Delaware pistol permit and concealed carry, explained

Delaware does not issue concealed carry licences through the sheriff or the State Police. You petition the Superior Court in the county where you live, your name is published in a local newspaper, and a judge decides. Expect four to six months. This page walks the whole process, in order, with the costs and the waits marked.

Who issues a pistol permit in Delaware?

The Superior Court. You file with the Prothonotary's office in your county of residence, and the court grants or refuses the licence. There is no police-issued permit in Delaware and no county sheriff route.

Wilmington, Newark and Claymont applicants file in New Castle County. Dover and Kent County applicants file on The Green. Sussex County applicants file in Georgetown, on The Circle. The steps are identical in all three; only the court calendar differs, so ask the Prothonotary for the next filing deadline before you assemble anything.

Do they really publish your name in the newspaper?

Yes. This is the step that surprises everyone. The Prothonotary publishes the list of applicants once in a newspaper circulating in the county, at least ten days before the next term of court. There is no private route around it, and the cost of publication is part of what you pay.

What does the Delaware carry application require?

Five references. A certificate signed by five respectable citizens of your county, attesting to your character and reputation for peace and order. They have to know you and be willing to sign a court filing. Line them up first, because chasing a fifth signature is the most common reason an application misses a term.

A training course. It must cover safe handling and storage, the fundamentals of shooting and Delaware's own law on the use of deadly force, with a live-fire component of at least 100 rounds.

Fingerprints. Taken through the State Bureau of Identification, and they must be taken within 45 days before you file. Take them too early and you will pay to repeat them.

The fee. Sixty-five dollars to file, and sixty-five again at renewal, on top of the course, the fingerprinting and the publication cost.

How long does a Delaware pistol permit take?

Four to six months from first phone call to licence in hand is a fair expectation, and longer in a busy New Castle County term. The order that wastes the least time is: book the course first, gather your five signers while you wait for the course date, take fingerprints inside the 45-day window, then file ahead of the deadline.

If you want a pistol at home sooner than that, apply for the handgun purchase permit in parallel. It is a much shorter process and it is covered on the Delaware gun buying guide.

How long is a Delaware carry licence good for?

A first licence runs three years. The first renewal, and every renewal after it, runs five years. Renewals go to the same Prothonotary with the same fee and a shorter path. Do not let one lapse, because a lapsed licence restarts the whole thing, newspaper notice and five references included.

What does the licence actually get you?

Three things, and the second and third are why plenty of Delaware owners go through the court even though they rarely carry.

It lets you carry a concealed handgun in Delaware. It takes the place of the handgun qualified purchaser permit, so you can buy pistols without a separate application to the State Bureau of Identification. And it exempts you from the 17-round magazine limit that applies to every other buyer in the state.

Where can you not carry in Delaware?

Schools, school grounds and school buses are barred, as are the buildings and grounds of designated recreation areas such as public recreation centres, athletic fields and stadiums. Federal buildings, courthouses and secure areas of airports are barred by other law. Private property owners can refuse firearms on their own premises.

Open carry is lawful in Delaware without any licence, subject to those same prohibited places. Reciprocity, the list of states that honour a Delaware licence, is maintained by the Attorney General's office and it changes, so check the current list before you drive out of state with a pistol on your hip.

What should you carry?

Most Delaware licence holders land on a compact or micro-compact 9mm with a red dot and a proper belt holster. The magazine exemption matters here too: a licence holder is the one Delaware buyer who may lawfully hold a magazine over 17 rounds, which opens up the full-size duty pistols as well. Our catalogue carries the carry-sized pistols, optics, lights and holsters, and the ranges and training page covers where in the state you can put those 100 rounds downrange.

Common questions

Is Delaware a constitutional carry state? No. Concealed carry requires the Superior Court licence. Open carry needs no licence.

Can I get a Delaware permit as a non-resident? The Superior Court route is built around county residence. Non-residents should ask the Prothonotary directly rather than assume.

Does a Delaware carry licence let me buy a handgun without the purchase permit? Yes. That is one of its main practical benefits.

How much does the whole thing cost? The court fee is sixty-five dollars. Add the training course, fingerprinting and newspaper publication, and most applicants spend several hundred dollars in total.

Can I carry in a state park? The rules for parks, forests and wildlife areas have been rewritten more than once. Check the current DNREC firearms regulations before you carry into one.

Where do I start? Call the Prothonotary in your county, ask for the next filing deadline, and work backwards from it.

General information, not legal advice. Current as of September 2026. Laws change; check the official source before you act.