Delaware Rifle & Shotgun Laws
Learn how Delaware law applies to rifles and shotguns, including bolt-action and lever-action rifles, pump and semiautomatic shotguns, AR-platform firearms, magazine restrictions, purchases, transfers, transportation and nonresident sales.
Long Gun Overview
Pump shotguns: Generally permitted
Semiautomatics: Configuration matters
Magazines: Separate Delaware restrictions
Most conventional long guns are not prohibited by type
The areas requiring the closest review are semiautomatic firearms, named assault weapons, copycat configurations, magazine capacity and specially regulated short-barreled firearms.
Bolt & Lever Rifles
Conventional manually operated rifles generally do not fall within Delaware’s principal semiautomatic copycat-weapon tests.
Pump Shotguns
Conventional pump-action shotguns generally do not trigger the semiautomatic shotgun feature test.
Semiautomatic Rifles
Named firearms, detachable magazines, overall length and prohibited feature combinations can affect legality.
Semiautomatic Shotguns
Delaware’s assault-weapon law includes restrictions affecting certain semiautomatic shotgun configurations.
Jump to a section
Are rifles legal in Delaware?
Many rifles are lawful in Delaware. Conventional bolt-action, lever-action and other manually operated rifles generally do not fall within the principal semiautomatic feature-based definition used for Delaware copycat weapons.
Semiautomatic rifles require more careful review because Delaware separately restricts named assault weapons and firearms meeting the state’s copycat-weapon definition.
Common sporting rifles
A conventional hunting or target rifle should not be assumed restricted merely because it has a detachable magazine, scope, synthetic stock or modern appearance. The firearm’s action and exact statutory characteristics matter.
Are shotguns legal in Delaware?
Most conventional sporting and defensive shotguns are lawful for persons who may legally possess them.
Pump-action, break-action, over-and-under and side-by-side shotguns are treated differently from semiautomatic shotguns when applying Delaware’s assault-weapon feature tests.
Semiautomatic shotguns need closer review
Delaware’s assault-weapon statute covers certain semiautomatic shotgun configurations and also specifically names some firearms. Review the exact model and configuration rather than relying on the general description “shotgun.”
Semiautomatic does not automatically mean prohibited
Delaware does not classify every semiautomatic rifle or shotgun as an assault weapon. Instead, the statute identifies particular firearms by name and establishes additional configuration-based tests.
Check whether the firearm appears within Delaware’s statutory list.
Copies and certain substantially similar firearms can also be covered.
Stocks, grips, muzzle devices and other features may affect classification.
Magazine system, operating type and firearm dimensions may matter.
Are AR-style rifles legal in Delaware?
The answer depends on the exact firearm. Delaware’s statutory assault-weapon list specifically includes the Colt AR-15, CAR-15 and covered imitations, while separate copycat-weapon provisions can capture additional semiautomatic configurations.
Magazine capacity alone does not determine whether an AR-platform rifle is legal
Installing a 10-round magazine does not, by itself, resolve Delaware’s named-firearm or copycat-weapon analysis. The actual model and configuration must be reviewed.
Rifle and shotgun magazine restrictions
Delaware regulates large-capacity magazines separately from the firearm itself. A detachable ammunition-feeding device capable of accepting, or readily convertible to accept, more than 17 rounds generally falls within Delaware’s large-capacity-magazine definition, subject to statutory exceptions.
Not an LCM solely by capacity
The firearm itself must still comply with all other Delaware restrictions.
Generally restricted
Possession and transfer are generally prohibited unless an applicable statutory exception applies.
Do I need a Delaware purchaser permit for a rifle or shotgun?
Delaware’s Handgun Qualified Purchaser Permit is a handgun requirement
DSP describes the current permit program as governing handgun purchases. It is not a general permit-to-purchase requirement for ordinary rifles and shotguns.
A rifle or shotgun purchase through a dealer remains subject to the applicable firearm transaction background check and all other purchaser-eligibility requirements.
Can a nonresident buy a rifle or shotgun in Delaware?
Federal law allows an FFL to make an over-the-counter transfer of a complete rifle or shotgun to a nonresident when the transaction complies with federal law, Delaware law and the law of the buyer’s state of residence.
Frames and receivers are not treated the same way
The federal interstate exception applies to complete rifles and shotguns. A receiver or frame not configured as a complete rifle or shotgun does not qualify for that over-the-counter nonresident exception.
Private rifle and shotgun transfers
Delaware’s private-transfer law generally applies to rifles and shotguns as well as handguns. Covered transfers between unlicensed persons generally require the statutory background-check procedure through an FFL unless an exemption or exclusion applies.
Transporting a rifle or shotgun
Transportation rules depend on how the firearm is carried, whether it is left unattended and whether the firearm itself is lawful in Delaware.
Unattended firearms in vehicles must be secured
Delaware’s vehicle-storage law requires an unattended firearm to be stored using an authorized locked method, such as a locked container, locked firearms rack or locked trunk.
Short-barreled rifles and shotguns require separate analysis
Do not apply the ordinary rifle or shotgun rules to a firearm with a barrel or overall configuration that places it within federal NFA classifications or Delaware’s separate destructive-weapon provisions.
Federal approval does not automatically establish Delaware legality
State and federal restrictions must be reviewed together before acquiring or possessing a short-barreled or otherwise NFA-regulated long gun.
Age, hunting and supervised shooting
Delaware recognizes circumstances in which younger persons may lawfully use firearms for hunting, training, sporting or recreational purposes, but age and supervision requirements must be analyzed separately from the legality of the rifle or shotgun itself.
Delaware’s firearm restrictions affecting adults ages 18–20 have also been the subject of recent litigation, so an old age-based summary should not be used as a substitute for checking current law.
Shopping for a rifle or shotgun in Delaware?
Coastal Firearms
DelawareGunLaws.com is supported by Coastal Firearms, a Delaware federally licensed firearms dealer focused on lawful firearm sales, transfers and responsible ownership.
Coastal Firearms offers hunting rifles, shotguns, sporting firearms and Delaware-appropriate semiautomatic configurations when available.
For semiautomatic rifles or shotguns, the exact manufacturer, model and configuration should be reviewed before assuming the firearm can be transferred in Delaware.
Frequently asked questions
Are bolt-action rifles legal in Delaware?
Conventional bolt-action rifles generally do not fall within Delaware’s principal semiautomatic copycat-weapon definition. The owner, transaction and any unusual firearm characteristics must still be lawful.
Are lever-action rifles legal in Delaware?
Conventional lever-action rifles are generally not prohibited merely because they are lever-action rifles. Other firearm, owner and transfer restrictions can still apply.
Are pump-action shotguns legal in Delaware?
Conventional pump-action shotguns generally do not meet Delaware’s semiautomatic shotgun feature test. Specially regulated short-barreled firearms and other unusual configurations require separate review.
Are semiautomatic rifles illegal in Delaware?
Not every semiautomatic rifle is prohibited. Delaware restricts particular named firearms and semiautomatic firearms meeting specified statutory definitions. The exact model and configuration matter.
Can I buy a rifle or shotgun without a Handgun Qualified Purchaser Permit?
Delaware’s Handgun Qualified Purchaser Permit applies to handgun purchases and receipt. Ordinary rifle and shotgun dealer transactions remain subject to the applicable background check and purchaser-eligibility rules.
Can a Pennsylvania or Maryland resident buy a rifle or shotgun in Delaware?
Potentially. Federal law allows an FFL to make an over-the-counter transfer of a complete rifle or shotgun to a nonresident when the transaction complies with federal law and the laws of both Delaware and the buyer’s state of residence.
Can a nonresident buy an AR receiver in Delaware and take it home?
The federal interstate long-gun exception applies to complete rifles and shotguns. A frame or receiver that is not configured as a complete rifle or shotgun does not qualify for that over-the-counter exception.
Can I privately sell a rifle or shotgun to another Delaware resident?
Covered private transfers generally must be processed using Delaware’s statutory background-check procedure through a licensed dealer unless an exemption or exclusion applies.
Does a 10-round magazine automatically make a semiautomatic rifle Delaware legal?
No. Magazine capacity is a separate issue from Delaware’s named assault-weapon and copycat-weapon classifications.
More Delaware long-gun information
Official sources
11 Del. C. § 1465
Assault-weapon and copycat-weapon definitions.
11 Del. C. § 1466
Assault-weapon restrictions and exceptions.
Delaware State Police — Firearms
State firearm services and purchaser-permit information.
Legal information, not legal advice.
DelawareGunLaws.com is an independent educational resource and is not affiliated with the State of Delaware, Delaware State Police, ATF or any government agency. Rifle and shotgun legality can depend on the exact manufacturer, model, operating system, configuration, magazine, barrel length, owner and method of transfer. Verify current primary sources before relying on a general description.
Delaware Assault Weapon Laws
Review named firearms, AR-platform rifles, copycat weapons, semiautomatic configurations, grandfathered firearms and Delaware’s current assault-weapon restrictions.