Delaware: New Permit-to-Purchase Law Takes Effect

Delaware just marched itself straight into the “permission slip” era of gun control. As of Monday, the state’s new permit-to-purchase law, Senate Substitute 1 for Senate Bill 2, is fully in effect.

Washington Gun Law’s William Kirk broke down exactly what this means for handgun buyers in the state, and none of it is good news for lawful gun owners.

Permit-to-purchase laws have long been one of the most aggressive forms of civilian disarmament. States like Illinois, California, and New York already weaponize similar systems, using arbitrary and capricious denials to block otherwise lawful citizens from exercising an enumerated right. Now, Delaware joins the club.

Under the new law, any Delaware resident who wants to buy a handgun must:

• Complete mandatory firearms training
• Submit fingerprints through Identico
• Pass a background check
• Obtain a Handgun Qualified Purchaser Permit
• And later, still pass the standard NICS check at the gun store

In other words: Delaware residents must pass a background check… to get permission to pass another background check.

Residents who already hold a CCDW permit are exempt from the mandatory education component. So are:

• Active and retired law enforcement
• Sheriffs and deputy sheriffs
• FFLs and deadly weapon dealers
• Armored car guards and regulated security personnel
• Constables
• Delaware correction officers
• U.S. military members
• NRA-certified instructors
• Delaware Hunter Safety card holders
• NRA-classified competitive shooters

But everyone else? Get ready for a full curriculum.

The required training course covers:

• Safe firearm handling
• Safe storage and child-safety procedures
• Ammunition handling and storage
• Shooting fundamentals
• Live-fire training with at least 100 rounds
• Training on federal and state firearm laws
• Deadly force law
• Conflict avoidance and violent-encounter management
• Suicide-prevention instruction

Residents who have lived in Delaware less than five years trigger a statewide law-enforcement scavenger hunt. The Delaware State Bureau of Identification must contact every police agency in every county or municipality where the applicant lived during the previous five years before issuing a permit.

The Delaware State Police may deny a permit if an applicant:

1. Is prohibited from possessing a firearm under state or federal law
2. Is under 21
3. Is deemed (based on probable cause) to pose a danger to self or others

That third category injects subjective judgment into what should be an objective process, giving the state wide leeway to deny permits based on uncharged allegations.

Once issued, the permit is valid for two years, meaning residents must repeat this process every 24 months. The law directs the state to issue permits within 30 days, though whether the infrastructure can handle the load remains to be seen.

A last-minute legal attempt to block the law failed when a court denied the request for a temporary injunction.

Delaware residents may not sell a firearm privately unless they verify the buyer holds a valid permit to purchase.

Delaware has officially entered the realm of permit-to-purchase gun control—one of the most restrictive, burdensome, and constitutionally questionable systems in the country.

As Kirk put it, the state has stepped through the gates of civilian-disarmament hell, and lawful gun owners are now forced to navigate a maze of permits, training, background checks, and state discretion just to buy a handgun.

*** Buy and Sell on GunsAmerica! ***