Concealed Carry in Delaware

No. Carrying a concealed deadly weapon (including a handgun) without a license issued under § 1441 is a crime under § 1442. Delaware has no permitless concealed carry.

License to Carry a Concealed Deadly Weapon (CCDW), granted by the Superior Court on application filed with the Prothonotary. The statute says the Court 'may or may not, in its discretion, approve any application' (discretionary). Applicant must be 'of full age and good moral character'. An initial applicant must file a notarized certificate of completing a firearms training course with listed elements, including firing 'a minimum of 100 rounds of ammunition.' Fee: $65 (initial and renewal). The initial license is valid for 3 years; renewals are for 5 years.

Delaware recognizes licenses from states the Attorney General finds qualify (states that also honor Delaware licenses and offer a reasonably similar degree of protection); the list is published every January 15. For January 15, 2025 to January 15, 2026 the Attorney General listed: Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Idaho (enhanced permits only), Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Michigan, Missouri, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota (Class 1 permits only), Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota (enhanced permits only), Tennessee, Texas, Utah and West Virginia. The Attorney General may also issue a 30-day temporary license to a nonresident for short-term employment needs.

Safe School Zones (class E felony); Safe Recreation Zones such as recreation centers, athletic fields and sports stadiums (when committing listed offenses, or juveniles); polling places (class A misdemeanor); and college or university safe zones (class A misdemeanor).

Delaware has no state law that specifically permits carrying a handgun in a vehicle without a license. Carrying a concealed deadly weapon 'upon or about the person' without a license is a crime (a class D felony when the weapon is a firearm), but 'It shall be a defense that the defendant complied with § 1456(b) of this title.' Section 1456(b) makes it unsafe storage to knowingly leave a firearm unattended in a vehicle unless it is in a locked box or container, a locked firearms rack on a motor vehicle, or locked in the trunk; a glove compartment counts as a locked container only if it can be manually locked so the firearm is inaccessible to anyone other than the owner or an authorized person. Unsafe storage in a vehicle is a class B misdemeanor (class A misdemeanor if an unauthorized person gets the firearm and uses it in listed ways).