◆ DELAWARE · CARRY LAW
Delaware.
Information, not legal advice. Confirm with the state before you carry.
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◆ THE SHORT ANSWEREvery tile below is one of the answers further down this page, with its citation.
Concealed, no permit
No
Open, no permit
Yes
In a vehicle, no permit
No
Getting a permit
Maybe, at an official's discretion
- Magazine capacity is capped here.
- A permit is required to buy a firearm, not just to carry one.
- This state has an extreme-risk protective order law.
◆ CARRYING HERE
What Delaware requires
The state's permit is the License to Carry a Concealed Deadly Weapon, issued by the Superior Court of your county.
Carrying without a permit3
Can I carry concealed here without a permit?
Permitless or "constitutional" carry. "Limited" means some adults qualify and others do not. Read the qualifier.
No
You need a license. Carrying a concealed firearm without one is a class D FELONY. Among the heaviest penalties for this in the country.
Can I carry openly here without a permit?
Yes
Openly, yes. Delaware licenses CONCEALED carry only, but check the town, because Delaware’s preemption leaves room for local rules.
Can I keep a loaded handgun in my car without a permit?
No
Not concealed. Without a license a firearm hidden in a car is the same class D felony as one hidden on you.
Permits and age3
If I want this state's permit, will they issue one?
Shall-issue means the state must issue to any qualified applicant. May-issue leaves it to an official's discretion.
Maybe, at an official's discretion
Discretionary on its face. The statute says a person of “full age and good moral character” MAY be licensed, and the application goes to the Superior Court.
Can I get this state's permit if I live somewhere else?
No
No. You apply to the Superior Court of the county where you live.
How old do I have to be to carry here?
The floor for the least restrictive lawful route. Where permitless and permit ages differ, the qualifier says so.
If an officer stops you1
Do I have to tell an officer I am armed?
"Required" means you must volunteer it on contact. "On request" means only when asked.
Not required
No statute requires you to announce it. Answer honestly if you are asked.
No duty-to-inform provision in Del. Code tit. 11, ch. 5, subch. VIIRead at Delaware Code Online ↗Checked 9 days ago
How we checked there is no such law
Read §§ 1441, 1442, 1444, 1468 and 1469 on 2026-09-06. The licensing, carrying, destructive-weapon and magazine sections. None contains a notification requirement.Buying and owning2
Do I need a state-issued card just to own or buy a firearm here?
Illinois' FOID is the main example. Distinct from a carry permit.
Required
Yes. Delaware enacted a permit to purchase in 2024. Fingerprints, training and a state-issued qualified purchaser card before you may buy a handgun.
Del. Code tit. 11, § 1448D; 84 Del. Laws c. 259, § 5Read at Delaware Code Online ↗Checked 9 days ago
Is there a limit on magazine capacity here?
Only in some cases
17 rounds. An unusual number, and POSSESSION itself is banned, not just selling. Delaware is one of the few states where a magazine you already own can be the offense.
How the state governs guns2
Can a city here write its own gun rules on top of the state's?
Full preemption means state law is the only law. Partial means some cities may go further. Check locally.
Sometimes, check the city
Weak. Delaware preempts most local firearm regulation but leaves municipalities real room. Wilmington in particular has its own rules. Check the city.
Does this state have a red-flag law?
An extreme risk protection order lets a court order firearms surrendered temporarily.
Yes, this state has one
Yes. Since 2018 a family member or law enforcement may petition to have firearms relinquished.
◆ RECIPROCITY
Permits Delaware honors
If you are visiting Delaware, this is whether your permit counts here.
Pick a state for the full answer with its citation, or find it in the grid below.
Not honored54
◆ RECIPROCITY, THE OTHER WAY
Where Delaware permits are honored
If you live in Delaware, this is where your permit travels.
Pick a state for the full answer with its citation, or find it in the grid below.
Honored31
Honored, with a condition1
Not honored20
Not settled2
◆ NFA ITEMS
Suppressors and NFA legality
Federal registration is required everywhere these are legal. A state can prohibit them regardless, and several do.
Can I possess a suppressor here?
Federal NFA registration is required everywhere it is legal. State law can prohibit it regardless.
Prohibited
Prohibited. Federal registration does NOT save it. The only silencer exception is for certified wildlife biologists doing disease or population control.
Can I possess a short-barreled rifle here?
Legal
Lawful with the federal paperwork. Delaware’s destructive-weapon list reaches sawed-off SHOTGUNS, and the definition says so.
Del. Code tit. 11, §§ 1444(a), 1441(3)Read at Delaware Code Online ↗Checked 9 days ago
How we checked there is no such law
Read § 1444 and its definitions in title 11, chapter 5, subchapter VII on 2026-09-07 and searched the subchapter for a rifle barrel-length prohibition. The only barrel length in it is the 18-inch shotgun figure.Can I possess a short-barreled shotgun here?
Prohibited
Prohibited. A sawed-off shotgun is a destructive weapon here, with no exception for a private owner.
Can I possess a machine gun here?
Federally, civilian possession is limited to pre-1986 registered transferables.
Prohibited
Prohibited. The only machine gun exception is for scientific or experimental research and development, and it is a class E felony otherwise.
Can I possess an AOW here?
Legal
Lawful with the federal paperwork.
No any-other-weapon provision in Del. Code tit. 11, § 1444Read at Delaware Code Online ↗Checked 9 days ago
How we checked there is no such law
Read § 1444(a)’s six enumerated destructive weapons on 2026-09-07 and searched the subchapter for “cane gun”, “pen gun”, “wallet gun”, “zip gun”, “disguised” and “any other weapon”. None appears.◆ SOURCES
Where this comes from
This is information, not legal advice. Gun law changes often and the penalty for getting it wrong is criminal. Confirm every answer with the state before you carry there.
- The authority
- the Superior Court of your county ↗
- ATF’s index
- Delaware firearm statutes ↗ (PDF)