Delaware Gun Laws And Concealed Carry Guide

Delaware is not a permitless carry state. To carry a concealed handgun, you need a License to Carry a Concealed Deadly Weapon (CCDW) from the Delaware Superior Court. The law sets the minimum age at “full age,” which Delaware defines as 18.

This guide covers Delaware gun laws for carrying a handgun. You will learn how to apply for a CCDW, what the 100-round training course requires, where you can’t carry, how open carry and vehicle carry work, and how the 2025 permit-to-purchase law affects license holders.

Do You Need A Permit To Carry In Delaware?

Yes, to carry concealed. Carrying a concealed deadly weapon without a license is a felony under 11 Del. C. § 1442. Delaware does not issue regular licenses to nonresidents, and it honors only a set list of other states’ permits.

Age matters too. Under 11 Del. C. § 1448(a)(5), people under 21 generally may not possess a handgun. Adults 18 to 20 are exempt if they hold a CCDW, are on active military duty, or are qualified law enforcement officers.

You also cannot hold a license if you are a prohibited person under § 1448. That list includes people with:

• A felony conviction or a conviction for a violent crime causing injury
• Certain drug convictions
• An involuntary mental health commitment or certain related court findings
• A protection-from-abuse order or a lethal violence protective order
• A misdemeanor domestic violence conviction
• Certain juvenile felony adjudications, until age 25

How To Get A Delaware Concealed Carry License

You apply to the Superior Court through the Prothonotary in your county of residence. The Superior Court’s Concealed Deadly Weapons page has the forms and instructions.

1. Take the required firearms course. Get a notarized certificate from the instructor or sponsor. The course is covered in the next section.
2. Get fingerprinted. Schedule with the State Bureau of Identification through IdentoGO within 45 days before you file. Each county has its own service code, listed on the Court’s page.
3. Get five references. Five respectable citizens of your county must sign a certificate. They state you are of good moral character and that carrying a weapon is necessary for your protection.
4. Complete the application under oath. File it in duplicate with two passport-style photos taken within six months. Use the Court’s application form.
5. File with the Prothonotary and pay the fee. File at least 15 days before the next Superior Court term. By mail, pay by money order or check made out to “Prothonotary.”
6. Wait for publication and review. The Prothonotary publishes your name and residence once in a county newspaper. The Attorney General’s office then has 30 days to review and respond.
7. Get the Court’s decision. The Court may approve or deny the application. Once approved and your training certificate is on file, the license is issued.

Cost: $65 for a new license and $65 for a renewal (11 Del. C. § 1441). Fingerprinting, the training course and notary fees are extra.

Term: The statute says the first license lasts 3 years and each renewal lasts 5 years. The Court’s rules use June 1 expiration dates.

Confirm your exact date with the Prothonotary. Renewals are filed between January 1 and June 1 of the year the license expires.

Who can apply: Delaware residents only. The Court’s page does not list a processing time.

Do You Need A Class For A Delaware Carry Permit?

Yes, for your first license. Under 11 Del. C. § 1441(a)(3), you must complete a course that covers:

• Safe handling and storage of firearms and ammunition, including child safety
• Shooting fundamentals and how to keep your skills up
• Federal and Delaware law on buying, owning, carrying and transporting firearms
• Delaware law on using deadly force in self-defense
• Avoiding and managing violent confrontations, including conflict resolution
• Live-fire exercises on a range, firing at least 100 rounds

The law sets no minimum number of hours. The course must be sponsored by a law enforcement agency, a college, a nationally recognized firearms organization, or a firearms school with certified instructors. You file a notarized certificate of completion with the Court.

The 100-round live-fire range session must be done in person. An online-only course cannot meet Delaware’s requirement. No added training is required for renewal.

A short online safety course can be a useful primer before you book the required range class. It does not replace that class, and it is not a license.

Can Non-Residents Get A Delaware Carry Permit?

No. The Superior Court issues CCDW licenses to Delaware residents only.

There is one narrow exception. Under § 1441(k), the Attorney General may issue a temporary license to a nonresident with a short-term, job-related need to carry in Delaware. It lasts 30 days, cannot be renewed, and no one may get more than three.

Which States Honor The Delaware Concealed Carry License?

Delaware’s reciprocity is set by the Attorney General under § 1441(j). The AG’s most recent posted list covers January 15, 2025, to January 15, 2026. It recognizes permits from 21 states:

• Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Michigan, Missouri, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Utah and West Virginia
• Idaho and South Dakota (enhanced permits only)
• North Dakota (Class 1 permits only)

Delaware honors both resident and nonresident permits from those states. Check the Delaware Department of Justice page for a newer list before you rely on it.

Going the other way, the AG says Delaware license holders may be able to carry in those 21 states and in Idaho, Indiana and Vermont. USCCA’s reciprocity map lists about 34 states that honor a Delaware license. Rules change, so check each state before you travel.

Going next door? See our Maryland gun laws, Pennsylvania gun laws and New Jersey gun laws guides, or browse gun laws by state.

Can You Open Carry In Delaware?

Yes. Delaware has no general law against open carry, and no license is needed to carry a handgun openly. Because of the under-21 rule in § 1448, you must be at least 21, or 18 with a CCDW.

Open carry is still banned in the places listed below.

Can You Keep A Gun In Your Car In Delaware?

With a CCDW, yes. You can carry a loaded handgun concealed in your vehicle.

Without a license, be careful. A handgun hidden in a glove box, console or under the seat can count as carrying a concealed weapon under § 1442. USCCA and handgunlaw.us both advise that an unlicensed driver keep the gun in plain view.

• Employer parking lots: Delaware has no law that protects employees who keep guns in their cars at work, according to USCCA. Your employer’s policy controls.
• School parking lots: CCDW holders may have a gun on K-12 school property only if it stays in their vehicle (§ 1457A(c)(4)). A gun in a locked container or locked rack in a vehicle is also exempt.
• College parking lots: The same vehicle-only exception applies on college and university property (§ 1457C).

Where You Can’t Carry A Gun In Delaware

A CCDW does not let you carry everywhere. Off-limits places include:

• K-12 Safe School Zones, meaning property, buildings, fields and vehicles of public and private schools. This is a class E felony. License holders are exempt only while the gun is in their vehicle (11 Del. C. § 1457A).
• College and university property, including buildings, fields, stadiums and school vehicles. Public roads through campus are excluded (11 Del. C. § 1457C).
• Polling places on Election Day and during early voting, from two hours before polls open until two hours after they close. Separate parking areas are not covered (11 Del. C. § 1457B).
• Detention facilities, where bringing in a firearm is a crime (11 Del. C. § 1256).
• Federal facilities, including federal courthouses and post offices (18 U.S.C. § 930).
• Private property where the owner bans guns. Businesses and churches may post signs or tell you to leave.

Duty to inform: Delaware has no law requiring you to tell police you are carrying, according to handgunlaw.us and USCCA. Keep your license with you and answer honestly if asked.

Delaware Castle Doctrine And Stand Your Ground Law

Delaware is not a stand your ground state in public. Under 11 Del. C. § 464, deadly force is justified if you reasonably believe it is necessary to protect yourself against death, serious physical injury, kidnapping or forced sexual intercourse.

Deadly force is not justified if you know you can avoid it with complete safety by retreating. You have no duty to retreat from your home. You also have no duty to retreat at your place of work, unless you started the fight.

Delaware’s castle doctrine has two more parts:

• Intruders (§ 469): An occupant who uses force on an intruder unlawfully in the home has a defense if the encounter was sudden, if the occupant reasonably feared injury, or if the intruder refused a demand to surrender.
• Property (§ 466): Deadly force may be used to stop someone from taking your home without a claim of right, or to stop certain violent felonies. If you use force to protect property and are not convicted, you are not civilly liable to the person you used force against.

A self-defense law does not stop police from arresting you or a prosecutor from filing charges. Even a clear case can lead to a costly legal defense.

Delaware Gun Laws FAQ

Is Delaware A Constitutional Carry State?

No. You need a CCDW license to carry concealed. Open carry without a license is legal for adults who can lawfully possess a handgun.

How Old Do You Have To Be To Get A Concealed Carry License In Delaware?

The statute requires “full age,” and 1 Del. C. § 302 defines that as 18. A CCDW also exempts 18- to 20-year-olds from the general under-21 handgun ban in § 1448.

Do You Need A Permit To Buy A Handgun In Delaware?

Yes, since November 16, 2025. Buyers need a handgun qualified purchaser permit from the State Bureau of Identification. Delaware State Police confirm that people with a valid CCDW are not required to get one.

How Long Is A Delaware Concealed Carry License Good For?

The first license runs 3 years under § 1441, and each renewal runs 5 years. Renewal costs $65 and needs no new training.

Does Delaware Honor Other States’ Concealed Carry Permits?

Only from the 21 states on the Attorney General’s list, some with limits on permit type. Delaware does not honor permits from Pennsylvania, Maryland or New Jersey.

Can You Carry A Gun In Church In Delaware?

No Delaware statute bans license holders from places of worship. A church is private property, so it can ban guns.

If the church runs a K-12 school, the Safe School Zone rules apply on that property. Churches that use armed volunteers should look into legal protection for church security teams.

Sources

• Delaware Superior Court: Concealed Deadly Weapons
• Delaware Department of Justice: Concealed Weapons Reciprocity
• Delaware State Police: Permit to Purchase Program
• Delaware Code Title 11, Chapter 4 (Justification, §§ 464–470)
• Delaware Code Title 1, Chapter 3 (§ 302 definitions)
• Laws of Delaware, Vol. 84, Ch. 175 (HB 201, Safe School Zones)
• Laws of Delaware, Vol. 84, Ch. 176 (HB 202, Polling Places)
• Laws of Delaware, Vol. 84, Ch. 369 (HB 311, College Safe Zones)
• Delaware Department of Elections: Firearms Prohibited Notice
• 11 Del. C. § 1441 (Justia mirror, 2025)
• 11 Del. C. § 1448 (Justia mirror, 2025)
• 11 Del. C. § 1457C (FindLaw mirror)
• USCCA: Delaware Reciprocity Map (secondary source)
• Handgunlaw.us: Delaware (secondary source)