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Delaware operates on a may-issue stance for its concealed carry permits. 

This means if you have met all qualifications and requirements, the state may decide to approve your application.

However, this is open to the discretion of the attorney general’s office. 

The office is also responsible for issuing a temporary non-residents CCW permit to short term employees in the state that are in need of it.

But basically, the most you can do to get your permit is to meet the requirements and understand the state laws, all of which will be covered now.

So sit back and let’s go on this ride.

Delaware Gun Laws

To conceal carry in Delaware, you need a Concealed Deadly Weapon License (CDWL) which serves as the Delaware CCW Permit.

Delaware issues CCW permits to both residents and non-residents. However, non-residents’ permits are temporarily based. 

Both of these permits can only be issued by the state’s Attorney General.  

Gun laws in Delaware require that you make a public declaration about your CCW permit application. 

This should be published by a local newspaper agency ten days before the application.

After you have publicly declared, the office of the Attorney General will make a detailed review and determine if your application will be granted or not.

For a non-resident CCW permit, the Attorney General has the discretion to decide if you are worthy of a temporary license for a limited time, based on your employment and self-protection in Delaware.

Delaware Gun Reciprocity

Delaware has a fair reciprocity deal with other states. The state will only honor a CCW permit from other states that honor Delaware’s permit.

Other things you should know about Delaware CCW permit include the following:

  • States that Delaware honors their permits: These are states that honor Delaware CCW permits, they have a similar level of protection offered by the state of Delaware, and permit requirements that prohibit issuing to a convicted felon.

For states that have various types of CCW permits, only the level that has these similar requirements with Delaware will be accepted. There are twenty-one of them.

  • States that accept Delaware CCW permits: These are states that have an explicit reciprocity deal with Delaware. There are just three of them.
  • States that accept a restricted Delaware CCW permit: These states will only accept Delaware CCW permits for residents. A temporary non-residents permit will not be accepted. There are twelve of them.
  • States that do not require a permit to conceal carry: As long as you are within the minimum age requirements in these states, you can conceal carry without a permit.

Regardless of a state’s reciprocity deal with Delaware, you must conceal carry according to the state’s gun law.

Therefore, it is important that you get familiar with the state’s CCW law before you visit.

You definitely do not want to get in trouble.

Delaware CCW Location Restriction

CCW location restriction is one of the most important Delaware gun laws. 

You cannot possess a gun or any other type of firearm in certain locations, if not you can be charged for violating the law.

Places Where You Can’t Conceal Carry In Delaware

These places are off-limit for guns:

  • Properties and buildings that are privately owned and have a post that prohibits the use of firearms within the premises.
  • Fields, stadiums, or any location that is used for a professional sporting event.
  • Schools, either private or public. This includes any building rented or leased for school activities. Preteen, secondary and primary schools and universities are a part of this.
  • A school bus or any vehicle that is rented, owned by any type of the schools listed above.
  • Buildings and properties used by counties, municipalities, the state of Delaware, or any other corporate body, that is used for sporting events or as a recreational center.
  • Prison buildings or other facilities used for the detention of criminals.
  • Other places where federal laws prohibit the use of a firearm.

Places Where You Can Use Guns In Delaware

  • You can conceal carry in bars and restaurants that do not have a post that prohibits the usage of a firearm within their premises.
  • You can conceal carry in your vehicle, as long and you have a Delaware CCW permit.
  • You can conceal carry along roadsides and places designated as rest areas.
  • You can conceal carry in parks and forests, both state and national.
  • You can conceal carry in places of worship as long as there is no post that restricts the use of firearms within the premises.

Conceal Carry For Law Enforcement Officers In Delaware

Active and retired law enforcement officers are allowed to conceal carry according to federal laws of the country.

Officers, both retired and active ones, that are qualified, can not be restricted by state laws and do not need a CCW permit to carry anywhere in the United States.

Conceal carry Delaware allows only qualified officers who have a required means of identification and have passed a firearm training within a period of one year to conceal carry.

The qualification of a law enforcement officer, either active, retired, or out of service, will be determined by the agency, the officer’s state of residency, or the agency within the state where the officer lives.

Law enforcement agency safety in Delaware requires that a retired officer undergo the required training from a licensed instructor.

Buying And Selling Of Firearms In Delaware

There are laws guiding the dealings of guns in Delaware. You must be aware of this before buying a firearm.

Purchase Permit In Delaware

You need to get a purchase permit before buying, selling, or transferring a firearm in the state. This is why you need to purchase your firearm from only a licensed dealer.

Licensed dealers are equipped to carry out a background check before selling firearms to anyone.

Even if you have a CCW permit, you must still undergo the required background check before a sale can complete.

Transferring a firearm does not include the following:

  • Loaning out the firearm by a person, for a legal reason, within a period of at most two weeks, to someone he/she knows personally.
  • Temporarily transferring the firearm for a legal reason without leaving the presence of the real owner, as long as the temporary transfer is not for more than a day.
  • A legal transfer that leads to someone’s death in which the owner of the firearm is an executor or trustee of an established will.

Exemptions to the purchase permits are as follows:

  • A transfer or deal between family members, both nuclear and extended, in which the seller of the firearm is a licensed owner.
  • A transaction deal in which the buyer has a valid Delaware concealed carry permit that is issued by a court.

However, there is no firearm registration in Delaware.

Delaware Age Requirement To Deal With Gun

The legal age to purchase and transport a firearm in Delaware is eighteen years old.

According to Delaware age for CCW law, juveniles are prohibited to conceal carry, purchase, own, or handle any gun or any other dangerous weapon.

An exception to this is a  juvenile who is in possession of the gun legally, for reasons such as hunting, undergoing training, sporting reasons, or any other fun activity.

In this case, the juvenile must be under due supervision from an adult either directly or indirectly.

Even if you are within the minimum age of eighteen, you can be guilty of illegal dealing of a firearm when you sell, transfer, or give it to an underage.

An exception to this is the parent or legal guardian of an underage, and also if you are giving the firearm after receiving consent from the underage’s parent.

In this case, the parents will be responsible for whatever the underage does with the firearm.

Delaware CCW Permit Requirement

All Delaware concealed carry permit requirements must be met before you can qualify as a permit holder.

The requirements include the following:

  • You must be eighteen years old or more.
  • You must complete a licensed firearm training. This could also be a Delaware concealed carry class online.
  • You must provide five references from your county of residence. These references will testify that you are of the required age, good morals, have a reputation in the community that does not suggest that you are a violent individual, and you need the gun for self-protection and/or protection of your property.
  • You must confirm your Delaware concealed carry permit application by swearing an oath and writing a letter or affirmation in the presence of a notary or a state officer. The affirmation letter must also ascertain that your certificates are valid and the signatures from your five references are authentic.
  • You must not have been a felony or convicted of any violent crime in Delaware or any other state in the country.
  • If you are below the age of twenty-five, you must have never been a delinquent juvenile.
  • You must not be a user or dealer in narcotics or have previously been convicted of illegal use of any drug that is controlled by the DEA.
  • You must not have a restraining court order in your name due to physical abuse or the use of a firearm.
  • You must be mentally healthy and never have been admitted to a mental hospital or any mental health institution.
  • You meet every other federal law requirements that must be met before qualifying for a CCW permit.

How To Apply For Delaware CCW Permit

The application process for Delaware concealed carry permit application includes the following:

Download Your Application Form.

Obtaining your application form can be done online. All you have to do is download the form and complete it.

It is important that you have plans of taking a training class before submitting your application. In Delaware, you can apply for CCW without a training certificate.

But upon the approval of your CCW permit, you have a grace of three months to submit your training certificate.

Public Declaration

Publish a CCW permit application in your county’s newspaper agency. This must be done ten days prior to filing your CCW application.

A proof that you have published this with your local newspaper must be submitted with your application.

Some other details you must know about publishing your CCW permit declaration include the following:

  • The local newspaper must have a minimum of thirty-five percent circulation within your county.
  • Your full name must be in the publication.
  • Your residence address must be included.

Provide Your Fingerprint

You will be invited by the state police to have your fingerprint taken by the State Bureau of Identification (SBI). This should be within forty-five days or applying.

Have it in mind that the fingerprint submission is strictly based on appointment. Also, verify all payments before attending the interview.

Complete Your Reference Questionnaires

Provide your five references with questionnaires for them to complete.

Your five references must:

  • be from your county of residence.
  • not in any way related to you.
  • have known you for a minimum of one year.

Mail Your Notarized Application

After you have completed your application in the presence of a notary, mail it to your local prothonotary office in your county.

Other documents to include with the application include:

  • Your set of fingerprints and other necessary documents.
  • Two passport photographs that are at least six months old.
  • Your application fee.

Submitting Gun Training Certificate

After your application has been approved, complete, and submit your training course certificate within a period of ninety days.

If it is impossible for you to complete the course in this period, provide proof that you have at least enrolled and the course is still ongoing.

If you do not provide a certificate of training completion or enrollment within the stipulated period, the court will conclude that you no longer want a permit and Delaware CCW permit would be canceled.

To get another permit after this, you will have to go through all of the aforementioned processes again.

If you fulfill all of these stages, your CCW permit will be issued and valid for usage.

Delaware CCW Permit Training Requirement

It is important that you enroll in a state-licensed course, either Delaware concealed carry class online or not.

The basics of your licensed training should include the following:

  • How to handle a firearm safely.
  • How to store a firearm and keep it safe from children.
  • Basics of shooting a firearm.
  • Live-fire session on a range with a minimum of a hundred rounds of ammunition.
  • Developing shooting skills.
  • A course that explains both federal and Delaware state gun laws and how to use deadly force in self-defense situations.
  • A course on legal dealing, transferring and transporting firearms in the state.

Concealed Carry Delaware FAQs

Here are some frequently asked questions about CCW in Delaware:

How Long Is Delaware CCW Permit Valid For?

An initial permit is valid for a period of three years and you have five years to renew your permit.

How Long Will It Take Me To Get A CCW Permit In Delaware?

There is no specified period for getting a CCW permit in Delaware.

How Many Times Can A Non Resident Get A Temporary CCW Permit In Delaware?

Not more than three times.

How Much Is Delaware CCW Permit Application?

All applications cost sixty-five dollars.

Additional Resources

Delaware Gun Laws
Delaware Open Carry Laws
Delaware Gun Permit Laws

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