000001 PRICE WATERHOUSE LLP
013 B010001 NEW YORK
013 B020001 NY
<PAGE> PAGE 2
013 B030001 10036
014 A000001 DEAN WITTER REYNOLDS INC.
014 B000001 8-14172
015 A000001 THE BANK OF NEW YORK
015 B000001 C
015 C010001 NEW YORK
015 C020001 NY
015 C030001 10286
015 E010001 X
018 000000 Y
019 A000000 Y
019 B000000 126
019 C000000 DEANWITTER
020 C000001 0
020 C000002 0
020 C000003 0
020 C000004 0
020 C000005 0
020 C000006 0
020 C000007 0
020 C000008 0
020 C000009 0
020 C000010 0
021 000000 0
022 A000001 MORGAN STANLEY & CO., INCORPORATED
022 B000001 13-2655998
022 C000001 10200
022 D000001 10700
022 A000002 MERRILL LYNCH, PIERCE, FENNER & SMITH INC.
022 B000002 13-5674085
022 C000002 6600
022 D000002 8557
022 A000003 MORGAN (J.P.) SECURITIES INC.
022 B000003 13-3224016
022 C000003 6100
022 D000003 3200
022 A000004 BEAR STEARNS INTERNATIONAL
022 B000004 13-3604093
022 C000004 0
022 D000004 2043
022 A000005 FIDELITY CAPITAL MARKETS
022 B000005 04-2653569
022 C000005 0
022 D000005 1961
022 A000006 EDWARDS (A.G.) & SONS, INC.
022 B000006 43-0895447
022 C000006 0
022 D000006 1951
022 A000007 SMITH, BARNEY, SHEARSON INC.
022 B000007 13-1912900
022 C000007 1800
<PAGE> PAGE 3
022 D000007 0
022 A000008 HUTCHINSON, SHOCKEY, ERLEY & CO.
022 B000008 36-2355753
022 C000008 0
022 D000008 1477
022 A000009 DAIN BOSWORTH INC.
022 B000009 41-0212020
022 C000009 0
022 D000009 1412
022 A000010 WILLIAMS (A.H.) & CO. INC.
022 B000010 23-2177819
022 C000010 0
022 D000010 994
023 C000000 24700
023 D000000 36668
024 000000 N
025 D000001 0
025 D000002 0
025 D000003 0
025 D000004 0
025 D000005 0
025 D000006 0
025 D000007 0
025 D000008 0
026 A000000 N
026 B000000 Y
026 C000000 N
026 D000000 Y
026 E000000 N
026 F000000 N
026 G010000 N
026 G020000 N
026 H000000 N
027 000000 Y
028 A010000 2792
028 A020000 181
028 A030000 0
028 A040000 2519
028 B010000 3978
028 B020000 157
028 B030000 0
028 B040000 3066
028 C010000 3274
028 C020000 0
028 C030000 0
028 C040000 5334
028 D010000 2072
028 D020000 355
028 D030000 0
028 D040000 3347
028 E010000 622
<PAGE> PAGE 4
028 E020000 159
028 E030000 0
028 E040000 2379
028 F010000 2041
028 F020000 156
028 F030000 0
028 F040000 3455
028 G010000 14779
028 G020000 1008
028 G030000 0
028 G040000 20100
028 H000000 0
029 000000 N
030 A000000 0
030 B000000 0.00
030 C000000 0.00
031 A000000 0
031 B000000 0
032 000000 0
033 000000 0
034 000000 N
035 000000 0
036 B000000 0
037 000000 N
038 000000 0
039 000000 N
040 000000 Y
041 000000 N
042 A000000 0
042 B000000 0
042 C000000 0
042 D000000 0
042 E000000 0
042 F000000 0
042 G000000 0
042 H000000 0
043 000000 0
044 000000 0
045 000000 Y
046 000000 N
047 000000 Y
048 000000 0.500
048 A010000 0
048 A020000 0.000
048 B010000 0
048 B020000 0.000
048 C010000 0
048 C020000 0.000
048 D010000 0
048 D020000 0.000
048 E010000 0
<PAGE> PAGE 5
048 E020000 0.000
048 F010000 0
048 F020000 0.000
048 G010000 0
048 G020000 0.000
048 H010000 0
048 H020000 0.000
048 I010000 0
048 I020000 0.000
048 J010000 0
048 J020000 0.000
048 K010000 0
048 K020000 0.000
049 000000 N
050 000000 N
051 000000 N
052 000000 N
053 A000000 N
054 A000000 Y
054 B000000 Y
054 C000000 Y
054 D000000 N
054 E000000 N
054 F000000 N
054 G000000 Y
054 H000000 Y
054 I000000 N
054 J000000 Y
054 K000000 N
054 L000000 Y
054 M000000 Y
054 N000000 N
054 O000000 Y
055 A000000 Y
055 B000000 N
056 000000 Y
057 000000 N
058 A000000 N
059 000000 Y
060 A000000 Y
060 B000000 Y
061 000000 1000
062 A000000 Y
062 B000000 0.0
062 C000000 0.0
062 D000000 0.0
062 E000000 7.7
062 F000000 0.0
062 G000000 0.0
062 H000000 0.0
062 I000000 0.0
<PAGE> PAGE 6
062 J000000 0.0
062 K000000 0.0
062 L000000 0.0
062 M000000 0.0
062 N000000 0.0
062 O000000 89.0
062 P000000 0.0
062 Q000000 0.0
062 R000000 0.0
063 A000000 0
063 B000000 7.0
064 A000000 Y
064 B000000 N
066 A000000 N
067 000000 N
068 A000000 N
068 B000000 N
069 000000 N
070 A010000 Y
070 A020000 N
070 B010000 N
070 B020000 N
070 C010000 Y
070 C020000 N
070 D010000 N
070 D020000 N
070 E010000 Y
070 E020000 N
070 F010000 N
070 F020000 N
070 G010000 Y
070 G020000 N
070 H010000 N
070 H020000 N
070 I010000 N
070 I020000 N
070 J010000 N
070 J020000 N
070 K010000 N
070 K020000 N
070 L010000 N
070 L020000 N
070 M010000 N
070 M020000 N
070 N010000 Y
070 N020000 N
070 O010000 Y
070 O020000 N
070 P010000 Y
070 P020000 N
070 Q010000 N
<PAGE> PAGE 7
070 Q020000 N
070 R010000 N
070 R020000 N
071 A000000 0
071 B000000 16219
071 C000000 61486
071 D000000 0
072 A000000 12
072 B000000 3226
072 C000000 0
072 D000000 0
072 E000000 0
072 F000000 332
072 G000000 0
072 H000000 0
072 I000000 36
072 J000000 4
072 K000000 0
072 L000000 60
072 M000000 10
072 N000000 52
072 O000000 0
072 P000000 0
072 Q000000 0
072 R000000 40
072 S000000 13
072 T000000 0
072 U000000 32
072 V000000 0
072 W000000 8
072 X000000 587
072 Y000000 4
072 Z000000 2643
072AA000000 30
072BB000000 257
072CC010000 0
072CC020000 32
072DD010000 2660
072DD020000 0
072EE000000 0
073 A010000 0.3985
073 A020000 0.0000
073 B000000 0.0000
073 C000000 0.0000
074 A000000 99
074 B000000 0
074 C000000 4700
074 D000000 54392
074 E000000 0
074 F000000 0
074 G000000 0
<PAGE> PAGE 8
074 H000000 0
074 I000000 0
074 J000000 0
074 K000000 1507
074 L000000 732
074 M000000 44
074 N000000 61474
074 O000000 0
074 P000000 293
074 Q000000 0
074 R010000 0
074 R020000 0
074 R030000 0
074 R040000 83
074 S000000 0
074 T000000 61098
074 U010000 6165
074 U020000 0
074 V010000 9.91
074 V020000 0.00
074 W000000 0.0000
074 X000000 2304
074 Y000000 9369
075 A000000 0
075 B000000 66306
076 000000 0.00
077 A000000 Y
077 B000000 Y
077 C000000 N
077 D000000 N
077 E000000 N
077 F000000 N
077 G000000 N
077 H000000 N
077 I000000 N
077 J000000 N
077 K000000 N
077 L000000 N
077 M000000 N
077 N000000 N
077 O000000 N
077 P000000 N
077 Q010000 N
077 Q020000 N
077 Q030000 N
078 000000 N
080 A000000 ICI MUTUAL INSURANCE CO.
080 B000000 GULF, VIGILANT, RELIANCE, CHUBB
080 C000000 110000
081 A000000 Y
081 B000000 125
<PAGE> PAGE 9
082 A000000 N
082 B000000 0
083 A000000 N
083 B000000 0
084 A000000 N
084 B000000 0
085 A000000 Y
085 B000000 N
086 A010000 0
086 A020000 0
086 B010000 0
086 B020000 0
086 C010000 0
086 C020000 0
086 D010000 0
086 D020000 0
086 E010000 0
086 E020000 0
086 F010000 0
086 F020000 0
SIGNATURE BARRY FINK
TITLE VICE PRESIDENT
<TABLE> <S> <C>
<ARTICLE> 6
<LEGEND>
DEAN WITTER LIMITED TERM MUNICIPAL TRUST
ANNUAL NSAR
03-31-97
</LEGEND>
<CIK> 0000904169
<NAME> DEAN WITTER LIMITED TERM MUNICIPAL TRUST
<S> <C>
<PERIOD-TYPE> 12-MOS
<FISCAL-YEAR-END> MAR-31-1997
<PERIOD-END> MAR-31-1997
<INVESTMENTS-AT-COST> 59,466,712
<INVESTMENTS-AT-VALUE> 59,091,992
<RECEIVABLES> 2,238,740
<ASSETS-OTHER> 143,445
<OTHER-ITEMS-ASSETS> 0
<TOTAL-ASSETS> 61,474,177
<PAYABLE-FOR-SECURITIES> 0
<SENIOR-LONG-TERM-DEBT> 0
<OTHER-ITEMS-LIABILITIES> 376,337
<TOTAL-LIABILITIES> 376,337
<SENIOR-EQUITY> 0
<PAID-IN-CAPITAL-COMMON> 70,270,587
<SHARES-COMMON-STOCK> 6,165,243
<SHARES-COMMON-PRIOR> 7,310,483
<ACCUMULATED-NII-CURRENT> 0
<OVERDISTRIBUTION-NII> 0
<ACCUMULATED-NET-GAINS> (8,798,027)
<OVERDISTRIBUTION-GAINS> 0
<ACCUM-APPREC-OR-DEPREC> (374,720)
<NET-ASSETS> 61,097,840
<DIVIDEND-INCOME> 0
<INTEREST-INCOME> 3,225,927
<OTHER-INCOME> 0
<EXPENSES-NET> 582,774
<NET-INVESTMENT-INCOME> 2,643,153
<REALIZED-GAINS-CURRENT> (226,959)
<APPREC-INCREASE-CURRENT> (32,266)
<NET-CHANGE-FROM-OPS> 2,383,928
<EQUALIZATION> 0
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OF-INCOME> (2,659,597)
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OF-GAINS> 0
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OTHER> 0
<NUMBER-OF-SHARES-SOLD> 2,662,724
<NUMBER-OF-SHARES-REDEEMED> (4,015,739)
<SHARES-REINVESTED> 207,775
<NET-CHANGE-IN-ASSETS> (11,668,095)
<ACCUMULATED-NII-PRIOR> 16,444
<ACCUMULATED-GAINS-PRIOR> (8,571,068)
<OVERDISTRIB-NII-PRIOR> 0
<OVERDIST-NET-GAINS-PRIOR> 0
<GROSS-ADVISORY-FEES> 331,532
<INTEREST-EXPENSE> 0
<GROSS-EXPENSE> 586,732
<AVERAGE-NET-ASSETS> 66,306,483
<PER-SHARE-NAV-BEGIN> 9.95
<PER-SHARE-NII> .40
<PER-SHARE-GAIN-APPREC> (.04)
<PER-SHARE-DIVIDEND> (.40)
<PER-SHARE-DISTRIBUTIONS> 0
<RETURNS-OF-CAPITAL> 0
<PER-SHARE-NAV-END> 9.91
<EXPENSE-RATIO> .88
<AVG-DEBT-OUTSTANDING> 0
<AVG-DEBT-PER-SHARE> 0
</TABLE>
